PoliticsNY AND amNY Metro’s ‘2025 Power Players In Health Care’ Recognizes NYC Health + Hospitals Leadership
Dr. Mitchell Katz, Dr. Eric Wei, Christopher Mastromano, Danielle DiBari, José A. Pagán, Michelle Lewis, Natalia Cineas, and Svetlana Lipyanskaya are recognized as trailblazers leading New York’s health landscape
Nov 21, 2025
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals; Dr. Eric Wei, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue; Christopher Mastromano, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and North Central Bronx; Danielle DiBari Chief Pharmacy Officer; José A. Pagán, Chair of the Board of Directors; Michelle Lewis, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health; Natalia Cineas, Chief Nursing Executive; and Svetlana Lipyanskaya, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health were recognized by PoliticsNY and amNY Metro’s ‘2025 Power Players in Health Care.’ The list celebrates health care leaders working tirelessly to uplift all New Yorkers and help them lead longer, healthier lives. The recognition list is part of a monthly series by PoliticsNY and amNY Metro on New York’s ‘Power Players,’ including business executives, educators, government affairs experts, and nonprofit directors.
Mitchell Katz, MD, is President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. During his tenure, he has overseen the adoption of a modern electronic health record system, launched a program that has placed over 1,200 patients into permanent housing, launched the health system’s humanitarian response to the asylum seeker crisis, increased the number of nurse positions, developed a modern ambulance transport system, expanded outreach for homeless New Yorkers, led the health system through the COVID-19 crisis, and turned around the financial health of the system by enrolling more patients into health insurance and appropriately billing insurance plans..
Dr. Eric Wei is CEO for NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, the oldest hospital in the United States dating back to 1736. A practicing Emergency Medicine physician, he also serves as Senior VP for NYC Health + Hospitals, caring for over 1.3 million New Yorkers annually. He is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai and Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Christopher Mastromano is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 35 years of experience. As CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx, he manages a $1B budget and 5,000 staff. He successfully merged the facilities into a two-campus model and currently oversees $500M in capital improvement projects. His background includes leadership roles like COO at Gouverneur and Deputy Executive Director at Kings County.
Danielle DiBari, a seasoned healthcare executive, has led transformational initiatives implementing cutting-edge technology across NYC Health + Hospitals driving care standardization and improving safety. Her visionary leadership has unified procurement, pharmacy, and business operations generating hundreds of millions in cost savings through strategic negotiations and streamlined operations. In addition, she and her team have increased the outpatient pharmacy revenue by nearly 500% over the last two years through streamlining operations, while simultaneously expanding access to care for New Yorkers. Currently, DiBari is leading the rollout of a state-of-the-art ERP platform to increase efficiency, reduce costs, enhance security, and improve employee and patient experience.
José A. Pagán, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health Policy and Management in the College of Global Public Health at New York University. He is also Adjunct Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and Chair of the National Advisory Committee of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Policy Research Scholars. Pagán is a health economist who has led research, implementation and evaluation projects on the redesign of health care delivery and payment systems. He is interested in population health management, health care payment and delivery system reform, and the social determinants of health. He is currently a member of the Committee on Systems Approaches to Improve Patient Care by Supporting Clinician Well-Being at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He also has served on the Board of Directors of the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science and the American Society of Health Economists.
Michelle Lewis is a visionary healthcare leader who is shaping the future of healthcare delivery at Gotham Health, a key division of NYC Health + Hospitals and one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). As CEO, Michelle Lewis is driving Gotham Health’s expansive growth while ensuring the organization continues to provide high-quality, equitable care to all New Yorkers, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. She developed state-of-the-art ambulatory sites in Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn, with an upcoming one in Far Rockaway which offer specialty and primary care services, expanding access to healthcare in under resourced areas. She has also introduced essential clinical services across the enterprise, including dermatology and advanced radiology offerings such as MRI, CT scans, and 3D mammography, significantly improving access to early detection, screening, and specialized care in under resourced communities.
Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN, is Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive, and Co-Chair, Equity and Access Council for NYC Health + Hospitals. She serves as clinical lead for the organization, directing more than 9,600 nurses. Cineas previously held leadership roles as Senior Director of Nursing and Deputy Chief Nursing Officer at New York City’s Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital; and as Patient Care Director of Neurosurgery and the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at Columbia University Medical Center New York Presbyterian Hospital. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare from Northern Arizona University’s W.A. Franke College of Business; a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from George Washington University, a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stony Brook University. An American Academy of Nursing Fellow, she has completed Samuel H. and Maria Miller Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship program at Case Western Reserve, Coldiron Senior Nurse Executive Fellowship Program at the Academy, Wharton Nursing Leaders Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, the Harvard Business School Leadership For Senior Executives Program, and actively serves the profession through Academy committee roles and national mentorship initiatives. In 2024, she was named an Inaugural Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, recognizing her leadership in advancing diversity, health equity, and anti-racism in the profession.
Svetlana Lipyanskaya, MPA, FACHE, is the trailblazing first woman to lead the executive team at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. She has expertly navigated the hospital through the challenges of COVID-19 and its recovery while launching a state-of-the-art inpatient facility. By securing essential funding for critical infrastructure projects, she is reshaping access to health care in the community. Her bold strategic vision prioritizes the development of comprehensive medical and behavioral ambulatory services, truly embodying the NYC Health + Hospitals mission. A recognized leader, Svetlana is featured in City and State’s Brooklyn Power 100 and honored by Becker’s Hospital Review, and was celebrated on the NY State Assembly floor for her transformative impact on health care.
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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.
