South Brooklyn Health receives $6M for Collaborative Learning Center

NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health on Wednesday announced that it received $6 million in FY24 capital funding from NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Chair of the Committee on Hospitals Mercedes Narcisse, Council Members Inna Vernikov and Ari Kagan, and members of the Brooklyn Delegation to create a Collaborative Learning Center for the Practice of Medicine.

This funding will allow South Brooklyn Health to develop a comprehensive, interdisciplinary learning center in the Health & Wellness Institute, which will provide an enhanced learning experience for our medical staff, nursing, and ancillary health care staff. 

The learning center will include scenario simulation space, classrooms, a medical library and educational conference space, for collaborative exercises, debriefing, and emergency response drills. 

“NYC Health + Hospitals is excited to welcome more advanced experiential learning and simulation to South Brooklyn Health to support elevating clinical practice through performance,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Assistant Vice President Michael Meguerdichian, MD, MPH-Ed.  “Investment in education is an investment in the care for the community.” 

“Investing in the continuing education of our health care workers will serve as a bridge between the classroom and real-life clinical encounters in a safe and controlled environment, with the goal of improving patient safety,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health CEO Svetlana Lipyanskaya. “Hands-on, collaborative training is key in allowing practitioners to test, refine and enhance individual and team skills before engaging patients.”

“South Brooklyn Health is a teaching hospital with more than 170 residents and fellows in a wide range of disciplines and supports approximately 200 medical, nursing, physician assistant and other students per year,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Chief Medical Officer Terence Brady, MD. “With the opening of a new collaborative learning center, our providers will master important competencies, such as communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership as well as management skills such as physical diagnosis and surgical procedures.” 

“Clinical simulations prepare nurses for real-world nursing practice,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health Chief Nursing Officer Manjinder Kaur, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. “In a simulation lab, nurses become confident dealing with high-pressure situations, master clinical pathways in a safe, supportive environment, and gain experience that builds upon their clinical knowledge and skill set.”

“South Brooklyn Health is an essential public institution to its surrounding communities and our city, responsible for serving over 875,000 residents,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “The City Council is proud to have allocated $6 million in capital funding to help create its new Collaborative Learning Center for the Practice of Medicine that will support our health care providers in their continued learning and training, so that we can secure safer and more equitable healthcare outcomes for all New Yorkers. This investment is especially impactful for its focus on maternal health and the diverse communities of South Brooklyn that require culturally competent care. I look forward to seeing how the center advances the delivery of health care in South Brooklyn to benefit patients and providers alike.”

“As chair of the City Council’s Committee on Hospitals, I was delighted to play a major role in securing an allocation of $6 million in capital funding to NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health,” said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse. “The funding being used to establish a learning center for the practice of medicine at the Health & Wellness Institute is not just an investment in infrastructure; it’s an investment in the health education and well-being of our community and borough. Such initiatives underscore our commitment to ensuring that South Brooklyn residents have access to top-tier health resources and knowledge. Today, we take another giant leap toward a healthier, stronger, and more informed Brooklyn.” 

“I was thrilled to have prioritized this FY24 allocation of $6 million in capital funding to South Brooklyn Health,” said Council Member Inna Vernikov. “This significant investment for the development of a Learning Center within the Health & Wellness Institute is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the health and education of our community. Such initiatives not only pave the way for advanced healthcare services but also create a foundation for knowledge-sharing, innovation, and comprehensive patient care. It’s a momentous step forward for my district.”

“South Brooklyn Health is a vital part of our community. The incredible work they do cannot be overstated. I am happy to have secured $400,000 to develop a comprehensive learning center for medical and nursing staff – as well as $100,000 to renovate the Hematology and Oncology practice” said Council Member Ari Kagan. “This hospital suffered tremendously during Superstorm Sandy and served tens of thousands of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to always support South Brooklyn Health in providing important medical services to better serve our communities.”

“NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health is a cornerstone of our borough’s health and well-being,” said Council Member Chi Ossé. “This funding will enhance and expand its mission to reach a rising generation of healthcare professionals. We are proud to do all we can to support this vital institution.” 

South Brooklyn Health said one clinical area where this enhanced learning is especially important is obstetrics. 

“Providers need to master skills to reduce the rate of maternal mortality, and address avoidable and potentially fatal complications during childbirth,” it said. “In particular, keen attention should be paid to addressing the intractable maternal mortality disparity between women of color and their white counterparts.”

South Brooklyn Health said the latest studies show that Black women are eight times more likely to die from complications during birth in New York City. 

By having a learning center where practitioners can develop the skills to address such an important public health issue, South Brooklyn Health said it will be amongst the safest hospitals to give birth. 

Furthermore, the hospital’s catchment area has about 875,000 lives, which includes racially and ethnically diverse communities in South Brooklyn. 

According to the 2022 NYC Health + Hospitals Community Needs Assessment, over a third of the people in the catchment area speak a language other than English at home. 

And, over 45 percent of the hospital’s patients are from a racial-ethnic minority group with Hispanics representing 26 percent, Blacks 18 percent, and Asians 9 percent. 

Having a comprehensive learning center at the hospital will allow for hands-on practice and outcome review of multiple scenarios where potentials for bias may exist. 

South Brooklyn Health said analysis of such scenarios would assist with reducing implicit bias and mitigate risk to patients of diverse backgrounds. 

South Brooklyn Health recently opened its Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital, a storm-resistant 11-story hospital with an elevated and expanded emergency room, a surgical suite with eight operating rooms, 80 private rooms, 60 in-patient behavioral health rooms, and many more clinical amenities.