NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Names Dr. Phillip Fairweather “2025 Physician of the Year”

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Names Dr. Phillip Fairweather "2025 Physician of the Year"

Honors his over three decades of outstanding service as an Emergency Medicine physician, clinical leader, educator, and contributions to the Elmhurst community

Dec 31, 2025

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai are proud to announce that Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Phillip Fairweather has been named Elmhurst's "2025 Physician of the Year". Dr. Fairweather's recognition honors his more than three decades of outstanding service as an Emergency Medicine physician, clinical leader, and educator, as well as his contributions to the Elmhurst community.

"Dr. Fairweather has a deep commitment to our patients and has made a lasting impact in our community," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga. "He has spent a large part of his career providing care in one of the busiest Emergency Departments in the nation, and is now leading our efforts to bring Elmhurst into the future through better, more efficient analysis of medical data so that we can improve the care we provide. I am enormously proud that he is receiving this well-earned recognition."

"Dr. Phillip Fairweather embodies the very best of what it means to be a physician and a leader," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Chief Medical Officer Laura Iavicoli andSenior Associate Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, MD, MBA, FACEP, CHEP. "His career reflects an extraordinary commitment to patient-centered care, academic excellence, and service to our diverse Elmhurst community. As Chief Medical Information Officer, Dr. Fairweather has been instrumental in advancing clinical informatics, strengthening data-driven care, and ensuring that technology meaningfully supports our clinicians and patients. This recognition as 'Physician of the Year' is richly deserved, and we are deeply grateful for his unwavering dedication, integrity, and impact."

"I am deeply appreciative of this honor," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Phillip Fairweather. "I feel incredibly privileged to work with the patients, colleagues, and community I have at Elmhurst Hospital."

Dr. Phillip Fairweather's path to medicine began at an early age, inspired by the compassionate care provided in his family home in Jamaica. This formative experience ignited a lifelong passion for healthcare and a commitment to becoming a physician. Dr. Fairweather pursued his academic interests at Wesleyan University, where he majored in Biology while also nurturing his interest in dance. During a gap year, he earned a prestigious two-year dance scholarship at the Alvin Ailey School, an experience that would broaden his perspective on movement and wellness.

In 1985, Dr. Fairweather matriculated to Weill Cornell University, where he laid the foundation for a successful medical career. After completing his internship at St. Vincent's Hospital, he entered a residency in Emergency Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. Following his residency, Dr. Fairweather worked at Beth Israel Medical Center, gaining invaluable experience before being recruited to serve as the Residency Site Director at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. He held this role for several years, shaping the training of the next generation of emergency medicine physicians.

Dr. Fairweather's academic contributions extended to his role as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where he mentored medical students and residents. His career took a significant turn when he transitioned to an administrative role in the Emergency Department, where he contributed to numerous hospital-wide and system-wide initiatives, including leading efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. He played a crucial role in educating the hospital staff and community on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.

In August 2022, Dr. Fairweather was recruited to serve as the Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Elmhurst Hospital, where he oversees Epic operations, data analytics services, and reports directly to the CEO as a member of the executive leadership team. His leadership is central to several key initiatives, including Health Information Management, the Elmhurst Hospital Downtime Committee, and the CMIO Council.

For more information programs and services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, please call 718-334-4000. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @elmhursthosp.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Atiya Butler, Director of External Affairs, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, 917-319-5167

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care institution offering exceptional services across a wide range of specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women's health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health care. In the past year alone, the hospital received nearly one million ambulatory care visits and over 140,000 emergency room visits, reflecting its essential role in the community. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been nationally ranked and recognized as a "Best Regional Hospital" by U.S. News & World Report in critical areas such as Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD.

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 MetroPlus health plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 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.