Michael J. Chambers, Senior Assoc. Exec Director of Behavioral Health at Woodhull; Alan Aviles, HHC President; Iris Jimenez-Hernandez, Senior VP, North Brooklyn Health Network; Lillian Rivera, Nurse Supervisor; Sara Stern, member of the Woodhull Community Advisory Board; Dr. Edward Fishkin, Medical Director at Woodhull

New York City — On July 31, Woodhull Medical Center hosted a 25th year celebration and recommitment ceremony to the individuals and communities served by the hospital. Participants included community leaders and residents, elected officials, hospital staff and other dignitaries.

The Woodhull recommitment ceremony was filled with nostalgia, caring and an eye toward the future — in this case the future healthcare needs of the individuals and neighborhoods served by the hospital.

“Woodhull’s 25th anniversary is a reminder of our humble beginnings, and should serve as a beacon into the future – a future that will meet the increasingly complex healthcare needs of our communities, through innovative programs, partnerships and technologies,” said Iris R. Jimenez-Hernandez, Senior Vice President of the Woodhull Medical Center and its North Brooklyn affiliates. “Our commitment to provide quality healthcare to North Brooklyn is stronger than ever.”

As part of today’s celebration, Woodhull introduced a set of 25 pledges for the future, contained in a card that was distributed to the community. The pledges, which represent extensions of the hospital’s current services, include: easy and effective prenatal care, sensitivity to different cultures, special services for seniors and women and early treatment of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and obesity.

“In the last decade, Woodhull has grown to become a quality medical center that recently received a gold rating from the national organization that accredits hospitals around the country. This was made possible by going “beyond the four walls” and actively going into the community to enlist neighborhood centers, places of worship and schools as active partners in healthcare,” said Alan D. Aviles, President of the Health & Hospitals Corporation. “We look at the past with pride and look forward to Woodhull having another successful 25 years of growth and dedication to the community it serves while continuing to evolve and respond to the complexity and breadth of our patients’ needs.”

“For 25 years Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center has provided excellent care to the residents of Bushwick, Williamsburg, Fort Greene, Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and beyond,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “Woodhull’s ongoing commitment to serving vulnerable populations and those disproportionately affected by diseases and conditions like HIV/AIDS, asthma, diabetes, and obesity means that a healthy Woodhull is central to the health of Central Brooklyn.”

Each year, Woodhull provides a total of over 390,000 clinic visits; 96,000 emergency room visits and 35,000 general dental visits. In addition, Woodhull operates free-standing residency training programs in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, General Practice Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Woodhull Medical Center is a 401-bed acute care hospital in Brooklyn, serving the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Woodhull serves as the anchor for the North Brooklyn healthcare network, encompassing 50 community-based health centers, and is a member of The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country. Woodhull also is affiliated with the New York University School of Medicine.