NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Awarded $100,000 to Strengthen Regional Emergency Preparedness through Virtual Learning Networks
Bellevue Hospital will lead emergency preparedness program to support coordinated readiness and cross-sector collaboration
Feb 11, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced it was awarded $100,000 to support the development and implementation of an Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) program for emergency preparedness. The funding is provided by the University of New Mexico, which received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to build regional, case-based virtual learning networks that strengthen infectious disease and all-hazards emergency preparedness and response across the region. The award for Bellevue Hospital will provide support for training across U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 2, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“This award reflects Bellevue Hospital’s long-standing leadership in emergency preparedness and our commitment to strengthening readiness across our region,” said Eric Wei, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “Emergency preparedness is not limited to one type of threat — it’s about ensuring that we are equipped to respond to whatever our communities face. Through this program, we will strengthen regional collaboration and expand practical, real-world learning through shared cases and cross-sector dialogue that improves response capabilities across the region.”
As a leader in emergency preparedness, Bellevue Hospital will help establish a trusted, multidisciplinary virtual community of practice grounded in the Project ECHO model. The program will bring together public health officials, emergency managers, health care organizations, and community-based organizations to co-design equitable, coordinated, and resilient emergency preparedness and response systems.
“Project ECHO gives us the opportunity to learn from one another across disciplines and strengthen preparedness across our region,” said Margaret L. Aldrich, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Epidemiologist, and Project ECHO Principal Investigator at Bellevue Hospital. “Through shared learning and community, we can build greater resilience together.”
Bellevue Hospital will lead an Emergency Preparedness ECHO program from January 15, 2026 to October 31, 2026, delivering 18 virtual sessions to strengthen regional readiness through shared learning and collaboration. The series will include brief workshops and trainings, participant case presentations, and facilitated discussion, with guidance and support from the ECHO Institute. Participants will also have access to session recordings and resource materials.
The Emergency Preparedness ECHO program will include two complementary cohorts: A High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCID) Preparedness cohort and an All-Hazards cohort. The HCID Preparedness cohort will focus on foundational topics such as personal protective equipment, staffing, waste management, infection prevention and control best practices, and EMS considerations. The All-Hazards cohort will address key emergency preparedness priorities — including hurricane preparedness, tsunami preparedness, exercises and drills, mass casualty events, and pediatric considerations — that support comprehensive readiness across a range of threats.
“Emergency preparedness includes readiness for special pathogens, and that is a core part of Bellevue Hospital’s role as the Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Center,” said Vikramjit Mukherjee, MD, Chief, Critical Care and Chief, Special Pathogens Program, Bellevue Hospital. “This ECHO program supports that work by extending shared learning across the region.”
Bellevue Hospital serves as the Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Center (RESPTC) for HHS Region 2, a designation that positions the hospital as a regional leader in preparedness for HCIDs. Through its RESPTC role, Bellevue provides clinical expertise, training, and coordination to support health care systems across the region in preparing for and responding to special pathogen threats, including the recent training of over 500 health care and public health professionals across four jurisdictions in 2025 to respond to regional high-consequence infectious disease threats.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Bellevue Public Relations
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America’s oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the 851-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. The hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center and annually it sees about 103,000 emergency room visits, and more than 520,000 outpatient visits. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Bariatric Surgery; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information on Bellevue, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more information on the Special Pathogens Program, please visit www.R2RESPTC.org.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal 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 MetroPlusHealth—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 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, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
