NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Justin Sanchez Secure $7 Million Capital Investment to Build State-of-the-Art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at NYC[...]

NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Justin Sanchez Secure $7 Million Capital Investment to Build State-of-the-Art Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln

Jul 29, 2026

NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln today announced a major $7 million capital budget allocation to completely modernize and renovate its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), secured by Council Speaker Julie Menin, Council Member Justin Sanchez and the Bronx Delegation in the Fiscal Year 2027 adopted city budget. This transformative investment will replace aging infrastructure with a state-of-the-art facility to protect the South Bronx's newest and most vulnerable residents.

The Bronx currently faces the highest rate of preterm births across New York City, with nearly 1,800 babies born prematurely in 2024 alone. This major infrastructure overhaul ensures that critically ill and premature newborns receive world-class, specialized medical care right in their own community.

The comprehensive redesign will focus on relocating the NICU from its current space to within the maternity unit, in order to keep mothers and their babies receiving critical care in the NICU closer together. The $7 million capital investment will fund structural expansions and technical retrofits, including:

• Advanced Medical Equipment: Installation of cutting-edge incubators, physiological monitors, and specialized newborn respiratory ventilators.
• Enhanced Treatment Space: The creation of isolation spaces, advanced clinical nursery zones, and optimized workspaces for specialized neonatal teams.
• Family-Centered Design: Upgraded, private recovery and breastfeeding areas designed to support parents during extended hospital stays.

"We are incredibly grateful to the NYC City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Councilmember Justin Sanchez and the entire Bronx Delegation for this historic capital contribution," said Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, DHL, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. "A modernized, state-of-the-art NICU will empower our exceptional pediatric and neonatal teams to completely reimagine how we care for our tiniest patients. Our goal is to combine world-class medical technology with a healing environment that supports both babies and their families during critical times."

"This is such a wonderful gift," said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. "Caring for premies requires a great facility, and we are grateful to the Council for giving our youngest New Yorkers the best chance at a healthy life."

"Every family deserves to know their baby will have the safest possible start in life, and that begins with our city's hospital infrastructure," said NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin. "NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln is a lifeline for families across the Bronx, which is why the Council is proud to have secured $7 million to fund a new, state-of-the-art NICU facility. Maternal health and infant mortality are pervasive equity issues. Bridging this gap starts with investing in quality care that supports both mothers and newborns in the communities that need it most. I am grateful to Council Member Justin Sanchez for his leadership in championing this critical project."

"This funding is deeply personal to me," said Councilmember Justin Sanchez. "My mother experienced both triumph and tragedy in Bronx NICUs, and our family's story is one shared by thousands of families across our borough. These essential upgrades will mean that thousands of future mothers and newborns receive the highest quality care when they need it most. I'm grateful for this work and look forward to meeting the mothers and children who receive this care."

"Lincoln Hospital is a lifeline for Bronx families, and its NICU deserves the resources necessary to provide our youngest and most vulnerable residents with the highest standard of care," said Council Member Amanda Farías, District 18. "As Co-Chair of the Bronx Delegation, I was proud to work alongside my Bronx Delegation colleagues in advocating to Speaker Menin to make this investment a priority during budget negotiations. That unified advocacy resulted in a $7 million allocation to modernize the NICU, ensuring Lincoln has the equipment and infrastructure needed to deliver exceptional care for generations of Bronx families. This investment reflects what is possible when the Bronx Delegation remains united, persistent, and focused on delivering meaningful results for our borough."

"Lincoln Hospital has provided comprehensive, patient-centered care for our borough for years, and this $7 million investment in a new state-of-the-art NICU will ensure they have the necessary resources to care for our youngest residents," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "I want to thank Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Justin Sanchez for their support of this important project and their commitment to investing in the future of our public health institutions."

The renovation is anticipated to be completed in two years, from design to construction. The NICU will remain fully operational in a temporary, secure location within the hospital throughout the construction phases to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln provides comprehensive health services to women by a team of highly specialized and caring medical professionals. The facility is recognized as the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in the Bronx and functions as a Level III Perinatal Center. A high-risk Level III Nursery means that even the most vulnerable premature babies can remain with their mothers.

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CONTACT: Natasha Burke, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, 929-837-9166

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, located in the South Bronx, is a 362-bed, Acute Care Level 1 Trauma Center and sees more than 168,000 emergency room visits and more than 600,000 outpatient visits annually. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Breast Imaging; Designated Stroke Center, Diabetes Center and HIV/AIDS Center. Lincoln Hospital was the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in the Bronx, providing clinical services and consultations for over 1,500 deliveries per year. The hospital emphasizes primary care and specialty medicine, using the latest advances in medical science. Lincoln is part of NYC Health + Hospitals, the largest public health care system in the nation. For more information visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/lincoln or follow us on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/LincolnHospBX and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LincolnHosp.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.