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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline FEBRUARY 20, 2026 | The Indian Eye 24

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Awarded $100,000

to Strengthen Regional Emergency Preparedness

Through Virtual Learning Networks

Bellevue Hospital will lead emergency preparedness program to support coordinated readiness

and cross-sector collaboration

OUR BUREAU
New York, NY
YC Health + Hospitals/Bel-
levue has announced it was
Nawarded $100,000 to support
the development and implementa-
tion of an Extension for Community
Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) pro-
gram for emergency preparedness.
The funding is provided by the Uni-
versity of New Mexico, which received
a grant from the Robert Wood John-
son Foundation to build regional,
case-based virtual learning networks
that strengthen infectious disease and
all-hazards emergency preparedness
and response across the region. The
award for Bellevue Hospital will pro-
vide support for training across U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Region 2, which in-
cludes New York, New Jersey, Puerto
Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“This award reflects Bellevue
Hospital’s long-standing leadership NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Project ECHO leaders (L-R): Anthony Lo Piccolo, MS, Project ECHO Senior Research Coordinator; Margaret
in emergency preparedness and our L. Aldrich, MD, Project Echo Principal Investigator; Michael Thompson, MBA, Project ECHO Administrative Director; Vikramjit Mukherjee, MD,
commitment to strengthening readi-
ness across our region,” said Eric Wei, Chief of Critical Care and Chief of Special Pathogens Program
MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer
of NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. portunity to learn from one another The Emergency Preparedness Treatment Center,” said Vikram-
“Emergency preparedness is not lim- across disciplines and strengthen ECHO program will include two jit Mukherjee, MD, Chief, Critical
ited to one type of threat — it’s about preparedness across our region,” said complementary cohorts: A High Con- Care and Chief, Special Pathogens
ensuring that we are equipped to re- Margaret L. Aldrich, MD, Assistant sequence Infectious Diseases (HCID) Program, Bellevue Hospital. “This
spond to whatever our communities Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Preparedness cohort and an All-Haz- ECHO program supports that work
face. Through this program, we will Hospital Epidemiologist, and Proj- ards cohort. The HCID Preparedness by extending shared learning across
strengthen regional collaboration and ect ECHO Principal Investigator at cohort will focus on foundational top- the region.”
expand practical, real-world learning Bellevue Hospital. “Through shared ics such as personal protective equip- Bellevue Hospital serves as the
through shared cases and cross-sector learning and community, we can ment, staffing, waste management, Regional Emerging Special Patho-
dialogue that improves response ca- build greater resilience together.” infection prevention and control best gens Treatment Center (RESPTC)
pabilities across the region.” Bellevue Hospital will lead an practices, and EMS considerations. for HHS Region 2, a designation that
As a leader in emergency pre- Emergency Preparedness ECHO The All-Hazards cohort will address positions the hospital as a regional
paredness, Bellevue Hospital will program from January 15, 2026 to key emergency preparedness priori- leader in preparedness for HCIDs.
help establish a trusted, multidisci- October 31, 2026, delivering 18 vir- ties — including hurricane prepared- Through its RESPTC role, Bellevue
plinary virtual community of practice tual sessions to strengthen regional ness, tsunami preparedness, exercises provides clinical expertise, training,
grounded in the Project ECHO mod- readiness through shared learning and drills, mass casualty events, and and coordination to support health
el. The program will bring together and collaboration. The series will pediatric considerations — that sup- care systems across the region in
public health officials, emergency include brief workshops and train- port comprehensive readiness across preparing for and responding to spe-
managers, health care organizations, ings, participant case presentations, a range of threats. cial pathogen threats, including the
and community-based organizations and facilitated discussion, with guid- “Emergency preparedness in- recent training of over 500 health
to co-design equitable, coordinated, ance and support from the ECHO cludes readiness for special patho- care and public health profession-
and resilient emergency prepared- Institute. Participants will also have gens, and that is a core part of als across four jurisdictions in 2025
ness and response systems. access to session recordings and re- Bellevue Hospital’s role as the Re- to respond to regional high-conse-
“Project ECHO gives us the op- source materials. gional Emerging Special Pathogens quence infectious disease threats.

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