NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Kicks-Off Plan to Create Comprehensive Women’s Health Service

NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Kicks-Off Plan to Create Comprehensive Women's Health Service

In FY23 Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso allocated $18.5 million in capital funding to expand integrated women's health services on the health care campus.

Women's Health modernization is part of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's campus renovation featuring its Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital and Health & Wellness Institute.

Aug 26, 2024

Brooklyn, NY - NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health today announced its kick-off for creating contiguous comprehensive women's health service on its campus. Services from outpatient care to labor and delivery to post-partum recovery will be brought together to ensure care continuity and safety. Patient rooms and ancillary space will be upgraded to enhance total family care. And, the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and nursery will be redesigned to accommodate the needs of families to reflect the hospital's Baby-Friendly designation. The effort is funded with $18.5 million in capital funding from Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. During his campaign, Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso highlighted the gross inequity of Black pregnant women in New York City being 8 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts and pledged to making Brooklyn the safest borough in give birth in NYC.

The communities cared for by South Brooklyn Health see even greater risks to safe pregnancy than other parts of Brooklyn. Over 50% of the patients are African American or Hispanic, and nearly 70% of these patients are diagnosed with a chronic illness, such as diabetes or hypertension, substance use disorder, or behavioral health conditions, which are all conditions that can place a pregnant person and her baby in danger. South Brooklyn Health communities are growing, adding more young pregnant people who face higher risks for severe maternal mortality. Over the last several years, births at South Brooklyn Health have increased 30%.

"The Brooklyn Borough President's unprecedented generosity of allocating the largest share of his FY23 capital budget - $18.5 million - to South Brooklyn Health is deeply appreciated. The funding will allow us to execute an important component of the hospital's clinical strategy - provision of equitable and state-of-the-art women's health care services to the residents of South Brooklyn and neighboring communities," said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health CEO Svetlana Lipyanskaya, MPA, FACHE. "As a health care institution, we share in the Borough President's vision of eliminating the disparity in maternal mortality between women of color and their white counterparts, and making Brooklyn the safest borough in NYC to give birth."

"On behalf of the entire OB/GYN Department, I would like to express my thanks to Borough President Reynoso for his commitment to improving women's health care for South Brooklyn and surrounding communities," said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Chair of OB/GYN Department, Maggie Tetrokalashvili, MD. "His support will enable us to make a positive impact in the lives of patients we serve, to give every mother, every baby, and every woman a sense of belonging, and hope for a brighter future."

"We are extremely grateful to our Borough President for prioritizing this major initiative," said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Chief Growth Officer, Michelle Bekman. "Healthy women improve health outcomes for their families and communities. This opportunity will allow us to transform Women's Health Services and increase access to care for our community.

"NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health's investment in improving women's health is an important milestone in meeting the health care needs of the residents of South Brooklyn and its neighboring communities," said Chair of NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Community Advisory Board Chair, Rosanne DeGennaro. "I applaud the Brooklyn Borough President's commitment to improving the health and well-being of the patients who seek care at 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 about 8 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts. It's alarming, it's unconscionable, and it's a crisis that requires all-hands-on-deck. NYC Health + Hospitals is an essential partner in this work to make Brooklyn a safer place to have a baby, and I am very proud to have allocated $18.5 million to South Brooklyn Health to transform the experiences and outcomes of women and pregnant people in their care. We have plenty of work left to do, and I am thrilled that today we took another major step forward together. Congratulations to the team at South Brooklyn Health who are helping to drive this project and to the hundreds of thousands of Brooklynites who rely on this safety net hospital and deserve the highest quality of care."

"As a registered nurse and strong advocate for equitable healthcare, I am thrilled to witness the significant strides being made at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health in expanding comprehensive women's health services. The investment by Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso, who has been an unwavering leader in health equity and a champion for the well-being of our most vulnerable communities, is a crucial step towards ensuring that all women, especially those in underserved communities, receive the high-quality healthcare they deserve. This initiative should go a long way in addressing the critical disparities in maternal health and reinforce our commitment to making Brooklyn a leading hub of safety and care for women and their families," said NYC Council Member Mercedes Narcisse.

"Protecting women's health is an investment in the future, and I am so thrilled that South Brooklyn Health will be serving women in this District and beyond with the care that they deserve. I wish the best of luck and success at this kickoff event and your efforts in caring for women in our community!" said NYC Council Member Inna Vernikov.

"It's simple: women's autonomy, agency, and access to high quality healthcare are paramount. Rather than place limits on the choices women can make, we should create robust infrastructure to help support women in the choices they make. And we need to do that equitably, so all women are treated with the dignity and care that everyone deserves. I am proud to stand with South Brooklyn Health and Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso not just in sharing this message, but putting our money where our mouth is too. Fairness and effectiveness for women is fairness and effectiveness for all," said NYC Council Member Justin Brannan.

"This funding and subsequent expansion of women's healthcare services is not only an investment into South Brooklyn Health, but an investment in our communities, in our families, and in our collective futures," said NYS Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. "Ensuring that every woman, mother, and family has the comprehensive healthcare services they need to improve not only health outcomes but close the gaps in maternal care and continue to thrive is a top priority for me. I am committed to continuing working with Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso on addressing the issue of maternal mortality in our great borough and am confident that this much-needed expansion will help South Brooklyn Health provide our community with the vital health services that our neighbors need and deserve, right here at home."

"South Brooklyn Health and its Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital is dedicated to providing healthcare to Coney Island and the surrounding neighborhoods," said NYS Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny. "Thank you to the Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso for allocating $18.5 million to Women's Health Services at this hospital. I understand the importance of expanding integrated women's health services. This will be a beautiful addition to the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital. South Brooklyn Health is working diligently to move forward with improving comprehensive care for their patients."

"South Brooklyn Health continues to be a cornerstone of care for our community, consistently delivering essential services that enhance the well-being of all residents. This latest investment underscores their commitment to improving healthcare access and quality in our neighborhood. I am proud to support South Brooklyn Health in their ongoing efforts to serve our community with excellence," said NYS Assemblyman Michael Novakhov.

South Brooklyn Health is the closest community hospital for nearly 875,000 New Yorkers. It is the safety net hospital for residents in the southern most region of the borough.

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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 is one of the public health system's 10 acute care health care campuses that offers general and acute medical care to adults and children. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital offers modern trauma and emergency care, inpatient services for primary and acute care in general medicine, adult medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, medical and surgical sub-specialties, coronary care, intensive care, obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, neonatology, critical care, rehabilitation medicine, psychiatry, and behavioral health. Its Health & Wellness Institute with over 40 ambulatory care practices provides patient and caregiver centered primary and specialty care to residents of South Brooklyn and the surrounding communities. The hospital has designations as a Certified Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Center, an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an accredited Baby-Friendly Hospital, a U.S. News & World Reporthigh performing hospital, a SAFE Center of Excellence under the Sexual Assault Reform Act, Designated AIDS Center (DACs), and Level 2 Perinatal Center.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city's five boroughs. Our 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.

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