Queens, NY, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mount Sinai Health System today held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new, clinically advanced intensive care unit (ICU) at Mount Sinai Queens.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The project will increase the hospital\u2019s total certified bed count from 228 to 241 beds and add 13 new ICU beds to its current 8. Construction is expected to take approximately 16 months once a certificate of need is granted, and will be funded in part by New York City and New York State as well as through Mount Sinai\u2019s capital resources. \u00a0<\/p>\n
By nearly tripling\u00a0its\u00a0ICU capacity, the new unit will\u00a0meet rising patient acuity needs and reduce\u00a0Emergency\u00a0Department congestion\u00a0while aiming to\u00a0decrease the need for transfers\u00a0that take patients out of the borough to other\u00a0Mount Sinai\u00a0hospitals. The\u00a0expanded space\u00a0will\u00a0also\u00a0significantly enhance the hospital\u2019s ability to perform complex surgical procedures locally\u00a0and strengthen\u00a0its ability to respond during periods of increased demand or systemwide surges. <\/p>\n
\u201cBehind this expansion are the patients and families who need critical care at the most vulnerable moments in their lives,\u201d said Cameron R. Hernandez, MD, FACHE, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Queens.\u00a0\u201cBy increasing ICU capacity at Mount Sinai Queens, we are ensuring more people can receive\u00a0timely\u00a0care close to home, within the community that supports them. Expanding ICU capacity is also a key investment in the long-term resilience of our hospital and\u00a0Health\u00a0System, allowing us to better manage demand and care for critically ill patients in Queens. We thank\u00a0city\u00a0and\u00a0state\u00a0officials for their support in this project.\u201d\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The new ICU will be built on the sixth floor of the hospital\u2019s main campus, at 25-10 30th Avenue in Astoria, transforming underutilized space into a modern, high-functioning critical care environment. The unit will include a class 2 procedure room designed to support moderate-risk surgical or interventional procedures. Equipped to support fluoroscopy-guided procedures, the space will enable procedures such as peripherally inserted central catheter line placements, central venous catheter insertions, and dialysis catheter placements. This capability will enhance the hospital\u2019s ability to deliver timely, coordinated critical care and support rapid intervention in situations where speed can directly influence patient outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Mount Sinai is deeply committed to ensuring that residents of Queens have access to the highest level of critical care within their own community,” said\u202fNazia Mashriqi, MD, MBA, Director,\u00a0Intensive Care Unit,\u00a0Mount Sinai Queens.\u202f”This new ICU represents a meaningful advancement in how we deliver\u00a0care\u2014expanding our ability to provide timely high-acuity interventions while reinforcing the systems, protocols, and multidisciplinary collaboration that are essential to patient safety. Ultimately, this investment allows us to care for our patients with greater precision, responsiveness, and compassion at the moment when it matters most.”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Western Queens residents should not have to cross the river into Manhattan to get top-notch\u202fhealth\u00a0care,\u201d said\u202fState\u00a0Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. \u201cI am proud to provide $6 million in state funds for this new ICU at Mount Sinai Queens, which will transform the care they can provide and ensure our neighbors receive quality care closer to home.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Western Queens families in need of immediate, potentially life-saving medical attention deserve to receive it right in their community without having to travel or wait for it,\u201d said\u00a0Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.\u00a0\u201cMount Sinai Queens’ new, advanced 21-bed intensive care unit, which we break ground on today, will ensure that kind of critical care is exactly what our neighbors in Astoria and beyond will receive. I’m incredibly proud to have allocated $7 million toward that future ICU at Mount Sinai Queens, as we continue to expand access to health care and maintain the high-quality hospital network that Queens deserves.”\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n
In addition to improving operational efficiency, the new ICU is expected to play a vital role in reuniting families during some of their most vulnerable moments, reducing the need to transfer patients far from their loved ones to receive critical care. <\/p>\n
“It is a great day for Western Queens with the new ICU opening at Mount Sinai Queens,” said\u202fCosta Constantinides, former New York City Council Member and currently the CEO of Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens.\u202f”For too long, we have not had enough beds in Western Queens for critical care. When my late wife needed ICU care, it was a profound relief to know she was receiving exceptional treatment close to home. Being nearby allowed our family to spend meaningful time with her during an incredibly difficult period, which brought us lasting comfort. I\u2019m grateful to the elected officials and private partners who made this milestone possible for more families in our area. This investment will help ensure that Queens residents receive the care they need in their most vulnerable moments.\u202fCongratulations\u202fto Mount Sinai Queens.”\u202f<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
About the Mount Sinai Health System<\/p>\n
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 47,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and leading schools of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time\u2014discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care from conception through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients\u2019 medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes more than 6,400 primary and specialty care physicians and 10 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek\u2019s\u00ae\u00a0\u201cThe World\u2019s Best Smart Hospitals,\u201d \u201cBest in State Hospitals,\u201d \u201cWorld\u2019s Best Hospitals,\u201d and\u00a0 \u201cBest Specialty Hospitals\u201d and by\u00a0U.S. News & World Report’s\u00ae\u00a0\u201cBest Hospitals\u201d and \u201cBest Children\u2019s Hospitals.\u201d The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the\u00a0U.S. News & World Report\u00ae \u201cBest Hospitals\u201d Honor Roll for 2025-2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For more information, visit\u00a0<\/a>https:\/\/www.mountsinai.org<\/a>\u00a0or find Mount Sinai on\u00a0<\/a>Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/a>YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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