SUNY Downstate

12/18/2025

In the spirit of honoring the many traditions represented at Downstate, we proudly celebrated our 15th Annual Menorah Lighting, a cherished and longstanding campus tradition.

This year’s celebration featured a 12-foot LED menorah, symbolizing light, resilience, and perseverance. Members of the Downstate community—along with colleagues, friends, and families—came together to mark the occasion with music, dancing, and traditional foods, including latkes and sufganiyot. Children and families enjoyed spinning dreidels, creating a warm, intergenerational celebration that reflected the vibrancy of our campus.

As we gathered to celebrate light and goodness in the world, we also paused for a moment of silence to honor the lives lost in the horrific Bondi Beach attacks in Australia during a Hanukkah celebration this past weekend. The world has no tolerance for hatred in any form, and we stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters against acts of hate.

May the light of the menorah continue to guide us toward unity, understanding, and peace.

Thank you Zellnor Myrie and Rita Joseph

Click here to see our video of the Menorah Lighting:

SUNY Downstate proudly celebrated its 15th Annual Menorah Lighting, a longstanding and cherished tradition on campus. This year’s celebration featured a 12-f...

12/18/2025

A new tradition has begun at Downstate!

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for Downstate’s first-ever Christmas Tree Lighting—a joyful, unifying moment for our campus and the start of a new tradition in The Grove.

Staff, students, faculty, leadership, and friends from across Downstate came together to celebrate the season in the true spirit of connection and community.

In the days leading up to the event, we captured the assembly of our 18-foot Christmas tree through time-lapse footage, watching it rise layer by layer, branch by branch. What began as pieces shipped from Texas became a powerful symbol of warmth, hope, and teamwork—values that define the Downstate family.

We then gathered for a campuswide countdown from ten to one as the FM&D team illuminated the tree for the very first time—an energizing shared moment filled with gratitude, unity, and optimism.

Here’s to many more seasons together.

Click here to see our festive video:

The Downstate community gathered at The Grove for a moment to start a brand new tradition—the first-ever lighting of a campus Christmas tree. As colleagues, ...

12/12/2025

CELEBRATING HANUKKAH

From December 14–22, Jewish communities will celebrate Hanukkah, commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. This eight-day observance begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar and remains one of the most cherished and culturally significant traditions in the Jewish faith.

The Festival of Lights is a time of joy, love, and togetherness bringing warmth and illumination to homes, families, and communities. Each evening, as a new candle on the menorah is lit, it serves as a reminder of the universal values of freedom, hope, and justice.

To all who celebrate, we extend our warmest wishes for a meaningful, blessed, and safe Hanukkah. May the glow of the menorah and the bonds shared with loved ones guide you toward a future filled with peace and prosperity.

12/03/2025

The December 2, 2025 Edition of the President's Bulletin, is now LIVE! Don't forget to check out the latest in , , and Downstate news! CLICK LINK BELOW to READ MORE!

11/26/2025

A THANKSGIVING SEASON OF GRATITUDE, CONNECTION, AND CARE

As the season of gratitude arrives and the leaves settle over Brooklyn, we pause to reflect on what brings us together: our shared humanity, our sense of purpose, and the community we build through care and connection.

In a rapidly changing world, the meaning of family continues to grow and evolve. Family can be those we are born into, or those we create through friendship, mentorship, and community. Each offers love, compassion, and belonging—especially during times when understanding is more important than ever.

Thanksgiving reminds us of the power of gratitude, generosity, and empathy. Whether we gather with relatives, friends, colleagues, or chosen family, let us celebrate the ties that hold us close and the diversity that enriches who we are.

At Downstate, inclusivity is at the heart of our mission. Our students, faculty, clinicians, and staff serve with compassion every day, strengthening the communities that surround us.

From all of us at Downstate: may your Thanksgiving be safe, healthy, warm, and filled with gratitude.

11/20/2025

The Brooklyn Health Equity Index (BKHI)—a simple, 10-question survey that helps us learn directly from patients about their care experiences.

Developed with support from the New York Health Foundation, Healthfirst, and our community and clinical partners, BKHI aims to identify and address healthcare disparities while promoting fairness, compassion, and cultural sensitivity.

By uplifting patient voices, we continue to advance our mission of excellence, inclusion, and equitable care for all Brooklyn residents.

Click below for more info and to see our video:

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is one of the nation's leading urban medical centers, serving the people of Brooklyn since 1860.

11/19/2025

The November 18, 2025 Edition of the President's Bulletin, is now LIVE! Don't forget to check out the latest in , , and Downstate news! CLICK LINK BELOW to READ MORE!

11/14/2025

UHD Scores a Leapfrog “B”! Big Win for Patient Safety!

We’re excited to share that University Hospital at Downstate has earned a “B” grade from The Leapfrog Group—a meaningful acknowledgment of the safety improvements happening across our hospital.

This grade reflects solid performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, and infections, based on more than 30 national safety measures. As a safety-net hospital serving Central Brooklyn, this achievement shows significant momentum in strengthening care quality and carrying forward our commitment to .

A huge congratulations to Interim CEO Dr. Patricia A. Winston and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rami Nakeshbandi for their vital leadership in this accomplishment—and to our extraordinary UHD team of clinicians, nurses, technicians, environmental services and facilities staff, patient access teams, administrators, and everyone who works each day to keep our patients safe. Your dedication made this possible!

Let’s celebrate this win—and keep pushing forward together!

How safe is Downstate Health Sciences University, University Hospital at Downstate? Click here to learn how well they protect their patients from errors, infections, injuries, and accidents.

11/13/2025

This Transgender Awareness Week, Downstate honors the strength, courage, and lived experiences of transgender and nonbinary individuals in our community and beyond.

Visibility is more than being recognized—it’s about being safe, valued, and affirmed. We proudly stand with our transgender and nonbinary students, faculty, staff, patients, and alums, whose authenticity enriches the Downstate community.

As a public academic medical center, we are committed to providing inclusive, compassionate, and affirming healthcare. Through UHD’s gender-affirming services, we ensure that every person receives respectful, evidence-based care in an environment where they are welcomed for who they are.

Our commitment to advocacy and allyship doesn’t end this week—it’s an everyday promise to build a more equitable and supportive future for all.

11/10/2025

We got together with our veterans at Downstate to honor and thank them for their service to our country. We salute their contributions to safeguarding the American Dream and strengthening our shared sense of purpose. Thank you to all our veterans.

11/10/2025

This Nurse Practitioner Week, Downstate proudly honors the essential role of nurse practitioners (NPs) and the care, compassion, and clinical excellence they bring to patients every day.

Since the first NP program began in 1965, the profession has grown to meet the evolving needs of our healthcare system—providing comprehensive care, preventing disease, and promoting wellness in communities across the nation.

At Downstate’s College of Nursing, our NP programs—offering DNP degrees and Advanced Certificates in Family and Women’s Health—prepare clinicians who deliver high-quality, patient-centered care where it’s needed most.

We celebrate our nurse practitioners for their dedication, leadership, and advocacy in building healthier communities.

11/10/2025

This Veterans Day, Downstate proudly honors those who have served—and continue to serve—in every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. We recognize your courage, sacrifices, and steadfast commitment to protecting the freedoms we hold dear.

Many veterans call Brooklyn home, and many are part of our Downstate community—retired service members, active-duty personnel, and those with family ties to the military. To our students, faculty, and staff who serve or have served: thank you.

Please join us in recognition by watching a special video featuring Clarence Bryant, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator in Emergency Medicine.



Watch here:

Veterans Day: Honoring Service, Sacrifice, and a Shared Humanity For Clarence Bryant, Veterans Day is a reflection on the enduring brotherhood and sisterhood...