ASTORIA – Mount Sinai Queens will be able to purchase new MRI and CT scan machines, thanks to a $3 million allocation secured by Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council’s Queens delegation. 

This builds upon a long-standing partnership between the City Council and the Astoria hospital, which has undergone unprecedented expansion. Such investments couldn’t come at a more crucial time, as the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need to invest in hospital space and personnel. 

“Mount Sinai Queens saved my life and the lives of many western Queens residents because it puts the health of this community above everything else,” said Council Member Costa Constantinides, District 22. “This crisis shows we must expand and build more hospital space in the boroughs, today is a first step in making that happen. These MRI and CT scan machines will embolden medical professionals to save lives. I want to thank Speaker Corey Johnson, my colleagues in the Queens Delegation, led by Council Member Karen Koslowitz, and Mount Sinai Queens for their continued partnership.” 

“Queens appreciates all of the work that Mt. Sinai has done and continues to do, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Council Member Karen Koslowitz, Chair of the Queens Delegation. “We are happy to allocate these funds to them.”

“We are incredibly grateful to Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Costa Constantinides, along with the entire Queens delegation, for supporting Mount Sinai Queens’ ability to provide comprehensive services to Queens residents,” said

Caryn A. Schwab, Executive Director, Mount Sinai Queens. “The expansion of our Imaging services with an additional MRI and CT scanner will improve access to care and enhance the patient experience. This equipment is critical in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of a broad range of diseases including cancer care.”

Mount Sinai Queens is just one of two health facilities that serves western Queens along with Elmhurst Hospital. It saw some of the worst of COVID-19’s impact on New York City, where Queens became the hardest-hit borough. Mount Sinai Queens worked with the City to meet the demands and treat as many patients as possible with care and dedication. 

That’s thanks in part to the investments the City Council has made in conjunction with Mount Sinai. Last summer, hospital leadership and Constantinides opened the state-of-the-art Cerebrovascular Stroke Center, which received $1.8 million from the City Council. More information is available online: https://council.nyc.gov/costa-constantinides/2017/06/06/245/.

Council Member Costa Constantinides represents the New York City Council’s 22nd District, which includes his native Astoria along with parts of Woodside, East Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. He serves as the chair of the City Council’s Environmental Protection Committee and sits on three additional committees: Sanitation, Resiliency, and Technology.

For more information, visit council.nyc.gov/costa.