NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health’s Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Units Recognized with Silver Beacon Awards for Excellence
These national awards reflect South Brooklyn Health’s commitment to providing exceptional patient care
Mar 06, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health today announced that their Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) both recently received a Silver Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). The Beacon Award is a prestigious national recognition awarded to individual hospital units that demonstrate exceptional performance in quality care, patient outcomes, work environment, and nursing workforce standards. A Silver Beacon Award for Excellence reflects exceptional patient care and a healthy work environment. It recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align clinical practices with the AACN’s Healthy Work Environment Standards. Units that receive Beacon recognition are recognized as role models in delivering safe, patient-centered care and fostering a healthy work environment that supports collaboration, staff engagement, and continuous improvement.
These designations highlight the MICU’s and SICU’s ongoing commitment to patient-centered care through quality improvement initiatives and strong teamwork. For South Brooklyn Health, achieving this recognition underscores the dedication of its critical care nurses to upholding the high standards of patient safety and nursing quality, reinforcing South Brooklyn Health’s mission to provide outstanding care to patients and families in the community, further enhancing their reputation as a leader in critical care excellence.
Svetlana Lipyanskaya, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, commented, “Being awarded two Silver Beacons for the (MICU) and the (SICU) is not only a great honor, but it represents an important step forward in South Brooklyn Health’s commitment to providing exceptional care to every patient with dignity, compassion, and excellence.”
Dr. Selwena Brewster, Chief Medical Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health shared, “I am extremely proud to announce that the MICU and the SICU both have been honored with the Silver Beacon Award. The Silver designation acknowledges these units ongoing commitment to patient-centered care through quality improvement initiatives and strong teamwork. For South Brooklyn Health, achieving this recognition underscores the dedication of its critical care nurses to upholding the high standards of patient safety and nursing quality, reinforcing the hospital’s mission and commitment to provide outstanding patient care.”
Leonid Mirakov, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health stated,” The Beacon Award recognition in our MICU and the re-designation of our SICU reflect the strength of our interdisciplinary teams and their relentless pursuit of excellence. These achievements affirm our commitment to evidence-based practice, meaningful collaboration, and delivering exceptional, patient-centered care that meets the highest standards for our patients and the communities we serve.”
“Congratulations to South Brooklyn Health’s MICU and SICU teams for their Silver Beacon Awards,” said Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive of NYC Health + Hospitals. “These awards further exemplify the hard work and dedication of the nursing team at South Brooklyn Health. I am proud of their success and look forward to celebrating their continued excellence.”
###
MEDIA CONTACT: SBHPublicAffairs@nychhc.org
#053-26
About NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
A member of NYC Health + Hospitals, NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health is a major health care provider in the borough of Brooklyn. Its foremost mission is to provide quality, comprehensive care to all members of the public regardless of their ability to pay. 2025 marked its 150th anniversary of serving the communities of Brooklyn. South Brooklyn Health’s modern campus features the new Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital and full Ambulatory Care Services. Its range of services, include emergency care, surgery, maternity, and specialized outpatient care, and holds designations for its stroke and maternal care centers. NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health is a joint commission accredited thrombectomy stroke center, providing immediate access to the highest level of stroke care. South Brooklyn Health is also a certified Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Center, providing the highest level of neurology and cardiology care. For more information, visit http://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/southbrooklynhealth.
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 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.
