NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island Upgrades Critical OB/GYN Ultrasound Equipment With Funding From New York City Council

BROOKLYN, New York, Aug. 16 -- The New York Health and Hospitals issued the following news release:

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- Council Members Treyger and Rivera Present Secured $400K FY20 Capital Allocation

- Upgrades build on the public health system's focus to increase access to high-quality care for all New Yorkers

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NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island CEO William A. Brown, New York City Council Brooklyn Delegation Co-Chair Mark Treyger and New York City Council Hospitals Committee Chair Carlina Rivera today unveiled plans to improve access to care, experience and comfort for patients with new, upgraded ultrasound technology purchased with $400,000 capital funds Council Member Treyger secured. The Council allocation will fund three new ultrasound machines, a portable ultrasound machine for labor and delivery, and urodynamics testing equipment for urogynecology. The upgrades made possible through the City Council support build on the public health system's focus to increase access to high-quality care for all New Yorkers.

"For more than a century, the residents of South Brooklyn have relied on our hospital for comprehensive health care and they deserve the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment available, for better access and outcomes. This equipment will enhance our obstetrics and gynecology services, and marks a significant investment in women's health," said William A. Brown, MBA, FACHE, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island. "I am personally grateful for Council Member Treyger for his willingness and generosity in support of our hospital and for their utmost concern for the patients we are privileged to serve."

"Maternal mortality rates in the State of New York have dramatically risen in the past ten years. It is imperative that we address this public health crisis by increasing awareness and medical services," said Council Member Mark Treyger (Coney Island/Bensonhurst/Gravesend/Sea Gate). "The $400,000 in capital investments I secured for new ultrasound machines and urogynecology testing equipment at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island will expand on the critical services they provide every Brooklynite and New Yorker that they serve. I commend the NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island staff on their dedication to excellent health care services and I will continue to partner with Council Member Rivera to ensure our safety net of public hospitals have the resources they need."

"No expectant mother should go into a hospital in the United States in 2019 fearing for their life or that of their child. But this is the reality for the countless patients I have spoken to who have experienced the serious inequities we see in maternal mortality in our nation's health care system. That's why I'm so proud to join and celebrate Council Member Treyger's critical investment in NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island's OB/GYN unit. With new and expanded equipment, the nearly 900,000 South Brooklyn residents who utilize this hospital will have greater access to OB/GYN services, and our public hospital system will be able to continue to provide high-quality, affordable care to our city's most vulnerable populations," said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Chair of the Council's Committee on Hospitals.

"I congratulate New York City Health + Hospitals/Coney Island on this important upgrade and expansion of its OB/GYN facilities," said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. "These upgrades will help ensure access to the state-of-the-art treatment that earned NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island the national 'Baby Friendly' designation that reflects its great work with mothers and babies."

"The upgraded ultrasound equipment will ensure that thousands of expectant parents who visit Coney Island Hospital each year will receive high-quality, state-of-the-art prenatal care in a convenient location right in our own community," said Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn). "Thank you to my colleague Council Member Mark Treyger and Council Member Carlina Rivera for making this critical funding available to so many Brooklyn residents."

"Thank you to Council Member Treyger on your leadership to bring much needed upgrades to the Coney Island community," said Senator Diane J. Savino. "Women in the Coney Island area have limited options when seeking vital care, and these upgrades will ensure better access for countless individuals."

In 2018, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island provided more than 20,000 OB/GYN visits, including approximately 1,100 deliveries and 600 family planning visits. In 2018, the hospital received the prestigious 'Baby Friendly' designation for providing the optimal level of care to mothers and their babies. Additionally, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island provides urodynamic testing and surgeries for genitourinary-related issues in women.

The hospital is undergoing a major campus renovation following damage by Superstorm Sandy, which features a new 350,000 square foot critical services tower, elevated emergency room and vital medical and mechanical services, and a new flood wall surrounding the campus. The new tower will incorporate a new labor and delivery suite, providing South Brooklyn residents with access to a state-of-the-art facility with the upgraded equipment allocated by Council Member Treyger.

The new hospital building is expected to open in early 2022; other parts of the campus renovation are expected to be completed spring 2023.

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island is a 371-bed facility, one of the NYC Health + Hospitals' 11 acute care hospitals that offers general and acute medical care to adults and children. Coney Island offers inpatient services for primary and acute care in general medicine, general surgery, medical and surgical sub-specialties, coronary care, intensive care, obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery program, pediatric and neonatology, critical care, rehabilitation medicine, psychiatry, and chemical dependency to a primary service area of approximately 900,000 NYC residents of southern Brooklyn. The hospital also offers outpatient services for adult and pediatric medical care and surgical sub-specialties, dental and oral care, behavioral health, and chemical dependency. For more information visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/coneyisland and stay connected on Twitter at @ConeyIslandHosp. To make an appointment, call 1-844-NYC-4NYC.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public 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 Metro Plus health plan--all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 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 at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.