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A major investment in maternal and newborn health is coming to North Brooklyn as the New York City Council delivers $5.8 million to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center to renovate and modernize its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and maternity facilities. The funding includes a newly announced $2 million allocation in the City’s FY 2026 budget, secured by City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Council Member Sandy Nurse, advancing the hospital’s multi-phase transformation project.
The investment supports the expansion and upgrade of Wyckoff’s NICU and continued renovations of its 11th-floor Maternity/Postpartum unit and 12th-floor Labor & Delivery unit, strengthening one of the borough’s most important safety-net hospitals serving Brooklyn and Queens.
The upgraded NICU will span 5,000 square feet and accommodate 15 incubators, along with three nursery rooms, including an isolation room. Plans also include a breastfeeding room, family waiting areas, nurses’ stations, staff offices and lounge space, as well as storage, utility rooms, and improved hallways to support clinical care.
Between FY 2024 and FY 2025, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center received $3.8 million in earlier capital funding to complete the first two phases of the project. With this latest round of funding, the hospital can continue renovations and fully modernize its newborn care facilities.
Speaker Adrienne Adams said the investment reflects the Council’s broader commitment to improving maternal health and addressing long-standing disparities.
“Our historically diverse, women-majority City Council has consistently championed efforts to improve maternal health and confront the longstanding inequities facing our mothers and families,” Adams said. She noted that the Council secured “$2 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to modernize the NICU at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and $5.8 million overall to transform a vital part of this community institution,” calling the funding essential to “sustain and bolster safety net hospitals that care for underserved communities.”
Council Member Sandy Nurse emphasized that the funding comes at a critical moment, particularly for Black and Brown women who continue to experience worse maternal health outcomes.
“Today, I’m proud to announce that $5.8 million has been secured for these projects over the past two fiscal years,” Nurse said, adding that Wyckoff “is a pillar of health access in Bushwick, and when it thrives, our communities thrive.” She stressed that “every mother who walks through Wyckoff’s doors deserves and receives safe, dignified maternal care.”
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez underscored the broader impact of investing in hospitals like Wyckoff.
“When we invest in their infrastructure, we’re not just upgrading buildings, we’re strengthening the entire community,” Gutiérrez said. She pointed to modern maternity and neonatal units as key to “safer births, faster emergency response, and real peace of mind for families across Bushwick and beyond.”
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center President and CEO Vali Gache said the renovations will significantly improve both patient care and working conditions for staff.
“The new Neonatal Suites, as well as the Maternity and Labor and Delivery Suites, will provide a brighter, more efficient and more patient-centered environment where our teams can continue to deliver excellent care,” Gache said. She also shared a personal perspective, recalling her own experience delivering in a safety-net hospital and the lasting importance of community-based care.
For families in Bushwick, North Brooklyn, and neighboring Queens communities, the investment means safer deliveries, enhanced newborn care, and improved support for parents during some of life’s most critical moments. For frontline healthcare workers, it brings modernized, functional spaces designed to support high-quality, efficient care.
By strengthening Wyckoff Heights Medical Center’s maternity and neonatal services, the City Council’s $5.8 million investment reinforces the hospital’s role as a cornerstone of community health — and a critical partner in the ongoing effort to reduce maternal mortality and improve outcomes for mothers and babies across New York City.