Wyckoff Heights Medical Center is moving forward with plans to modernize its Neonatal Suites after receiving a $2 million grant from the New York City Council. The check was presented to hospital leadership on Dec. 11 by Council Members Sandy Nurse and Jennifer Gutierrez, along with Speaker Adrienne Adams.
The funding is part of a larger multi-phase project to renovate the 11th and 12th floors of the hospital, including the Neonatal and Maternity Post-Partum Suites and Labor and Delivery Suites. The two-floor modernization will bring essential upgrades to the NICU, nurseries, breastfeeding and family spaces, staff stations, and critical infrastructure such as HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems.
Anca Giurgiulescu, AVP of Strategic Development and Transformation at Wyckoff, said the money will go to better a space that has not been renovated since it first opened in 1994. “That’s where life starts and it’s also where some of the most fragile life starts,” she said, “so it’s really an honor to be here to celebrate this opportunity together.”
The Neonatal Suites alone serve 15 incubators, three nursery rooms — including one isolation room — family waiting areas, and staff support spaces. Between 2022 and 2024, Wyckoff’s Maternity and Neonatal Care facilities cared for 2,741 birthing individuals and 2,788 babies, including 376 NICU patients.
Vali Gache, president and CEO of Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, expressed gratitude for the funding and emphasized the importance of community support.
“We cannot be more grateful for this award that comes at the best time. We’ve been struggling to secure more funds. I’m an immigrant mother of two, I came to this country 25 years ago. I wish the same support I had as a new mother for every immigrant mother.”
Nurse highlighted the significance of the project for the local community. The hospital borders Brooklyn and Queens.
“I think it’s so important that in our district, where you have crumbling health statistics, chronic health issues … and people struggling to make ends meet, we are here to make sure that they have this experience when they’re bringing life into the world and when they’re starting a family.”
Construction is expected to begin in March 2026 and continue through December 2027, with work carefully phased to maintain safe operations for existing patients. Wyckoff has secured additional funding for the larger project, including $7.8 million from the NYC Council and $1.7 million from the New York State Senate, supporting a full modernization of maternity, labor and neonatal care spaces.
“Today marks a vital opportunity to improve the environment of care for some of the most celebrated and vulnerable members of our communities – newborns and their mothers,” Gache added. “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.”
