Press Releases

Governor Hochul Announces $27.5 Million to Expand Maternal and Pediatric Health Care at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens

Expanding Women’s Pavilion will combat maternal mortality crisis by increasing access to prenatal care and delivering mental health counseling and other new services

Aug 14, 2024

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York State will invest $27.5 million to expand maternal and pediatric health care facilities at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. The State’s investment will increase access to high-quality prenatal and mental health care by expanding the hospital’s Women’s Pavilion to more than double its current size. This investment will also enable the hospital to build a new, state-of-the-art Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), which will allow more local families to access care for critically ill and injured children without traveling miles away to other hospitals.

“Our investment will deliver better health care for moms and kids throughout the Queens community,” Governor Hochul said. “As New York’s first mom Governor, addressing the maternal mortality crisis is personal for me. Whether it’s investing in maternal health resources, securing first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave or increasing access to doulas, I’ll never stop working to ensure safe, healthy pregnancies for moms across our State.”

This new investment continues Governor Hochul’s actions to address the maternal mortality crisis, which continues to disproportionally impact women of color in New York and across the nation. Elmhurst Hospital primarily serves neighborhoods including Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona, which are among the highest birthrate communities in Queens.

At today’s announcement, the Governor also highlighted that New York’s first-in-the-nation prenatal paid leave policy will take effect on January 1, with employers required to provide pregnant employees with 20 hours of additional paid leave for prenatal care appointments.

Expanding Elmhurst Hospital’s Women’s Pavilion

A new $20 million state investment will enable Elmhurst Hospital to expand its Women’s Pavilion from 16,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet – more than doubling its size and adding three new floors to the facility. This significant expansion will increase the hospital’s capacity to deliver high-quality prenatal care, including general obstetrics and high-risk pregnancy services, nutrition services, family planning resources and prenatal education including breastfeeding classes. This investment will also allow the hospital to provide more services during evening hours as requested by a recent survey of patients from the local community.

Additionally, the expanded Women’s Pavilion will offer a range of new resources, including care for pelvic floor disorders, gynecological cancers and breast health, as well as mental health counseling for postpartum depression and anxiety, among other new services. New equipment added to the Pavilion will include state-of-the-art sonogram machines, ultrasound machines and mammography equipment.

Building a New Pediatric Intensive Care Unit      

A new $7.5 million state investment will enable Elmhurst Hospital to build a new, approximately 1,500-square foot PICU. The hospital currently does not have a PICU, which means that many critically ill and injured children from local communities need to be transferred miles away to other hospitals that are better equipped to care for them. This has placed an undue burden on many Queens parents and families who must constantly travel to visit a critically ill child.

Building the new PICU will finally address this problem by ensuring that local families with critically ill children can easily access high-quality care close to home. The facility will include new equipment such as advanced monitors with modules for A-lines, CVP monitoring, EVD monitoring, capnography, Dedicated ECG and other state-of-the-art equipment.

Additional details on timelines for the expansion of the Women’s Pavilion and the new PICU will be shared in the coming months. Once these projects are underway, Elmhurst Hospital will continue to deliver its current services with minimal disruption to patients.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “This is a significant investment in the health of people who give birth, children and the Queens community. People who give birth deserve access to services that will allow them to have a safe and empowering birthing experience. It is also an important investment for critically injured or sick children, who, along with their families and loved ones, deserve care that is compassionate, high quality and local.

NYC Health and Hospitals CEO and President Mitchell Katz, MD said, “NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst is such a trusted, community focal point for high-quality care, and this expansion will only further expand services for women and children. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to public hospitals. She understands how essential they are to communities such as Elmhurst.”

NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde said, “Governor Hochul’s historic allocation of $27.5 Million for our Women’s Pavilion and Pediatric ICU illustrates her strong commitment to helping New York’s women and children, and I deeply appreciate her support. This funding will help us reduce infant and maternal mortality, provide care to women at every life stage, and ensure that we deliver critical care to our smallest patients when they need it most. We thank Governor Hochul for investing in Elmhurst Hospital and giving us the resources to secure a healthy, thriving future for our community.”

Assemblymember Catalina Cruz said, “Elmhurst Hospital never asks how or why; it effectively and efficiently serves thousands of my neighbors no matter their financial or ethnic background. During the worst of times, it has stood as a beacon of hope for those who often have little to no access to care. The Governor’s multimillion dollar investment into our Pediatric Care Unit and the Women’s Pavilion is more than just an infusion of funds; it’s an affirmation of New York’s commitment to a community that is rich in cultural diversity but often economically marginalized. As a proud patient of the Women’s Pavilion at Elmhurst Hospital, I know firsthand the vital role this institution plays in our everyday health care, but particularly for the thousands of uninsured women throughout Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona. This investment ensures that more women and children in our community will receive the quality healthcare they deserve. I thank the Governor for her support and look forward to seeing the real-life impact of today’s announcement.”

Assemblymember Steven Raga said, “Governor Hochul’s historic $27.5 Million investment for Elmhurst Hospital will save lives in Queens. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will be vital for ensuring that critically ill children in our community receive the appropriate medical attention and support they need during their most vulnerable moments, while the Women’s Health Pavilion will address the specific health care needs of women in an inclusive and supportive environment. This support from our Governor will make significant strides in health care services for our community, which was the epicenter of the epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States.”

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said, “Elmhurst Hospital is the heartbeat of Northwest Queens and one of New York City’s most critical hubs of high-quality health care. The success of this community is directly linked to the success of the hospital in delivering for the families who seek its care. With this unprecedented investment in facility’s ability to deliver elite health care outcomes for newborns and their parents — some of the most vulnerable patients treated there — as well as children of all ages, countless lives will be saved or otherwise improved. I’m deeply proud to partner with Governor Hochul on such an investment and I thank all of Elmhurst Hospital’s health care heroes for their sacrifice.”

New York’s Paid Prenatal Leave Starts January 1

By mandating a separate sick leave bank for prenatal care, Governor Hochul ensured that New York is going further than any other state to ensure pregnant individuals can receive the health care needed to create healthy outcomes for parent and child without jeopardizing employment.

When the policy takes effect on January 1, 2025, employees will receive an additional 20 hours of paid sick leave for prenatal care in addition to their existing sick leave.

This initiative builds on Governor Hochul’s previous actions to support new parents and improve maternal health outcomes. The FY 2024 Enacted Budget established 12 weeks of paid parental leave benefits to more than 80 percent of the state workforce and extended postpartum coverage for up to a full year for Medicaid and Child Health Plus enrollees.

Expanding Access to Doulas to Promote Maternal Health

In June, New York State issued a statewide standing order for doula services, expanding access for all birthing parents. The standing order – secured by Governor Hochul in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget – will allow more New Yorkers to access doula care because a recommendation for doula services is required in order to be eligible for Medicaid coverage. This standing order serves as that recommendation. The standing order will also make it easier for birthing parents enrolled in other health plans to access doula care. Doulas provide physical, emotional, educational and non-medical support for pregnant and postpartum individuals before, during and after childbirth.

As of March 1, 2024, New York State Medicaid covers doula services for pregnant, birthing and postpartum people. To support access to services, the Department maintains a directory of doulas enrolled to provide covered services to Medicaid members, pursuant to legislation signed last year by Governor Hochul.

Strengthening New York’s Health Care Workforce

In addition to expanding resources for patients, Governor Hochul has invested in growing and strengthening New York’s health care workforce. This week the Governor announced that New York State has paid over $2 billion in bonuses to over 800,000 workers through the Health Care Worker Bonus Program. That program was launched by the Governor in 2022 and provides bonuses of up to $3,000 for eligible workers, including many front line health care and mental hygiene practitioners, technicians, assistants, support staff and aides.

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said, “When women are healthy, so are their children and families, and that’s why this investment into pediatric and maternal health care facilities at Elmhurst Hospital is a win for families in Queens. As a women-majority Council, we have consistently prioritized the issue of improving maternal health care because women make up the backbone of our families. This important investment will help provide families in Queens with critical services, making it possible for residents to get prompt and critical care in their own neighborhood. I look forward to working with our city and state partners to continue our investments into maternal and pediatric health care so that we can address the racial disparities in maternal health outcomes that continue to affect Black New Yorkers, and other women and birthing people of color.”

Councilmember Lynn Schulman said, “As Chair of the NYC Council Health Committee, I am thrilled to see New York State’s significant commitment to the expansion of maternal and pediatric health care facilities at Elmhurst Hospital. This $27.5 million investment is a critical step toward ensuring that all families in our community have access to the high-quality care they deserve, right here in Queens. The expansion of the Women’s Pavilion and the new Pediatric Intensive Care Unit will be game changers for local families, providing essential prenatal and pediatric services closer to home.”

Councilmember Mercedes Narcisse said, “I want to sincerely thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to health care and for securing $27.5 million in funding for the Women’s Health Pavilion and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at H+H Elmhurst. As a former ER nurse at Elmhurst and Chair of the Hospitals Committee, I know just how vital these services are to the women and children in our city. This investment will make a truly lasting impact on the lives of so many New Yorkers, and I am deeply grateful for Governor Hochul’s dedication to improving access to healthcare for all.”

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Contact: Governor’s Press Office, Albany: 518-474-8418, New York City: 212-681-4640