NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Receives $1 Million in Advanced Surgical Microscope Equipment Funded by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Receives $1 Million in Advanced Surgical Microscope Equipment Funded by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards

Ribbon-cutting ceremony held with clinical leadership highlights benefits of updated technology for much-needed surgeries in underserved community

Dec 12, 2025

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the acquisition of three new state-of-the-art Leica surgical microscopes, made possible through $1 million in funding from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. This latest investment adds to the more than $12 million in capital funding that the hospital has received from Borough President Richards to enhance services at Queens' largest public hospital. The new microscopes will significantly enhance surgical care across multiple specialties, including ENT, Neurosurgery, and General Surgery, and will give surgical teams the ability to see high resolution images of arteries and other parts of the body in fine, sharp anatomical detail. The advanced imagery provided by the microscopes will also help surgeons operate with greater accuracy, leading to improved overall health outcomes.

"Every single resident of this borough, regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status, deserves the highest-quality healthcare right in their own community. That's exactly what Northwest Queens families get when they come to Elmhurst Hospital," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "I'm proud to help advance that mission with these three state-of-the-art surgical microscopes, which I'm honored to have allocated $1 million in funding toward. This is an investment in both the patients and the healthcare heroes of this hospital, as we ensure the care offered here continues to be top-of-the-line."

"This tremendous investment from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards advances NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst's ongoing efforts to modernize our operating room suites and strengthen patient care for those needing complex surgical procedures," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga. "We are fiercely committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care to the more than 1.2 million Queens residents who live near or access our hospital annually, and ensuring that all patients-regardless of insurance status or economic background-have access to cutting-edge medical equipment within their own communities. Thank you, Borough President Richards, for your vision, leadership and deep commitment to our hospital's goal of eliminating long-standing health disparities within our borough."

"The funding for the new microscopes for the Elmhurst Hospital Operating Room has a direct and meaningful impact on our community," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Director of Anesthesiology Dr. Barbara Dilos. "These advanced microscopes will allow our surgeons to perform procedures with greater precision, safety and efficiency, helping out patients to return to their lives with fewer complications and faster recoveries. This funding is truly life-changing!"

"The new neurosurgical microscope that has been purchased with this generous donation is a state-of-the-art microscope that allows us to use fluorescence-based imaging techniques in the operating room to more safely and efficiently perform cerebrovascular, brain tumor, and spine surgeries," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst's Director of Neurosurgery Dr. Zachary Hickman. "It ensures that our patients and the Queens community can receive modern neurosurgical care close to home with the sophisticated, up to date technology that they deserve."

"We are very grateful for the funding that enabled the purchase of these amazing surgical microscopes," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Director of Surgery Dr. George Agriantonis. "As a Level One Trauma Center, we have patients with severe and sometimes disfiguring injuries for which our plastic and reconstructive surgeons have the expertise to repair. These microscopes are used by our surgeons to connect the smallest blood vessels during reconstructive surgery. This new equipment will enhance their abilities to provide our patients even better outcomes."

"ENT surgeons rely on operating microscopes to safely treat many conditions of the ear, head and neck, and voice box," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Director of ENT Dr. Janki Shah. "The microscope provides the magnification, illumination, and depth perception necessary to operate safely in these intricate areas. This advanced technology is more than just a piece of equipment-it is a transformative tool that allows us to perform complex otolaryngology procedures with greater precision, safety, and confidence. With it, we can deliver the highest level of care to our patients and expand the range of conditions we are able to treat right here in our community."

"Thank you to Borough President Richards for your generous support in funding our new OR microscopes," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Administrator for Perioperative Services Paula Clarke. "On behalf of the patients, whose care will be directly enhanced by this advancement, please accept our deepest appreciation."

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 MetroPlusHealth-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.