NYC Health + Hospitals Recognized as a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion, Supporting Healthcare Worker Wellbeing

NYC Health + Hospitals Recognized as a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion, Supporting Healthcare Worker Wellbeing

The health system earned the award by removing invasive mental health questions on physician credentialing applications

According to a 2023 survey by the Physicians Foundation, 4 in 10 physicians were either afraid or knew another physician fearful of seeking mental health care given questions asked in applications for medical licensure, credentialing, or insurance

Oct 27, 2025

NYC Health + Hospitals today announced it has been recognized by ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare as a 2025 Wellbeing First Champion. This is the second year in a row that NYC Health + Hospitals has been awarded this special recognition for its leadership in removing invasive mental health questions from physician applications for medical licensure, credentialing, and insurance. According to a 2023 survey by the Physicians Foundation, 4 in 10 physicians were either afraid or knew another physician fearful of seeking mental health care given questions asked in applications for medical licensure, credentialing, or insurance. As a Wellbeing First Champion, all NYC Health + Hospitals credentialing applications have been verified as continuing to be free of any intrusive and stigmatizing language around mental health care and treatment. Verification is confirmed annually by ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare, a coalition of leading health care organizations that work to eliminate barriers for health workers to access mental health care.

"Our most important asset at NYC Health + Hospitals is our staff," said Omar Fattal, MD, MPH, Chief of Behavioral Health Services, NYC Health + Hospitals. "We are proud to be recognized for the second year in the row for removing invasive questions from physician applications. Our support to physicians is central to the work that we are doing at NYC Health + Hospitals. By ensuring our questions are non-stigmatizing we are able to ensure that our physicians are getting the care they need so they can provide the best possible care to all New Yorkers."

"At NYC Heath + Hospitals we are always seeking the best safeguards for our vulnerable patient population, ensuring the best care possible by the brightest and most capable physicians," said Leon Boudourakis, MD, MHS, System Chief of Strategy & Special Projects at NYC Health + Hospitals. "We are proud to be recognized this year for using noninvasive language in our physician applications. It is a central belief at NYC Health + Hospitals that using clear, broad and non-judgmental language is the best way to assure we can identify how to support physicians in their roles."

"The Wellbeing First Champion recognition, which reflects a significant step forward in our commitment to cultivating a culture of well-being for all healthcare professionals, is not only a policy change, it is a powerful signal to our workforce that seeking help is a strength and not a liability," said Jeremy Segall, MA, RDT, LCAT, FPCC, System Chief Wellness Officer and Assistant Vice President, Human Experience. "By reducing barriers and minimizing stigma, we are fostering an environment where open dialogue about mental health is encouraged, and support is accessible without fear. The ripple effects of this change are already evident as we are seeing increased willingness to seek care, stronger peer support, and a measurable shift in how we address mental health and suicide prevention across our system. This designation reaffirms our belief that the well-being of our workforce is essential to the health of the communities we serve. It inspires us to continue leading with compassion, transparency, and a deep respect for the humanity of every healthcare worker."

As an example, prior to 2023, a reference form for a clinician applying to work at NYC Health + Hospitals used to include the following question about the applicant's health status:

Have you observed or been informed of any chemical dependency, physical or mental health problems which might affect the applicant's ability to perform in a competent manner?

In 2023, NYC Health + Hospitals replaced this question with the following:

Have you observed any health problems which might affect the applicant's ability to perform in a competent manner?

If "Yes" is selected, the information is communicated confidentially to Occupational Health Services to ensure the medical staff applicant is provided the appropriate support needed to be successful in his or her role.

This work is part of the health system's commitment to the mental health and wellness of its frontline staff. In 2024, NYC Health + Hospitals announced a partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to implement the Interactive Screening Program, an online self-screening tool for staff to connect to peer and clinical support before a potential crisis emerges. In addition, NYC Health + Hospitals' Helping Healers Heal program offers emotional first aid to health care providers who are suffering from workplace stress or anxiety and may be at high risk of depression caused by the demanding circumstances of the job and unexpected patient outcomes.

###

MEDIA CONTACT: Press Office

#175-25

About NYC Health + HospitalsNYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public 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 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

About ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare
ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare, led by The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes' Foundation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and CAA Foundation, is a coalition of leading healthcare organizations, including American Association of Colleges of Nurses, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, The Physicians Foundation, CHARM: The Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine, Johnson & Johnson: Center for Health Worker Innovation, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, American Nurse Foundation, Medicine Forward, National Black Nurses Association, Philippine Nurses Association of America and Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. We are committed to advancing a state where the healthcare workforce's well-being is prioritized, and individual health workers feel valued and supported so they can sustain their sense of purpose and meaning in their work. We work to make beneficial progress against persistent mental health and well-being challenges that disadvantage our health workers, and therefore, our healthcare systems and the future of public health.