NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Launches Plan to Create Comprehensive Women's Health Services
In FY23, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso allocated $18.5 million in capital funding to expand integrated women’s health services on the medical campus.
The women's health modernization is part of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's campus renovation, which also features the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital and Health & Wellness Institute.
August 26, 2024
BROOKLYN, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health today announced the kickoff to create a comprehensive continuum of women’s health services on its campus. Services from outpatient care to labor, delivery and postpartum recovery will be integrated to ensure continuity of care and safety. Patient rooms and ancillary spaces will be upgraded to enhance care for the whole family, and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and nursery will be redesigned to accommodate the needs of families, reflecting the hospital’s “Baby Friendly Hospital” designation. The effort is funded with $18.5 million in capital funding from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. During his campaign, Mayor Reynoso highlighted the stark inequity of Black pregnant women in New York City being eight times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white pregnant women, and pledged to make Brooklyn the safest borough to give birth in New York City.
The community South Brooklyn Health cares for is at even higher risk for a safe pregnancy than other parts of Brooklyn. More than 50% of patients are African American or Hispanic, and approximately 70% of these patients have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, substance use disorders and behavioral disorders – all conditions that can put pregnant women and their unborn children at risk. South Brooklyn Health's community is growing, with more young pregnant women at higher risk for serious maternal mortality. Over the past few years, births at South Brooklyn Health have increased by 30%.
“We are deeply grateful for the unprecedented generosity of the Brooklyn Borough President in allocating $18.5 million to South Brooklyn Health, the largest allocation of her FY23 capital budget. This funding will enable us to pursue a key component of our hospital's clinical strategy: providing equitable, cutting-edge women's health care services to residents of South Brooklyn and neighboring communities,” said Svetlana Lipyanskaya, MPA, FACHE, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. “As a health care organization, we share the Borough President's vision: to eliminate disparities in maternal mortality between women of color and white women and make Brooklyn the safest borough in New York City to give birth.”
“On behalf of the entire Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, I want to thank Mayor Reynoso for his dedication to improving health care for women in South Brooklyn and the surrounding areas,” said Maggie Tetrokalashvili, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. “His support will allow us to positively impact the lives of the patients we serve and give every mother, every baby, and every woman a sense of belonging and hope for a brighter future.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the Borough President for prioritizing this important initiative,” said Michelle Beckman, chief growth officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. “Healthy women improve the health of their families and communities, and this opportunity will allow us to transform women's health services and improve access to care in our community.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's investment in improving women's health is an important milestone in meeting the healthcare needs of residents of South Brooklyn and our neighboring communities,” said Roseanne DeGennaro, chair of the NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Community Advisory Board. “I applaud the Brooklyn Borough President's commitment to improving the health and well-being of patients seeking care in New York City's public health system.”
“Today's groundbreaking is as exciting as it is urgent,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Black women in New York City are nearly eight times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is alarming, unacceptable, and a crisis we must all address together. NYC Health + Hospitals has been an essential partner in this effort to make Brooklyn a safer place to give birth, and we are incredibly proud to have allocated $18.5 million to South Brooklyn Health to transform the experiences and outcomes for women and pregnant women who receive our care. While there is still much work to be done, I am pleased that today we have taken another major step together. I congratulate the team at South Brooklyn Health who are helping to move this project forward, and the hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn residents who rely on this safety-net hospital and deserve the highest quality care.”
“As a nurse and a strong advocate for equitable health care, I am thrilled to see NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health making great strides toward expanding comprehensive women's health services. This investment from Brooklyn Borough Mayor Reynoso, a staunch leader for health equity and champion for the well-being of our most vulnerable communities, is a critical step toward ensuring that all women, especially those from underserved communities, have access to the quality health care they deserve. This effort will go a long way to closing significant disparities in maternal health and strengthen our commitment to making Brooklyn a leading hub for safety and care for women and their families,” said NYC City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse.
“Protecting women's health is an investment in our future, and I am thrilled that South Brooklyn Health will provide women in our borough and beyond the care they deserve. I wish you all the best in your efforts to care for the women in our community!” said New York City Council Member Inna Vernikov.
“Women's independence, agency and access to quality health care are so important. We need to build a strong infrastructure that supports women's choices, not restricts them. And we need to do it equitably, so that all women are treated with the dignity and care that everyone deserves. I am proud to join South Brooklyn Health and Brooklyn Borough Mayor Reynoso not only to share this message, but to show it with action, not just words: equity and effectiveness for women is equity and effectiveness for all,” said New York City Council Member Justin Brannan.
“This funding and subsequent expansion of women's health care services is not only an investment in South Brooklyn Health, but also in our community, our families, and our collective future,” said New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella Spanton. “It is my number one priority to ensure that all women, mothers, and families have access to the comprehensive health care services they need to not only improve their health outcomes, but also eliminate disparities in maternal and infant care and continue to thrive. I am committed to continuing to work with Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso to address the issue of maternal and infant mortality in our great borough, and I am confident that this much-needed expansion will enable South Brooklyn Health to provide our community, right here, the critical health care services that our neighbors need and deserve.”
“South Brooklyn Health and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital are committed to providing health care to Coney Island and the surrounding area,” said New York State Assemblyman Alec Brooke Krasny. “I thank Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso for allocating $18.5 million for the hospital's women's health services. I understand the importance of expanding comprehensive women's health services, and this will be a fantastic addition to Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital. South Brooklyn Health is committed to improving comprehensive health care for our patients.”
“South Brooklyn Health remains a cornerstone of care for our community, consistently providing critical services that improve the health of all our residents. This latest investment highlights their commitment to improving access to and quality of health care in our area. I am proud to support South Brooklyn Health in their continued efforts to provide excellent services to our community,” said New York State Assemblyman Michael Novahoff.
South Brooklyn Health is the closest community hospital to approximately 875,000 New Yorkers and a safety net hospital for residents of the southernmost neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
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No. 142-24
Media Contact: Bridgette Ingraham-Roberts; [email protected]
About NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health and its 351-bed Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital and Health & Wellness Institute are one of the public health system's 10 acute care medical campuses providing general and acute care for adults and children. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital offers primary and acute care inpatient services in state-of-the-art trauma and emergency care, general medicine, adult medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, medical and surgical specialties, coronary care, intensive care, obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, neonatology, critical care, rehabilitative medicine, psychiatry and behavioral medicine. With more than 40 outpatient clinics, the Health & Wellness Institute provides patient- and caregiver-centered primary and specialty care to residents of South Brooklyn and surrounding areas. The hospital is designated as a Certified Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Center, an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, a Certified Baby-Friendly Hospital, a U.S. News & World Report High Performing Hospital, a SAFE Center of Excellence under the Sexual Assault Reform Act, a Designated AIDS Center (DAC) and a Level 2 Perinatal Center.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health system in the United States. It is a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, community medical centers, nursing homes and post-acute care centers; a home care agency; and a health insurance plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers each year at more than 70 locations across the five boroughs of New York City. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 is singularly focused on helping every New Yorker, without exception, live the healthiest life possible. Learn more at www.nychealthandhospitals.org. Connect with us on Facebook. TwitterInstagram, LinkedIn, etc.
