NYC H+H Facilities Ranked Top Providers By HealthFirst, US News & World Report;  Expanded Behavioral Health Svcs To Domestic Violence Shelters; Recognized By AHA For Quality Care 

NYC H+H Facilities Ranked Top Providers By HealthFirst, US News & World Report;  Expanded Behavioral Health Svcs To Domestic Violence Shelters; Recognized By AHA For Quality Care 

Editor’s note: Readers may remember that one of the reasons why the critical opioid funding, for an epidemic that has hit Staten Island harder than the other boroughs, was the absence of a public hospital on Staten Island.  NYC Health + Hospitals has not run any of the island’s hospitals for many decades, where their last hospital here was Bailey Seton, which closed many years ago.  Considering how many awards and recognitions it has received, care for residents of the island would likely improve if it was brought back.  It could also help alleviate some of the overcrowding in local hospitals, leading patients to wait for at least five hours for a non-life-threatening condition to receive care. Staten Islander covered this very topic, of the lack of a public hospital on Staten Island alone among the boroughs.  

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS FACILITIES RANKED THE TOP PROVIDERS FOR NON-PROFIT HEALTH INSURER HEALTHFIRST

NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull held Healthfirst’s top two spots for quality care for Medicare patients

In a network of over 80 hospitals, 7 out of 10 of the Healthfirst’s highest ranking Medicaid providers were NYC Health + Hospitals facilities, and 5 out of 10 of Healthfirst’s highest ranking Medicare providers were NYC Health + Hospitals facilities

(New York, NY) – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that its facilities were the top provider in 2024 by overall quality rankings issued by Healthfirst, one of New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurers with over 2 million members. In a network of over 80 hospitals, including the city’s major for-profit health systems, 7 out of 10 of the Healthfirst’s highest ranking Medicaid providers were NYC Health + Hospitals facilities, and 5 out of 10 of Healthfirst’s highest ranking Medicare providers were NYC Health + Hospitals facilities. The two top performing facilities in Healthfirst’s entire network for Medicare were NYC Health + Hospitals facilities: NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Morrisania. Three of the health care system’s sites made both lists: Woodhull Hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Belvis. Key performance measures include screenings for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and cervical cancer; medication adherence for statins, hypertension, and diabetes; well child visits; and patient satisfaction.

“Every New Yorker should be proud that when ranked against dozens of private hospitals in the city, their public health system is at the very top of list for clinical quality,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer, the CEO of the health system’s Accountable Care Organization Matthew Siegler. “These top scores are a testament to our dedicated clinical and managed care teams that put high quality clinical care above all else.”

NYC Health + Hospitals developed several interventions to support patient engagement:

• Medication Adherence: Made it easier for patients to receive 90-day supplies for important chronic medications for diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol.
• Proactive Outreach: Contacted Healthfirst patients who had not picked up their medicine or scheduled a follow-up appointment.
  • Scheduled over 5,000 appointments for Healthfirst patients in 2024.
  • Called over 4,700 Healthfirst members in 2024 who were overdue to refill their prescription to ensure medication adherence.
  • Sent over 35,000 messages on MyChart to Healthfirst patients in 2024.
• Cervical cancer screening outreach: Hired a nurse practitioner fully dedicated to completing cervical cancer screenings.
• Distributed more asthma medication: Implemented new protocols to ensure that patients with asthma received sufficient asthma control medication.
• Collaborated with facilities to enhance workflow: Efforts included performance monitoring, end-of-year chart reviews, and provider and staff training.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT “BEST HOSPITALS 2025-2026” LIST INCLUDES ALL NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS’ ACUTE CARE FACILITIES

The public health care system’s hospitals are recognized as Best Hospitals for treating conditions such as heart failure, heart attack, hip fracture, kidney failure, colon cancer, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

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U.S. News & World Report is a global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders, and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities

(NEW YORK, NY – July 29, 2025) – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that its 11 hospitals have been named by U.S. News & World Report to its 2025-2026 ‘Best Hospitals’ list. The ranking recognizes the hospitals for excellence in treating conditions including heart failure, heart attack, hip fracture, diabetes, kidney failure, diabetes, colon cancer surgery, pneumonia, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The hospitals were selected out of nearly 5,000 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions. Hospitals awarded a “Best” designation excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level of nursing care, and patient experience. The U.S. News & World Report rankings build on NYC Health + Hospitals’ commitment to providing high-quality, comprehensive health care to all New Yorkers.

The hospitals that received the recognitions are:

“We are honored that all the NYC Health + Hospitals have been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report 2025–2026 ‘Best Hospitals’ list,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD “It is a testament to our staff’s extraordinary work and our commitment to caring for every New Yorker.”

“For more than 30 years, the mission of U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals rankings has been to help guide patients, in consultation with their doctors, to the right hospital when they need care,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News “Because each patient’s needs are different, U.S. News offers rankings and ratings in more than three dozen different health care services, including cancer care, orthopedics and heart bypass surgery.”

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS EXPANDS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES TO 41 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS

Since its launch in 2023, the program has provided over 5,600 behavioral health appointments and served over 700 patients at the city’s domestic violence shelters; Counseling, therapy, and medication management are provided at no cost to the resident

Patient Aisha Wilson shares her story about receiving mental health support at one of the city’s domestic violence shelters

Over 400 staff members in domestic violence shelters and approximately 100 staff annually at the city’s Family Justice Centers run by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) have been trained on topics related to mental health and trauma

Patient Aisha Wilson and her two teenage children into one of the City’s domestic violence shelters, where she found free mental health support and the resources to build a new life for her family. NYC H+H

(New York, NY) – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the expansion of its Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative, which increases access to evidence-based mental health services for families residing in the city’s domestic violence shelters. Announced in May 2023, the initiative began at 9 domestic violence shelters building on the success of the NYC Health + Hospitals mental health program operating at the City’s five borough-based Family Justice Centers and is now available at 41 domestic violence shelters. NYC Health + Hospitals’ staff conducted over 5,600 behavioral health appointments and served over 700 patients through this initiative since launching in late 2022. Residents of participating domestic violence shelters are now able to see a mental health specialist within one week, compared to previously waiting six months to one year for an appointment.

Patient Aisha Wilson also shared her story about leaving her abusive relationship and moving with her two teenage children into one of the City’s domestic violence shelters, where she found free mental health support for herself and her son and the resources to build a new life for her family. Read her story here.

This $5.9 million initiative aims to support mental health services to the thousands of adults and children who receive services at the city’s domestic violence shelters. Family screenings, individual and group sessions, and medication management are provided directly on-site to adults and children in these domestic violence shelters, significantly decreasing wait times. Behavioral health services, including therapy and psychiatric medication management is provided at no cost to the resident. The Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative is a multi-agency collaboration between NYC Health + Hospitals, the NYC Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration, the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, and the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health.

“Increasing access to mental health services for special populations like survivors of domestic and gender-based violence is one of our behavioral health strategic priorities systemwide,” said NYC Health + Hospitals System Chief of Behavioral Health Services Omar Fattal, MD, MPH. “This is why we are proud to expand this initiative to all of our community-based partners so that residents of the City’s domestic violence shelters can access critical mental health services directly on-site, addressing their trauma in a patient-centered way and helping them attain stability.”

“The trauma that causes survivors to enter the City’s domestic violence shelter system is deeply profound and painful, requiring immediate support and therapy,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Domestic Violence Mental Health Initiative Director Obianuju Berry, MD, MPH. “This is why embedding access to mental health services directly in these domestic violence shelters is fundamental to ensuring the survivors and their children receive the help they need to heal and build a fresh start. Today we are thrilled to announce significantly growing this initiative and providing life-changing mental health support to more domestic violence shelter residents.”

“Every survivor in our care has endured a series of deeply destabilizing and traumatic experiences that can, without proper treatment and care, result in lasting physical and mental health challenges,” said DSS Deputy Commissioner of Domestic Violence Services Rima Rivera. “Which is why expanding access to high-quality, trauma-informed mental health services within the DV shelter system is absolutely critical. These are life-changing interventions, and we are thrilled to work with NYC Health + Hospitals to bring mental health services directly to these facilities so survivors can quickly and conveniently access the care they deserve.”

“Our mental health program with NYC Health + Hospitals at the city’s five borough-based Family Justice Centers has already made a meaningful impact on the communities we serve, and we’re excited to continue strengthening this partnership and building on its success,” said Saloni Sethi, Commissioner of NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. “Expanding this critical care to 41 domestic violence shelters acknowledges the deep connection between mental health and domestic violence, and ensures survivors and their children receive mental health support in an environment where they feel safe and are already connected to the help they need.”

“Offering immediate mental health support within the safe haven of domestic violence shelters is a deeply important step in nurturing healing and fostering lasting stability for survivors,” shares Eva Wong, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health. “Survivors deserve more than safety—they deserve immediate access to specialized mental health care with compassion, often on the very day they reach out for help. By embedding these crucial services directly within shelter walls, we are removing obstacles and ensuring that the journey toward recovery can begin without delay, offering a vital lifeline of support from the very first day.”

Aisha’s weekly therapy sessions with social worker Edith Salmeron have helped her process and heal from the trauma of her past, in ways that remind her that she is worthy of dignity and respect. Image Credit – NYC H+H

“When I went to the shelter, I started therapy for the first time in my life,” said Aisha Wilson, a patient who received behavioral health care from NYC Health + Hospitals at one of the city’s domestic violence shelters. “I wanted to be happy again, so I knew that I had to utilize this service so that I could begin to feel whole again. Domestic violence feels very lonely and scary when you’re in it, but there is help available. There are people and resources on the other side of that fear. They’ll help you make it through.”

“The providers at the NYC Family Justice Centers and NYC Health + Hospitals helped me navigate my challenges and see things from a new perspective. They helped me understand that what I was going through wasn’t my fault,” said Michelle, a member of VOICES, ENDGBV’s survivor advisory committee. “I’m still in therapy, but I’ve come a long way from where I started. I would absolutely recommend their services to others in need and to their families. They’re compassionate, and they work with you at your own pace—because every story is unique.”

At all 41 participating domestic violence shelters, residents are informed of available mental health services upon arrival at the facility and may choose to undergo a screening for services. Residents who need and want services have access to on-site services – sometimes the same day they arrive to the shelter – greatly improving upon current wait times. To further support access, families are able to attend weekly individual therapy appointments in-person at their shelter, at an NYC Health + Hospitals facility, or using telehealth. Weekend and night coverage are provided through the health system’s Virtual ExpressCare service. Group workshops and medication management are also available.

In addition, as part of the Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative, over 400 staff members in domestic violence shelters and approximately 100 staff annually at the city’s Family Justice Centers (FJCs), run by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV), have been trained extensively on topics related to mental health and trauma. The trainings provide essential knowledge and tools to support staff engagement with families at their shelter to help reduce the stigma of mental health and enhance the connection to care for the adults and children in domestic violence shelters. Front-line staff at the Family Justice Centers and domestic violence shelters state that they feel more equipped and competent in providing culturally and trauma-informed services after receiving this training.

DSS-HRA’s Domestic Violence Services (DVS) oversees the nation’s largest, most comprehensive DVS transitional housing system. In partnership with a strong network of experienced not-for-profit providers, DSS-HRA provides emergency transitional housing services and robust wrapround supports for survivors of domestic violence across 54 dedicated DVS shelter programs. Committed case managers and staff work closely with each client to address their unique needs and connect them to vital resources and supports to help them stabilize their lives. These include on-site case management supports, individual and group counseling sessions, psycho-educational group work, housing assistance support, childcare, empowerment programs, employment and benefit assistance, after-care, and advocacy. The system serves more than 10,000 survivors of domestic violence and their children annually.

In this multi-agency collaboration, NYC Health + Hospitals provides robust and evidence-based mental health therapy and psychiatric services and oversight of the initiative; the NYC Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration supports the oversight of the initiative and manages the domestic violence shelters; the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence offers guidance on the needs of families impacted by domestic and gender-based violence; and the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health provides technical assistance and interagency coordination.

Today’s announcement builds on the two mental health clinics for survivors at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. The clinics provide trauma-informed mental health services, including screenings, individual and group sessions, and medication management. Patients can be referred to the clinics by any one of the city’s domestic violence shelters or to the Family Justice Centers operated by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV). Family Justice Centers are walk-in centers that provide critical social services to survivors and build on NYC Health + Hospitals’ work to provide clinical services, including assessment and treatment, onsite.

Recognizing the need for providing onsite mental health services for survivors of domestic violence and gender-based violence, in 2018 the City invested funding to expand the Family Justice Centers’ holistic approach to mental health through providing trauma-informed psychotherapy and psychiatric services at all five of the City’s Family Justice Centers. The mental health teams provide onsite clinical psychiatric and psychological assessments for clients within the FJC collaborative framework. As of 2025, the City baselined annual funding for this program at $2.3 million. As the next iteration of this effort to increase access to evidence-based mental health services for families residing in the city’s domestic violence shelters, the City launched the Domestic Violence Shelter Mental Health Initiative in late 2022.

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest provider of behavioral health in New York City. The system provides almost 60% of behavioral health services citywide serving over 78,000 patients annually across emergency, inpatient, and outpatient care.

NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS ANNOUNCES ALL 11 HOSPITALS AGAIN RECOGNIZED BY THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION FOR QUALITY CARE

In addition, 5 of the health care system’s hospitals received the new Commitment to Quality Award, given to only 158 hospitals nationwide

(New York, NY – August 4, 2025) – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced all 11 of its hospitals were again recognized by the American Heart Association for their commitment to quality care in heart disease and stroke. In addition, for the first time, five of the health care system’s hospitals received the American Heart Association’s new Commitment to Quality Award, given to only 158 hospitals nationwide. Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the United States, respectively. Studies show patients can recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. The American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines awards recognize hospitals nationwide that adhere to science-based practices and provide the highest quality care. NYC Health + Hospitals earned these recognitions by meeting specific quality achievement measures for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure and stroke patients at a set level for a designated period. These measures include evaluation of the proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies. Before discharge, patients also receive education on managing their heart failure and overall health, and receive other care transition interventions.

“This national recognition of all hospitals across the health system by the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines program highlights the highest quality, evidence-based care our teams deliver every day,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Quality Officer Hillary Jalon, MS. “These accolades, including five of our hospitals achieving the newly established Commitment to Quality Award, are a reflection of unwavering dedication to continuous improvement and the vital role our safety-net healthcare system plays in providing the best cardiovascular and stroke care across the communities we serve.”

“These awards show NYC Health + Hospitals’ commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, past volunteer president of the American Heart Association and current volunteer chair of the Association’s Quality Oversight Committee. “By following the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols, NYC Health + Hospitals can help realize our shared vision of improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates — a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

The hospitals won the following awards from the American Heart Association this year:

BRONX

NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi

• Commitment to Quality Award
• Get with the Guidelines: Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving – Silver
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes
• Get with the Guidelines: Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Silver
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes
• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation – Gold Award for Adult Population
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation
  • Target CPR
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln

• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Heart Failure Optimal
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx

• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

BROOKLYN

NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County

• Commitment to Quality Award
• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Heart Failure Optimal
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation – Gold Award for Adult Population
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health

• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus

• • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull

• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

MANHATTAN

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue

• Commitment to Quality Award
• Get with the Guidelines: Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI – Gold
• Get with the Guidelines: Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving – Gold Plus
• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Heart Failure Optimal
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation – Gold Award for Adult Population
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem

• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Heart Failure Optimal
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan

• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Heart Failure Optimal
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

QUEENS

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst

• Commitment to Quality Award
• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation – Gold Award for Adult Population
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens

• Commitment to Quality Award
• Get with the Guidelines: Heart Failure – Gold Plus
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll
• Get with the Guidelines: Resuscitation – Silver Award for Adult Population
• Get with the Guidelines: Stroke – Gold Plus
  • Target: Stroke Honor Roll
  • Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll

Banner Image: Aisha’s weekly therapy sessions with social worker Edith Salmeron have helped her process and heal from the trauma of her past, in ways that remind her that she is worthy of dignity and respect. Image Credit – NYC H+H