Extra-wide wheelchairs, OR tables and stretchers are common at HHC’s three Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence, but all 11 public hospitals are investing millions in special equipment to care for more overweight and obese New Yorkers.

The number of uninsured NYers who sought healthcare services at HHC hospitals, nursing homes and health centers in 2011 continued to increase for the fifth year in a row and has grown by 20 percent since 2006.

Dr. Laurie Vitagliano, a psychiatrist at Queens Hospital Center, draws from her experience as a social worker to achieve a healthy work/life balance for herself and to manage the complexity of patients with mental health needs.