Elmhurst Hospital is receiving major funding to support the growing medical needs of expecting mothers and children living in Queens.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a landmark $27.5 million investment into Elmhurst Hospital’s maternal and pediatric healthcare facilities on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Hochul held a press conference at the hospital, as local government leaders and hospital staff celebrated news of the expansion of the Women’s Pavilion and the hospital’s first, state-of-the-art Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Elmhurst Hospital CEO Helen Arteaga-Landaverde gave an emotional speech, thanking Hochul for her commitment to women’s health. “Given that Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona have the highest rates of births in all of New York City, this investment is not only needed but necessary to reduce infant mortality rates. Research shows that when a woman can understand her body, her hormones, her cycle and her overall health, she is three times more likely to be confident, stay in school, to even dream of becoming a hospital CEO,” she said.
Arteaga-Landaverde said the new PICU unit will provide much-needed specialized pediatric care closer to home for many Queens residents. “This past year alone, over 600 children were transferred out, and that’s just counting Elmhurst. This was an unnecessary burden on many low-income parents and families and you made that now a forgotten past,” she said.
Approximately $20 million of the funding will more than double the size of the Women’s Pavillion, from 16,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet. The expansion will provide increased prenatal care, including general obstetrics and high-risk pregnancy services, nutrition services, family planning resources and prenatal education. Additionally, the investment will address the need for more services during evening hours.
Furthermore, $7.5 million will go to the PICU unit, a substantial addition to the hospital that was once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PICU will be around 1,500 square feet and have new equipment, including advanced blood pressure monitors, cardiac monitors, cerebrospinal fluid drainers and other state-of-the-art equipment. More details on the timelines for the facilities will be shared in the coming months.
Hochul said the investment will combat the high maternal mortality crisis disproportionately affecting women of color. “We understand that this is a national crisis that women of color are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth, and that’s just abhorrent to me. We have to continue providing outstanding healthcare, and a first-rate facility is an important part of that, and that’s why this investment is going to help moms who are pregnant and the babies who are born to give them the best shot in life,” she told QNS.
Hochul’s focus on maternal care also expands to nonmedical services.
In June, she secured a statewide standing order for doula services in the FY 2025 Enacted Budget. The standing order creates an easier pathway for pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid and other health plans to access doula services. As of March 1, 2024, New York State Medicaid covers doula services for pregnant, birthing and postpartum mothers.
The investment in Elmhurst Hospital’s maternal and pediatric services is one of many healthcare initiatives Hochul has recently championed.
Earlier that day, Hochul participated in a roundtable discussion at Queens Borough Hall with Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and five community-based mental health providers. She announced that $1 million in funding will go towards the organizations to expand mental health access in Queens. The providers – Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Transitional Services for New York, Child Center of New York, Korean Community Services and Venture House – will be awarded $200,000 each.
