NYC Health + Hospitals’ Leaders Recognized by Crain’s New York Business as Among the ‘2024 Notable Black Leaders’

NYC Health + Hospitals' Leaders Recognized by Crain's New York Business as Among the '2024 Notable Black Leaders'

NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's Director of Nursing for Behavioral Health Services Seun Ajibade, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem's Chief Executive Officer Georges Leconte, and NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's Director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Cedric Olivera are recognized

Oct 25, 2024

NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's Director of Nursing for Behavioral Health Services Seun Ajibade, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem's Chief Executive Officer Georges Leconte, and NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's Director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Cedric Olivera are recognized on the Crain's New York Business list of '2024 Notable Black Leaders.' The list celebrates Black New Yorkers' success and advancement across various industries including health care, law, and finance. The nominees were put forward for consideration by their peers, companies and acquaintances, and then selected by Crain's New York Business editors based on their demonstrated accomplishments, professional success and meaningful contributions to their respective industries. Crain's New York Business connects businesses across the five boroughs by providing analysis and opinion on how to navigate New York's complex business and political landscape.

Seun Ajibade is Director of Nursing for Behavioral Health Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. He manages inpatient units and supervises a psychiatric emergency department. Ajibade led the implementation of a comprehensive restraint reduction program from 2022 to 2023 within behavioral health services. This initiative resulted in a nearly 20% reduction in restraints in inpatient units. These measures significantly enhanced patient safety and care quality, improving patient outcomes and increasing staff engagement in safe practices. Ajibade speaks at events addressing mental health disparities in the Black population, offering solutions for overcoming service reluctance. He mentors students, providing insight and resources.

With over twenty years of progressive leadership experience, Georges Leconte is a seasoned health care professional dedicated to improving the health and well-being of communities across New York. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. In total, Georges has had a 30+ year tenure in the health care field. He has held several key leadership positions. Prior to joining Harlem Hospital Center in 2022, he served as the Senior Associate Executive Director for the Ancillary Services Division at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, a 545-bed Level I Trauma Center. Overseeing a staff of over 600, his division encompassed the Biomedical Engineering, Cardiology, Pathology, Pharmacy, Radiology, Radiation Oncology, and Respiratory Care departments.

He previously served as the Regional Director of Elmhurst and Queens Hospitals' Respiratory Care Services, and as the Regional Assistant Director of Respiratory Therapy at St. Luke's\Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan. Mr. Leconte's work also extends into education, as he has held appointments as an adjunct instructor and student advisor at New York University, and an advisory board member at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Some of his most notable accomplishments at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst include spearheading the development of an elective cardiac angioplasty program (originally one of only five such programs in New York State) alongside a rapid response team program; securing funding for and implementing a state-of-the-art CT/biplane for neuro-intervention, a CT/simulator for radiotherapy, an MRI suite, an angiography suite, and a 3-D mammography unit. He successfully completed the automation of the hospital's laboratories, and the adoption of the Epic / H2O electronic medical record. He previously chaired the hospital's Cardiac Patient Outcome Research Trials (C-PORT) and Hospital-wide ICU Committees at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.

Leconte supports Haitians United for Progress, Healthcare Leaders of New York and the National Association of Healthcare Service Executives. He has held appointments as an adjunct instructor and student advisor at New York University.

Cedric Olivera is a physician and serves as Director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. In this role, he provides care for patients with urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and sexual dysfunction, while also supervising OB-GYN residents and advising them as they develop research projects. Olivera's surgical expertise has allowed him to perform complex procedures utilizing robotic tools at a complication rate of less than 1%. Olivera is a member of the Society for Gynecologic Surgeons, a fellow of the American College of OB/GYN. He is also an editorial board member of the American Urogynecology Journal.

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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 MetroPlus health plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 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.