LaRay Brown transforms One Brooklyn Health System

LaRay Brown was appointed in July 2017 as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the One Brooklyn Health System, Inc. (OBHS), serving Central and Northeast Brooklyn.

OBHS comprises 12 ambulatory care centers, three hospitals, two nursing homes, an assisted living and independent living facility, a transitional housing program, an urgent care center and a retail pharmacy.

Brown was instrumental in the founding of OBHS and bringing together the three diverse boards – Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center – to create OBHS and establish a new governance structure that would accommodate the combination of these three health systems.

As CEO, Ms. Brown is now responsible for the clinical and administrative integration of three health systems and the implementation of a $664 million capital program funded pursuant to the New York State Health Care Facility Transformation Program: Kings County.

Brown also currently serves as the president and CEO of Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, a position to which she was appointed in February 2016.

Prior to becoming CEO of Interfaith Medical Center and OBHS, Brown enjoyed a 28-year career with the largest municipal healthcare system in the nation; her last positions being that of senior vice president for corporate planning, community health and intergovernmental relations and corporate officer at the New York City Health and Hospitals (H&H).

In this capacity, Brown directed strategic-planning efforts, formulated and executed legislative initiatives and advocacy strategies.

She also spearheaded a variety of strategic initiatives, including implementation of comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs at several H+H hospitals; the development of a community governed Federally Qualified Health Center on Staten Island; negotiations with state and federal officials for the development of a new long term care hospital and nursing facility in Harlem; the development of a public entity Federally Qualified Health Center comprised of H&H ambulatory care centers; as well as the development of hundreds of affordable and accessible apartments for the public hospital system’s long term care and hospital patients.

Brown is past chairperson of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (now America’s Essential Hospitals).
She served as a member of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s health care transition and Medicaid Redesign.
She also served on the Board of the New York State Health Foundation, and is a member of the governing boards of the Greater New York Hospital Association and the Hospital Association of the New York State.

Brown serves on Centene Health’s Disparities Task Force and New York State Minority Health Council.
She is also the recipient of numerous awards and mention in the Congressional Record. Brown has been named by “Modern Healthcare” as one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare.

Brown graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received her graduate training at the University of Pennsylvania FELS Center for Government Policy.

In late January, Brown provided an update on the cybersecurity incident that her health network experienced in November and its subsequent investigation, saying that the majority of Information Technology (IT) applications used by OBHS are “functional and operating,” as they were prior to the incident.

“OBH and its external specialists are making a final push to restore limited remaining clinical and administrative applications,” said Brown in a statement. “In parallel with these restoration efforts, OBH has been conducting a forensic investigation with outside digital forensic specialists. That investigation is substantially complete.”
She said that OBHS was conducting a review of potentially affected data to identify the specific individuals required to receive notice of the incident and their associated data types.

Brown said this review, like OBHS’ other response efforts, was being supported by industry specialists.
“While the review remains underway, OBH has identified after an initial assessment of the data that some of the affected files contained patient information,” she said. “Therefore, in recognition of state and federal requirements, we are providing notice of the incident to potentially affected individuals via OBH’s website and on state media outlets.

“We also provided notice to HHS and to the NY Office of the Attorney General. OBH will update these notices as applicable upon completion of the data review,” Brown added.