Deputy Mayor Dr. Helen Arteaga with RUMC Chair of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Johnathon LeBaron (right), and NYC Council Minority Leader David Carr, touring RUMC’s Emergency Department.
Dr. Helen Arteaga visits to thank staff for response to waterfront explosion on May 22
On June 4, New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, Dr. Helen Arteaga, visited Richmond University Medical Center to thank the hospital staff on behalf of Mayor Zohran Mamdani for its response to the waterfront explosion on May 22 that killed one person and injured 40. The majority of individuals cared for at RUMC were members of the Fire Department of New York City.
Following the explosion, RUMC ambulances were dispatched to the scene in Mariners Harbor and 20 individuals, mostly FDNY, were transported to RUMC for treatment. RUMC is a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center, equipped to handle the most serious health emergencies and mass casualty incidents.
The Deputy Mayor was welcomed to RUMC by hospital leadership and staff from the emergency department who cared for the injured the evening of the explosion. The Deputy Mayor presented a City Citation to RUMC on behalf of Mayor Mamdani.
“We came here today to recognize the amazing work that you did with so much compassion and so much clinical excellence,” the Deputy Mayor said. “We wanted to let you know that we here at the city thank you and support you all the way.”
The Deputy Mayor was joined by Yesenia Mata, commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services; Dr. Mitchell Katz, president and chief executive officer for New York City Health + Hospitals, and New York City Council Minority Leader David Carr.
“Sometimes the people who need help the most are our first responders,” Council Member Carr said. “RUMC delivered and RUMC made sure that those individuals went home to their families.”
The Deputy Mayor was also provided with a tour of RUMC’s Emergency Department, named for former Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro, by the hospital’s Chair of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Johnathon LeBaron.
“It was a pleasure to have the Deputy Mayor take the time to thank our staff,” Dr. LeBaron said. “It meant a lot to our entire team who always put their heart into caring for every single patient that comes through our doors.”
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visitwww.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
