Bronx, NY – On Wednesday, October 18th, 2023, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson joined Dr. Mitchell Katz, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H), and other officials at Bronx Borough Hall to announce an over $6 million investment in the Bronx`s public health facilities. In the FY`24 budget, Borough President Gibson allocated 19% of her capital allocations to healthcare, with a majority of the funding going to upgrading equipment for five facilities in the Bronx operated by Health + Hospitals.
At the announcement, the Borough President highlighted the need to improve the borough`s health infrastructure and her administration`s ongoing partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals to ensure residents, regardless of their socioeconomic status or zip code, have access to quality care.
“For many in our borough and our city, our public health institutions are a critical lifeline providing around-the-clock care to our most vulnerable residents and families, regardless of their socioeconomic status or zip code, said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “In our FY`24 budget, 19% of our capital allocations went to health, which was second only to our investment in education because we are serious about health equity and intentional in the work that we do to combat systemic disinvestment that has contributed to poor health outcomes for our residents and their families. From ultrasound machines to upgrading MRI units, new medical beds, and so much more, we are committed to investing in the health infrastructure of our borough. I want to thank Dr. Katz and the entire team at Health + Hospitals for their partnership and for ensuring every New Yorker, in every borough, receives compassionate and dignified care.”
“I’m thankful that Borough President Vanessa Gibson is such a wonderful government partner to NYC Health + Hospitals,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “The residents of the Bronx – our patients — will truly benefit from the capital projects she is funding today at our hospitals and Gotham Health sites.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln appreciates the constant support of our Bronx Borough President. With your capital funding contribution, we purchased new state-of-the-art beds for our patients. Your partnership helps us provide our patients and the community we serve, with the quality of health care they deserve. Thank you for your financial support and your presence, as you always show up or send a representative on your behalf. We’re in this together and together we’ll see to it that the Bronx will no longer be an afterthought, nor overlooked with quality health care,” said Christopher Roker, NYC Health and Hospitals Chief Growth Officer and Lincoln Hospital CEO.
“NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and North Central Bronx are extremely grateful to Borough President Vanessa Gibson for the $4 million allocation to our facilities. These funds will go towards upgrading our magnetic resonance imaging systems, helping to diagnose our patients properly, and offering Bronx residents the latest imaging technology. We are grateful for her partnership and support in ensuring quality health care for the Bronx communities we serve,” said Christopher Mastromano, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals Jacobi & North Central Bronx.
“On behalf of NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health and the community, we are grateful to the Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson for her unwavering support and advocacy for Gotham Health,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health CEO Michelle Lewis. “Gotham Health is committed to providing top-tier healthcare services across the Bronx. The generous funding of new services and imaging equipment supports our mission to offer high-quality, affordable care to all our patients.”
The Borough President`s FY`24 Health+ Hospital Capital Allocations
- HO-X002 Gotham Health/Belvis – Purchase GE Ultrasound Machine & 3D Mammography System $400,000 in partnership with NYC Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala
- HO-X002 Gotham Health/Morrisania – New Ultrasound Machine $100,000
- HO-X002 Gotham Health/Morrisania – Purchase Equipment to replace Eye and Vision Care Delivery $500,000
- HO-X002 Gotham Health/Morrisania – Asthma Pediatric Suite $225,000
- HO-X002 Jacobi Hospital – Upgrade existing MRI Unit $2,000,000
- HO-X002 Lincoln Medical Center – Purchase Medical Beds $1,000,000
- HO-X002 North Central Bronx – Upgrade existing MRI Unit $2,000,000
The allocations follow the Borough President`s State of the Borough in which she indicated that she was committed to making health a priority since the Bronx has historically been regarded as the unhealthiest county in New York State with one of the poorest congressional districts in the country. Other public health initiatives by the Borough President this month include the launch of a 31 Days of Action Campaign Against Domestic Violence, the 29th Annual Tour de Bronx cycling event, and a $350,000 allocation from FY`23 in partnership with Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala for a bariatric ambulance in the Bronx.