Authors

  1. Cineas, Natalia DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
  2. Schwartz, Donna Boyle MSJ, BSJ
  3. Patel, Kanish MPA

Abstract

New York City Health + Hospitals (NYC H + H) is the largest public health care system in the United States, safeguarding 1.4 million patients annually, caring for 1 in every 6 New Yorkers through 11 essential hospitals, 5 post-acute care facilities, more than 70 community centers, and correctional health services in city jails. The 9600+ nurses and 970+ social workers represent the largest segment of the system's 40 000 employees, charged with delivering essential health care services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society, regardless of ethnicity, culture, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation, income, immigration, or insurance status. NYC H + H is in the process of reinventing nursing culture with a renewed focus on achieving true nursing excellence, emphasizing professional evidence-based best practices and a compassionate care delivery model, putting nurses in the forefront of all efforts to address the social determinants of health and the devastating consequences of health disparities. Systemwide implementation of foundational transformation is positioning nursing in the vanguard of the system's commitment to equity and diversity in the workplace, recognizing unconscious bias, calling out bigotry, and rooting out systemic racism, all key recommendations in the National Academies, The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity.