NYC Health + Hospitals' Assistant Vice President Of Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center Operations Shereen Zaid Named "Rising Star" on Modern Healthcare's "Leading Women" List
Recognized for her work providing supplies, including approximately 60,000 meals a day, to care for asylum seekers living at the public health system’s humanitarian centers During the pandemic response, Shereen was instrumental in the NYC Test & Trace Corps’ creation of a network of at-home test distribution sites, which provided New Yorkers over 150 million free COVID-19 tests
Mar 13, 2025
Shereen Zaid, NYC Health + Hospitals’ Assistant Vice President for its Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRC) program, has been named to Modern Healthcare’s 2025 “Leading Women” list and distinguished as a “Rising Star” in recognition of her efforts to provide asylum seekers living in humanitarian centers critical resources, including nearly 60,000 meals per day. Shereen’s leadership of the HERRC Hospitality & Logistics team has ensured that tens of thousands of people living at the public health system’s humanitarian centers received the resources necessary to care for themselves and their children. Her management of HERRC community partnerships has helped secure the donation and distribution of over 10,000 holiday gifts, 10,000 winter coats, and 8,000 pairs of sneakers and established extensive community programming. In addition, as the former Senior Director of Logistics for the NYC Test & Trace Corps (T2), Shereen helped create a network of over 250 community-based testing distribution sites that provided New Yorkers over 150 million at-home tests and secured testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and quarantine resources to support New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m so grateful to be recognized as a ‘Rising Star’ on Modern Healthcare’s ‘Leading Women’ list alongside all these amazing leaders,” said Shereen Zaid, NYC Health + Hospitals’ Assistant Vice President of its Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRC) program.“For the last five years I have worked with so many incredible coworkers who know that the numbers in our spreadsheets and order forms represent people in need who will receive a hot meal, baby formula, winter coat, COVID test, or other critical resources because of our help. Their dedication and talent inspire me every day, and I am so proud of what we have achieved together.”
“Shereen has fueled the heart and soul of our team’s work every day during our response to two historic crises,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Care & Population Health Ted Long, MD, MHS. “During the pandemic, her dedication to ensuring New Yorkers had critical testing resources when and where they were needed saved lives and her work providing asylum seekers meals, resources, and community services has helped thousands of others find a path to a better life. I am so grateful to have Shereen looking out for New Yorkers, and congratulate her for receiving this well-deserved award.”
“While Shereen’s achievements and their impact are astounding, her constant effort to create a team culture defined by purpose, inclusion, and fun has been key to the success of our crisis response efforts,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Operating Officer of Ambulatory Care Chris Keeley. “Her love, dedication, and thoughtfulness for the people in our care and on her team is infectious, and the reason why the essential resources her team provides, including tens of millions of meals, are delivered with that same intention. Our city is healthier and more kind because of Shereen, and I feel lucky to show up to work every day knowing she’ll be one of the most senior leaders driving our work forward to support those we serve.”
Beginning in September 2022, in response to New York City’s historic influx of asylum seekers, Shereen helped establish supply operations for NYC Health + Hospitals’ Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers. Since then, the public health system’s humanitarian centers have housed nearly 150,000 unique guests — approximately three quarters of whom are families with children — and ensured guests have received humane, dignified care and the services they need to take the next steps in their path towards a better life. Shereen established a meal program at all HERRC facilities, serving three meals per day that are Halal-certified, nutritious, and culturally relevant for asylum seekers from more than 150 countries. Under her leadership, her team provided up to 60,000 meals a day and achieved consumption rates consistently above 96%. In addition, Shereen has ensured HERRC facilities provide essential care for toddlers and infants, helping to distribute over 300,000 formula bottles and baby food jars, 4.5 million baby wipes, and 1.5 million diapers.
Through her role managing community partnerships and donations, Shereen led efforts to distribute over 10,000 holiday gifts, 10,000 winter coats, and 8,000 pairs of sneakers. She has established community programming for adults and children at all of our humanitarian centers through partnerships with over 50 community groups and businesses, including the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, the New York Public Library, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, and New York City Football Club.
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Shereen served as the Senior Director of Logistics for the NYC Test & Trace Corps, the largest municipal testing, contact tracing and treatment program in the country. Shereen acted quickly to respond to the demands of the pandemic, launching the Corps’ supply and logistics operations and managing resources for its hundreds of testing and vaccination sites, contact tracing program, and Take Care program, which helped support New Yorkers actively in quarantine.
Over the course of the NYC Test & Trace Corps’ operations, which sunset in May 2023, staff distributed over 150 million free at-home COVID tests through a network of over 250 community-based distribution sites, administered over 2 million COVID-19 vaccines, reached 1.7 million COVID-positive cases, identified 1.8 million close contacts of positive cases, and delivered over 600,000 care packages and 2.2 million meals to those in isolation or quarantine.
Shereen previously served as the Director of Advance for the Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign, Director of Scheduling and Advance for the Julian Castro presidential campaign, and Statewide Scheduler for the Texas Democratic Party. She received her BA from The University of Oklahoma.
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NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.
