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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                            FEBRUARY 06, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 28

                                                 HEALTH CARE TRAILBLAZERS

                City & State New York Recognizes Two

                 Leaders from NYC Health + Hospitals

                                             and Metroplushealth

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            frastructure at every level. During the
                                                                                                                  public health emergency, Dr.  Shah
            NEW YORK, NY
                                                                                                                  helped lead the rapid redeployment of
                  ity & State New York has                                                                        clinical staff, expanded testing capaci-
                  named two senior leaders from                                                                   ty, and supported large-scale vaccina-
            CNew York City’s public health                                                                        tion outreach efforts across the city.
            system  to  its  prestigious  2026  “Trail-                                                               In the years since, Dr. Shah has
            blazers in Health Care” list, recogniz-                                                               focused  on  translating  lessons  from
            ing their impact on clinical excellence,                                                              the pandemic into lasting system im-
            equity,  and  system-wide  innovation.                                                                provements. A key priority has been
            NYC Health + Hospitals announced                                                                      advancing mental health parity—not
            that Dr. Maryam Akbari, Director                                                                      just as a policy goal, but as an oper-
            of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at                                                                  ational reality. Under his leadership,
            NYC  Health  +  Hospitals/Elmhurst,                                                                   MetroPlusHealth brought behavioral
            and Dr. Sanjiv S. Shah, Chief Medi-                                                                   health services in-house, allowing for
            cal Officer of MetroPlusHealth, were   diverse communities in the nation.”  ment to education, interdisciplinary   better integration, oversight, and  ac-
            among the distinguished honorees.     Dr. Akbari leads oral and max-  collaboration, and public engagement.  cess for members.
                                              illofacial services at NYC Health +  Her  work  reflects  NYC  Health  +   Dr. Shah has also expanded access
            City & State New York’s annual    Hospitals/Elmhurst,  one of the city’s   Hospitals’ broader mission to deliver   to preventive and supportive services
                                                                                high-quality  care  without  exception,  that address social drivers of health.
                                              busiest safety-net hospitals and a crit-
            Trailblazers  in  Health  Care  list   ical provider for Queens’ immigrant   regardless of a patient’s background   These initiatives include making dieti-
            highlights influential figures    and working-class communities. A   or ability to pay.               tian services available at no cost to city
                                              dual-trained dentist and physician, she   Dr. Sanjiv S. Shah, Chief Medi-  workers and helping launch medically
            shaping health policy, delivery,  has played a central role in expanding   cal  Officer  of  MetroPlusHealth,  was   tailored meal programs in partner-
            and outcomes across the state.    reconstructive and complex surgical   also recognized for  his  leadership   ship with God’s Love We Deliver and
                                              services for patients who often face
                                                                                in strengthening care delivery and
                                                                                                                  NYC Health + Hospitals. By linking
            The list features leaders from    barriers to specialized care.     advancing  health  equity  across  New   nutrition support to chronic disease
            government, health  systems,          Since assuming her leadership   York City’s public health insurance   management, these efforts aim to im-
                                              role, Dr. Akbari has reorganized her   plan. MetroPlusHealth, which part-  prove health outcomes while reducing
            managed  care  organizations,  department and recruited addition-   ners closely with NYC Health + Hos-  avoidable hospitalizations.
                                                                                                                      The recognition of Dr. Akbari
            and advocacy groups whose         al attending physicians to strengthen   pitals, serves hundreds of thousands of   and Dr. Shah underscores the breadth
                                              clinical capacity and broaden access
                                                                                New Yorkers, including many low-in-
            work  is  advancing  patient-cen-  to advanced procedures. Under her   come, immigrant, and essential work-  and depth of leadership within New
            tered and equitable care. City    guidance, Elmhurst has become a   er households.                    York City’s public health system. Their
                                                                                   “Being named to City & State’s
                                              trusted destination for complex jaw,
                                                                                                                  work reflects a shared commitment to
            & State New York is a leading     facial trauma, and temporomandib-  Trailblazers in Health Care list is an   innovation,  equity,  and  patient-cen-
            media organization dedicated to   ular joint (TMJ) surgeries within the   honor  and  a  reflection  of  the  col-  tered care—values that remain crit-
                                                                                lective work of dedicated clinicians,  ical as the city continues to confront
                                              public hospital system.
            non-partisan, in-depth coverage       Dr. Akbari is also  widely  rec-  public health professionals, and man-  health disparities and evolving public
            of New York’s local and state pol-  ognized for her advocacy  on  behalf   aged  care  teams  who  show  up  for   health challenges.
                                              of transgender and gender-diverse
                                                                                our communities every day,” said Dr.
                                                                                                                      NYC Health + Hospitals is the
            itics and public policy.          patients. She has worked to improve   Shah. “This recognition reinforces our   nation’s largest municipal health care
                                              insurance coverage pathways and to   shared commitment to advancing eq-  system, serving more than one mil-
               “I’m proud to stand alongside col-  position Elmhurst as a welcoming and   uitable, high-quality care and building   lion New Yorkers each year across
            leagues who are driving meaningful   high-quality destination for facial femi-  a health system that truly meets peo-  over  70  patient  care  locations  in  all
            change and ensuring that patient-cen-  nization and gender-affirming surgical   ple where they are.”  five  boroughs.  Supported  by  11  es-
            tered,  equitable  care  remains  at  the   care. Her efforts have helped ensure   An infectious disease physician   sential hospitals, a robust outpatient
            heart of everything we do,” said Dr.  that inclusive, world-class surgical ser-  by training, Dr. Shah brings decades   network, long-term and post-acute
            Akbari. “This recognition underscores   vices are available within New York   of clinical experience and managed   care facilities, home care services, and
            the importance of innovation, collab-  City’s public health system, rather than   care leadership to his role. He joined   MetroPlusHealth, the system’s more
            oration,  and compassion in health   being limited to private institutions.  MetroPlusHealth just before the onset   than 46,000 employees are dedicated
            care—especially in public hospital    A former medical podcast co-host,  of the COVID-19 pandemic, a period   to empowering every New Yorker to
            systems that serve some of the most   Dr. Akbari brings a strong commit-  that tested New York City’s health in-  live the healthiest life possible.

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