NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx Reopens Modernized Labor and Delivery Unit Under PAGNY Doctor

A modernized HHC NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx Labor and Delivery unit was reopened last October under the leadership of PAGNY Dr. Michael Zinaman, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the HHC North Bronx Healthcare Network.

The new maternity unit features eight private labor and delivery rooms along with a 26 bed post-partum unit. The unit will be staffed by an expanded and seasoned team of 91 healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, physician assistants and midwives.

“At the start of this year, I began an exhaustive recruitment process to bring some of the best people in our field into NCBH to restore a service that meant so much to this community,” Dr. Zinaman said. “I look forward to continuing to meet regularly with our partners in the community, working as a team we can take Labor and Delivery Services at NCBH to new heights.”

The new unit restores comprehensive maternity services, including a midwifery program, to the women and families of the North Bronx. Labor and delivery services at NCBH were suspended in August 2013 due to physician and other staff vacancies that the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) and NCBH leadership believed could put patient care at risk. After an aggressive recruitment and hiring effort, including the appointment of Dr. Zinaman as the chair of the OB-GYN Department, HHC officials worked with community advocates and elected officials to ensure the restoration of services.

The new unit was funded with $2 million from HHC to modernize and reconfigure its delivery suites and recovery wing. The new birthing center is staffed at all times with at least one doctor, two midwives and a physician assistant. Dr. Zinaman also intends to expand outpatient care in the clinic, increase staff training and offer innovative surgical and fertility services. He stated, “Since we’ve re-opened, we have had the expected rate of deliveries with a consistent increase over the past three months. We are encouraged by this and continue to inform the community about our exciting re-opening.”