New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation - History and Mission

History and Mission

In 1736, HHC’s oldest hospital, Bellevue was founded as an infirmary for smallpox and other contagious diseases on the top floor of a public workhouse and jail. Bellevue Hospital was formally named in 1825. At the turn of the 20th century, Bellevue’s medical college merged with New York Medical College into what would later become the New York University College of Medicine.

In 1920, Bellevue founded the Children's Psychiatric Service, the first program in the United States devoted to the study of child autism and training child psychiatrists. Bellevue continues to provide through this day comprehensive pediatric services and renowned psychiatric services, as well as highly regarded emergency and trauma services. Bellevue remains the principal teaching hospital for its affiliated New York University School of Medicine. HHC’s other hospitals were founded in the late 19th century and early-to-mid-20th century.

In 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were created and quickly accounted for 86 percent of the income received by the municipal hospital system. Patients with private insurance opted to use private hospitals and Medicaid raised its eligibility. As a consequence, New York City hospitals saw patient numbers and funding decline precipitously. According to a 1967 study just two years later, the conditions and quality of care at public hospitals in New York City were deplorable.

In 1969, New York City created HHC to replace its Department of Hospitals operating city hospitals and other health care facilities. HHC was formed as a quasi public agency to enable it to benefit from private revenues and funding. HCC’s fiscal condition nevertheless has varied periodically since its formation, and it has gone through periods of instability.

Today, HHC's mission remains to provide care equally to, and to protect and promote the welfare of, New York City residents of all income levels, and to join with other health workers and communities to promote and protect health:

To extend equally to all New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay, comprehensive health services of the highest quality in an atmosphere of humane care, dignity and respect; To promote and protect, as both innovator and advocate, the health, welfare and safety of the people of the City of New York; To join with other health workers and with communities in a partnership which will enable each of our institutions to promote and protect health in its fullest sense -- the total physical, mental and social well-being of the people.

Each year thousands of New Yorkers support HHC and its mission through donations to the HHC Foundation. More than 8,000 volunteers each year also contribute over one million hours of service to HHC facilities. Volunteers participate in a range of activities and interests in helping patients at HHC's facilities throughout New York City. Volunteer opportunities are described on the volunteer page of HHC's web site.