New York City Councilmember Justin Sanchez announced on July 28 that a new state-of-the-art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will be built in NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln with the help of a Fiscal Year 2027 capital funding award of $7 million on July 28.
Cristina Contreras, Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, thanked Councilmember Sanchez for prioritizing the NICU, as well as NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin and the entire Bronx Delegation of the New York City Council for the funding.
“When a newborn requires critical, specialized care, parents shouldn’t have to worry about traveling outside of the borough or leaving the neighborhood or their own support system behind. This state-of-the-art NICU will ensure that our youngest, most vulnerable babies receive world class medical care,” Contreras said.
Councilmember Sanchez recalled that since he first had his community needs assessment at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln —where he was informed that a new NICU was on the hospital’s priority list— that he promised he would get one.
“Every day you [healthcare providers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln] are literally helping the most vulnerable Bronxites, especially right here in my neighborhood. Families walk through the doors of Lincoln Hospital every day, especially when they’re about to get birth, expecting one of the happiest days of their lives. But for some, that joy is unfortunately met with fear,” Sanchez said.
He recalled the lasting impact of how, as a child, he heard “the most excruciating scream” coming from his pregnant mother’s bedroom when her water broke.
“You don’t realize why experiences happened or why times happen, but then I became an elected official. I walked into Lincoln Hospital and they asked for a community needs assessment. Second thing on that list was the NICU. And click. That’s why I was here. To make sure that moms like mine and families like mine don’t have to hear those excruciating screams. They get to come to Lincoln,” Sanchez said.
His mother, Ruth Sanchez, said that of all the projects he has thus far supported, this reaches the deepest parts of her heart. After a severe tooth infection resulted in a septic pregnancy, her daughter was born fighting at 32 weeks and died of pneumonia after a few hours in the NICU.
“Watching my son help bring this resource to Lincoln Hospital fills me with a pride that is difficult to put in words. Public service is often measured in budgets, projects, and announcements, but sometimes the greatest impact is found in the life that may never know that [it was] saved,” Ruth said.
Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and CEO of the NYC Health + Hospitals system, thanked Councilmember Sanchez, in addition to all the doctors, nurses, social workers, and others at Lincoln Hospital who take care of the local community. He particularly praised the importance of NICU nurses.
“I was choosing a CEO for one of my public hospitals. When I was trying to explain to a political leader why I chose her, I said, ‘She was a NICU nurse. She’s not gonna let anything go by her.’ He knew exactly what I meant,” Katz said.
Chief of Pediatrics, Dr. Shefali Khanna, is described by Chief of Staff Natasha Burke for “leading an amazing NICU team,” at Lincoln Hospital.
“Justin, you’ve made every mother in the South Bronx proud. I think you should be so proud, as we are. As a parent, as a physician who spent my entire career in the South Bronx, as a pediatrician, it doesn’t get better than this,” Khanna said.
Maurice Burbridge is an intern at the Bronx Times. He can be reached at mburbridge@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
