Bellevue Hospital, Japan Institute of Health Security Strategic Infectious Disease Partnership, Physicians Honored As Top AAPI Doctors By Castle Conolly

Bellevue Hospital, Japan Institute of Health Security Strategic Infectious Disease Partnership, Physicians Honored As Top AAPI Doctors By Castle Conolly

Editor’s note: This same hospital network created a new initiative for behavioral health nurses to advance their degrees by contracting with them for a certain period of time at their locations.  Staten Island’s SIUH was recently named by US News and World Report among top hospitals.  

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS/BELLEVUE AND JAPAN INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SECURITY ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ENHANCE HIGH-CONSEQUENCE INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREPAREDNESS

The Memorandum of Understanding outlines information and resource sharing, as well as clinical and research collaboration on high-consequence infectious diseases and emergency response

Representatives from NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and the Japan Institute for Health Security for the signing of a strategic partnership to enhance high-consequence infectious disease preparedness. Image Credit – NYC H+H

(New York, NY) – NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced a new strategic partnership with the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), a Tokyo-based agency which serves as a world-class Integrated Science Center for Infectious Diseases to protect people from various diseases and health emergencies such as infectious diseases. The international agreement outlines a commitment to enhance infectious disease preparedness at both institutions.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a structured collaboration between both institutions to address emerging infectious diseases effectively. The MoU outlines protocols for information and resource sharing, education and training initiatives, as well as clinical and research collaboration. The institutions will partner on special pathogen preparedness strategies, research publications, and clinical and operational protocols, as well as joint research projects on high-consequence infectious diseases, protocol development for emergency response, and shared expertise in patient management and containment strategies.

The MoU with JIHS represents Bellevue Hospital’s second international agreement, following the signing of a partnership with South Korea’s National Medical Center in April.

“This collaboration between Bellevue Hospital and the Japan Institute for Health Security represents another crucial step in our ability to address emerging health threats around the world,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eric Wei. “We look forward to this high-level international collaboration between Bellevue and top infectious disease leaders at JIHS. This global partnership enables us to expand the expertise we have developed over the last decade, and enhances our almost 300-year history of treating infectious diseases.”

“This agreement with the Japan Institute of Health Security strengthens a shared commitment to advancing clinical excellence and operational readiness in the face of infectious disease threats,” said Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, Director of the Special Pathogens Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “As a national leader in special pathogens preparedness, Bellevue is proud to collaborate with JIHS to exchange expertise, develop response protocols, and contribute to a more resilient and connected global health security landscape.”

“This Memorandum of Understanding represents a significant milestone in our shared commitment to enhancing health security both nationally and globally,” said Dr. Norio Ohmagari, Director, Department of Infectious Disease Clinical Policy, Bureau of Health Security and Management, Japan Institute for Health Security. “Through the strategic partnership between NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and Japan Institute for Health Security, we are reinforcing our collective capability to respond effectively to health emergencies, including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and disasters. Together, we aspire to build a healthier, safer, and more resilient world for all.”

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Executive Officer Dr. Eric Wei presents
Dr. Norio Ohmagari, Director, Department of Infectious Disease Clinical Policy, at the Japan Institute for Health Security, with a commemorative photo of Bellevue Hospital, on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.

The Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS) was established through the merger of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIID) and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM). The JIHS will serve as a world-class Integrated Science Center for Infectious Diseases to protect people from various diseases and health emergencies such as infectious diseases. The JIHS will also serve as a scientific advisory body during infectious disease crises, providing scientific knowledge with the Japanese government including the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The mission of the JIHS is to contribute to the creation of a resilient and secure society through the implementation of research and development on infectious diseases and other diseases, as well as the provision of medical care.

Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the United States, has a longstanding legacy in infectious disease management and is a recognized leader within the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS)—a nationwide, tiered network of care ranging from frontline facilities to advanced treatment centers. Bellevue’s Special Pathogens Program serves as the designated Level 1 Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center (RESPTC) for HHS Region 2, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. RESPTCs act as resource hubs, providing highly specialized care for patients suspected of, or infected by, special pathogens such as Ebola, mpox, or H5N1 bird flu.

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NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS PHYSICIANS HONORED AS 2025 TOP AAPI DOCTORS BY CASTLE CONOLLY

Castle Conolly honors NYC Health + Hospitals doctors for outstanding clinical expertise and cultural sensitivity

Castle Connolly is a health care directory that helps patients find providers

(New York, NY) – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that 11 of its hospital leaders and physicians have been named among Castle Connolly’s ‘2025 Top AAPI Doctors,’ a national list recognizing physicians for their excellence in clinical care and commitment to health equity. Honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team based on criteria including professional qualifications, education, leadership, hospital and faculty appointments, interpersonal skills, and contributions to healthcare research. Castle Connolly’s ‘Top AAPI Doctors’ distinction is part of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiative aimed at spotlighting exceptional AAPI clinicians and helping patients connect with providers who understand their cultural and lived experiences.

“As we continue to advance health equity across our communities, I am incredibly proud to recognize the Asian American and Pacific Islander physicians from our health system who have received this prestigious honor from Castle Connolly,” said Ivelesse Mendez-Justiniano, NYC Health + Hospitals’ Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. “Physicians like Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, Dr. Ee Tein Tay, and Dr. Gladys Ming-Li Lee-Hwang bring not only deep clinical knowledge but also lived cultural awareness to the care they provide. Their impact on patients’ lives, particularly in underserved communities, is immeasurable.”

The NYC Health + Hospitals physicians recognized in Castle Connolly’s 2025 ‘Top AAPI Doctors’ list include:

Dr. Amit Uppal, MD

Pulmonologist

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Anitha Srinivasan, MD

Surgeon

NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan

Dr. Bipin Subedi, MD

Psychiatrist

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Ee Tein Tay, MD

Emergency Medicine

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Eric K. Wei, MD

Emergency Medicine

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Gladys Ming-Li Lee-Hwang, MD

Obstetrician & Gynecologist

NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan

Dr. Michael S. Shen, MD

Internal Medicine Doctor

NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull

Dr. Pradeep Mally, MD

Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Ramaswamy Viswanathan, MD

Psychiatrist

NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County

Dr. Vikramjit Mukherjee, MD

Critical Care Medicine Doctor

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

Dr. Vani Dandolu, MD

Obstetrician & Gynecologist

NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan

Banner Image:  Representatives from NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and the Japan Institute for Health Security for the signing of a strategic partnership to enhance high-consequence infectious disease preparedness. Image Credit – NYC H+H