New York, NY – April 12, 2024: NYC Health + Hospitals today announced 43 social workers from across health system who were honored for their commitment and dedication to their patients. There are more 1,000 social workers employed at the health system performing a variety of roles, including managers, therapists, researchers, discharge planners, and policymakers. In these positions they work closely with family caregivers, friends, neighbors and community-based agencies to help patients resume their life within the community. This year over 400 nominations were submitted from across the system, and the 43 honorees were selected from this pool by their facility’s individual social work recognition committee. The honorees were recognized for their dedication to their patients and their passion for the mission of NYC Health + Hospitals.
“People who come to our hospitals need more social work,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Not only are they dealing with illness, they are often living in substandard housing, managing family crises and challenges, or struggling with substance abuse. These realities make the job much harder, but also more important. Our communities need social workers in so many ways that medicine alone can’t fix. We couldn’t do what we do without our social workers.”
“We extend our deepest gratitude to our social workers who are on the front lines of our work every day,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Deputy Chief Medical Officer and System Chief of Behavioral Health Omar Fattal, MD, MPH. “As a psychiatrist, I have firsthand experience of the power of social work and the indispensable role they play in patient care. Thank you to all the social workers working tirelessly in our system every day, and congratulations to all the award winners.”
“Every day, in hundreds of ways large and small, our social workers are all making changes in people’s lives that give them help, hope, opportunity,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Director of Social Work Kara Simpson, LCSW-R. “I could not be more honored to celebrate them.”
Social work is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are almost 720,000 professional social workers in the country, and that number is expected to surpass 800,000 by 2030.
The 2024 social work honorees include:
Hospitals
· Adina Safdeye and Casey Linder
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
· Jennifer Gurtman and Mae Siegel
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
· Megan Wall and Romona Jennings
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
· Daniel Griffin and Victoria Lopez
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
· Andrea Zvonkovic and Ebone Cruel
NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
· Daniella Jacobs and Lissette Vasquez-Restituyo
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
· Lujuanda Rush and Tiffany Slotkin
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
· Donna Delgado and Lisa Hamlett
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
· Dolly Thomas and Shiza Iqbal
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
· Georgia Tsamasiros and Jolene Lespes
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health
· Mindel Boduch and Rachel Lipman
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
Post-Acute Care
· Merary Guzman and Stephanie Kloskowski
NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter
· Janelle Hartman and Theodore Morrison
NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler
· Freda Morales
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
· Bibi Saffee-Razak
NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney
· Deirdre Figueroa
NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View
Gotham Health
· Hazel Ordanez and Nancy Hernandez
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Belvis
· Morella Bynoe
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Cumberland
· Evette Vazquez and Nakima Edwards
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, East New York
· Shanda Oliver and Shun Ru Xiao
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Gouverneur
· Aisse Magassa
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Morrisania
· Denise Lucero
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Roosevelt
· Lynnsue Jolley
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham, Sydenham
Community Care
· Miguel Valdez and Donna Alleyne
NYC Health + Hospitals/Community Care
Correctional Health Services
· Meaghan Lammers and Jerry Mims
NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services
Central Office Programs
· Shlomit Levy
NYC Health + Hospitals Central Office
