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Cristina Contreras and Christopher Roker Appointed CEOs of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
Feb 26, 2021
Mitchell Katz, MD, NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO, today announced the appointment of two health system executives to new positions. Cristina Contreras, Executive Director of NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx will be promoted to CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in East Harlem. Christopher Roker, who is CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, will serve as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx. In these roles, Contreras and Roker will help lead the hospitals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and support the public health system’s mission to guarantee affordable and high-quality care to Bronx and Manhattan residents. Roker will continue to serve as the health system’s Chief Growth Officer. Christopher Mastromano will remain Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. The appointments are effective April 1, 2021.
“I’m proud that two such talented and committed NYC Health + Hospitals veterans are taking the helms of these critical hospitals,” said Dr. Katz. “Cristina and Chris embody the health system’s mission of delivering care to any New Yorker who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay. Finally, I want to thank outgoing NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln CEO Milton Nuñez for his years of service to the hospital and the Bronx community. He will be missed.”
“As a longtime member of the NYC Health + Hospitals family, it’s an honor to assume the leadership of one East Harlem’s finest community hospitals,” said Contreras. “The amazing health care heroes at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan have played a critical role in responding to the health care needs of this community before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I look forward to building on this success as we transition to a new normal.”
“I am excited to transition to NYC Health + Hospital/Lincoln and continue the great work that my predecessor began,” said Roker. “Lincoln hospital is an essential public institution with a long history of providing equal access to quality health care services to the diverse community of the South Bronx. I look forward to working with the skilled and compassionate health care professionals there to continue the lifesaving work they do every day, and I am eager to work with community leaders and stakeholders to continue advancing the hospital’s essential mission.”
“I want to congratulate Cristina Contreras and Christopher Roker on their new roles in the NYC Health + Hospitals system,” said José A. Pagán , PhD and NYC Health + Hospitals Chair of the Board. “They are committed to the mission of the health system and have exemplified this in their current leadership roles. I am certain that they will bring their expertise and compassion to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan hospital.”
“Cristina Contreras and Christopher Roker have proven track records of commitment to the patients and communities they serve,” said Sally B. Hernandez-Piñero, NYC Health + Hospitals Board Member. “These two leaders are familiar with the public health system and can hit the ground running at both hospitals. I know that Cristina and Chris will work closely with the health care heroes at each facility, and further engage the community to ensure that their patients are living their healthiest life.”
Cristina Contreras has broad experience in health care management of inpatient, ambulatory, clinical, and ancillary services. In September 2020, she was named Chief Strategy Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, while keeping her title as Executive Director for NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. Contreras earned a BA in Social Work from Herbert H. Lehman College in 1995. That same year, she began her career within NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island as a caseworker. Contreras earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Fordham University in 2001 and a second Master’s degree in Public Administration from Baruch College in 2008. She is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives, the Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives, and the local Community Board 7, where she chairs the Health Committee.
Christopher Roker is an operational expert focused on building, growing, and improving the profitability, performance, and value in organizations with a leadership style that fosters teamwork and motivates staff. He has served as NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens CEO from 2016 to 2019. In 2019 he became the CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan. Prior to NYC Health + Hospitals, Roker held leadership positions at The MetroHealth System in Ohio, St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, and The Parkway Hospital in Queens. Mr. Roker holds a BA from the State University of New York at Oswego, an MBA from Pace University, certificate in Healthcare Leadership Advancement from Cornell University, and completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for Healthcare.