NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Global Health Institute Announces New Leadership
Sheela Maru, MD, a clinical leader in obstetrics, women’s health, and global health, will head the Institute as Director; Ben McVane, MD, an emergency medicine physician with expertise in global health and medical care for asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, will serve as Assistant Director Ben McVane, MD, an emergency medicine physician with expertise in global health and medical care for asylum-seekers, refugees and migrants, will serve as Assistant Director
Jul 10, 2025
Elmhurst, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today announced the appointment of Sheela Maru, MD as Director of the hospital’s Global Health Institute, and Ben McVane, MD as Assistant Director of the Institute. The Global Health Institute aims to transform care for historically excluded communities by building bridges between the hospital and communities. The institute engages in local and international partnerships, research, and educational activities that facilitate the exchange of best practices and innovative solutions around the world’s most critical health issues. Examples of recent projects include, training and supporting 30+ community-based doulas through the Helping Promote Birth Equity through Community-Based Doula Care (HoPE) program to serve over 275 birthing people, launching a collaborative health and social navigation program for recent migrants, training students and residents in community health, and engaging in learning exchanges with international partners, including the Philippines, Nepal, Kenya, and Kazakhstan.
“Dr. Maru and Dr. McVane are both outstanding physicians with strong backgrounds in advancing global health,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Laura Iavicoli. “Their deep commitment to patient care and dedication to researching and understanding global health and its implications have long been an inspiration to colleagues both within and beyond our institution. I am confident that in these new roles, they will continue to make an extraordinary impact—building partnerships, driving innovation, and shaping a more just and equitable future in global health.”
“Congratulations to Dr. Sheela Maru and Dr. Ben McVane on their appointments to lead our Global Health Institute,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde. “Elmhurst Hospital serves one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in the world, so advancing global health is key to our mission. I deeply appreciate Dr. Maru’s and Dr. McLane’s leadership and passion for improving health equity, and look forward to supporting their work to help underserved communities around the world.”
Dr. Sheela Maru is an attending physician at Elmhurst Hospital where she practices as an OBGYN. She is also an Associate Professor in the Departments of Health Systems Design and Global Health and Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research focuses on improving healthcare access and quality for women and children in low-resource settings. For over a decade, she has also served as an advisor for the organization Possible, supporting health systems strengthening and implementation science work in rural Nepal. Dr. Maru has an MD from the Yale School of Medicine and an MPH from Harvard University.
Dr. Ben McVane is an Emergency Medicine Physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and an Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Emergency Medicine and the Departments of Health Systems Design and Global Health. He works clinically at Elmhurst Hospital and the Indian Health Service Cheyenne River Health Center in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. He also serves as the Medical Director at the Libertas Center for Human Rights. His research focuses on health and human rights and the healthcare of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. He has worked internationally with refugee populations in Greece, Bangladesh, and Mexico. Dr. McVane has an MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Atiya Butler, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, (917) 319-5167, butlerat@nychhc.org
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About New York City Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care organization for several specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health services. Last year, the hospital received close to 700,000 ambulatory care visits and over 130,000 emergency room visits. The hospital has been nationally-ranked and named as a “Best Regional Hospital” by US News and World Report, and has been noted for providing exceptional care in key areas, including Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD. Stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ElmhurstHosp.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
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 43,000 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.
