NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has celebrated a major milestone of 5,000 new registered nurses (RNs) trained through the Citywide Nurse Residency Program since its launch in 2019, putting thousands of New Yorkers on the path to fulfilling, family-sustaining careers.

As the nation’s first city-led nurse residency consortium, the program offers on-the-job training and other support to recently graduated, newly hired RNs. It has been implemented at over 28 healthcare facilities across the city and supported hospitals in training and retaining nurses — saving them millions of dollars — while also helping new nurses succeed in their early careers. The program has helped average nurse retention exceed 96 percent year to date at participating NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) campuses, far surpassing the national average of 84 percent.

This milestone marks the first stop on Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Tour,” continuing to create jobs and power New York City’s economic recovery after the city set an all-time record with 4.7 million total jobs, recovering all of the nearly 1 million jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program’s success also delivers on a delivering on a major health care component of Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Agenda” to support 30,000 current and aspiring nurses over the next five years as they enter the nursing workforce, stay in the profession, and climb the career ladder.

“As we continue to grapple with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re doing everything we can to bolster our health care system, and that starts with supporting the backbone of the industry: our nurses,” said Mayor Adams. “By providing hospitals with the resources they need to train and retain their nursing staff, our Citywide Nurse Residency Program has allowed us to make significant strides in improving health care for New Yorkers and making New York City work for working people. As we saw in 2020, nurses are essential to keeping New Yorkers healthy, and our investment to help nurses go from the classrooms to a hospital room will help keep New Yorkers healthy and prepared for the future.”

“Nurses are often the first people you see and one of the last with whom you interact when visiting the hospital or an outpatient setting,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “This residency program provides an important structure to support, attract, and retain the city’s nurses. Thank you to all our partners inside and outside government that make this work possible, and thank you to New York City’s nurses for supporting your fellow New Yorkers each and every day.”

“Nurses are the lifeblood of our hospital system. They helped restore and keep many more New Yorkers healthy and safe during one of the most perilous moments in our city’s history,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “As we celebrate recovering all jobs lost to the pandemic, there is no time more important to double down on our investments in the city’s human capital. The Citywide Nurse Residency program demonstrates the Adams administration’s commitment to this investment and to connecting New Yorkers to family-sustaining careers. I am honored to congratulate the 5,000-plus participants of the Citywide Nurse Residency program on a job well done.”

“In recent years, we have witnessed the extraordinary resilience of New York City nurses and the absolutely critical role they play in the well-being of New Yorkers and our city. The Citywide Nurse Residency Program not only values our nurses’ grit and tenacity, but also ensures supporting working nurses and their seamless transition from years of training into the workplace,” said Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development Executive Director Abby Jo Sigal. “Today’s milestone marking over 5,000 nurse residents to date shows how invested the city and this administration are in the health of New Yorkers, supporting our nurses and essential workers, and strengthening our city’s economy.”

First-year retention of newly graduated nurses has been a historical challenge for health care systems across the country — only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic — and residencies are a recognized best practice for improving nurse retention. Over 1,700 nurses in the 18 participating H+H campuses have completed the program since its launch, and the retention rate for nurses at these locations has increased by over 40 percent and surpassed the national average year to date. By reducing turnover rates and decreasing the costs associated with hiring and training new nurses, the program has saved private and public hospitals tens of millions of dollars.

An initiative of the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare and the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, and offered in partnership with the Greater New York Hospital Association, the Citywide Nurse Residency Program is proven to increase worker confidence, professional satisfaction, and retention. Stable, well-trained nursing professionals  contribute to better patient care and reduce hospitals’ costs associated with recruitment, particularly in a time of acute nursing shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is designed to last one year, consisting of monthly seminars and reflection time for a small cohort of first-time nurses from the same hospital — translating to better professional and emotional outcomes. The program also includes structured flexibility for hospitals to reinforce new nurses’ academic training and to customize training to a facility’s unique operational and cultural needs.

“The visionary Citywide Nurse Residency Program supported by the Adams administration and implemented by NYC Health + Hospitals has had an immense and immediate impact on nurse recruitment and retention, while at the same time saving our health system more than $42 million in recruitment cost avoidance,” said Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, senior vice president and chief nursing executive, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Nursing is one of the most rewarding and satisfying of all professions, but we recognize that it also can be demanding and stressful for those just emerging from nursing school. Nurse residency programs are a nationally recognized best practice for retaining nurses, and our pioneering program provides the mentorship and professional practice training that newly graduated nurses need to be able to confidently and competently be responsible for the health, safety, and well-being of our patients.”

“Through thick and thin, New York City depends on our almost 80,000 registered nurses and hundreds of thousands of other health care professionals who show up for their patients every single day,” said Daniel Liss, senior advisor, Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development, Industry Partnerships; and executive director, New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare. “We are incredibly proud of the early career nurses who participate in this program and the health care leaders across the city who make it a success — as the impact they make on our communities is immense. The Adams administration has made it a clear priority to invest in our city’s health care sector and its workforce, and the Citywide Nurse Residency Program is a great example of how the public and private sectors can work together to magnify our positive impact.”

“Health care is a human right, but not when there are not enough nurses to care for patients,” said New York City Council Member Lynn Schulman, chair, Committee on Health. “That is why the Citywide Nurse Residency Program, which provides career opportunities for New Yorkers and gives patients the essential care they need, is such a vital program. Today’s milestone of 5,000 newly registered nurses puts the city in the forefront of public health care.  Thank you to Mayor Eric Adams for initiating this important endeavor and for his stalwart commitment to the health outcomes of all who live, work and visit here.”

“The hospital community is grateful to New York City for developing the Citywide Nurse Residency Program, and to Mayor Adams for his strong continued support of it,” said Kenneth Raske, president, Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). “This important program helps new graduate nurses transition to hospital-based nursing across 28 hospitals and has vastly improved nurses’ confidence, skill, and retention. GNYHA applauds the Citywide Nurse Residency Program’s positive impact on early career nurses and is proud to have been a part of its development.”

“Nurses are the backbone of every hospital, not only taking care of patients’ needs but also acting as liaison between the patients and the doctors,” said Gloria Middleton, president, Communication Workers of America Local 1180. “With a huge nurse staffing shortage in New York and nationwide, it is imperative that we continue to train and recruit as many new nurses as possible in order to have safe staffing levels at every hospital. We also need to ensure that all nurses are adequately compensated for the invaluable work they do every day to save lives and provide quality care to patients.”

“Nurses are the backbone of patient care. We are thrilled to be part of the Citywide Nurse Residency Program, which will support this essential profession,” said Ken Gibbs, president and CEO, Maimonides Health. “This program provides invaluable career experience for nurse graduates, positioning them for success.”

“Health care is one of the largest industries in New York and the retention of newly graduated nurses is critical to meeting employer demand,” said Kiersten Barnet, executive director, New York Jobs CEO Council. “The residencies offered by this program help nurses successfully transition into good jobs and employers attract and retain the talent they need. The Jobs Council looks forward to continuing to partner with the Mayor’s Office, Greater New York Hospital Assocation, and New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare to bring more programs like this to life.”

“By investing in nurse residency programs, we invest in the health and well-being of our community,” said Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, chief nurse executive, senior vice president, Mount Sinai Health System Cardiac Services. “Nurses are the heart of health care, and through this program, we ensure that this heart beats with compassion, expertise, and resilience. As we celebrate reaching over 5,000 early career nurses, we’re not just celebrating numbers, but the lives they will touch and the difference they will make.”

“I firmly believe the nurse residency program shaped me into the nurse I am today,” said Shari Lazar, RN, OBH, Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center. “The support and training I received throughout that first year taught me how to react properly and gave me the confidence to stand on my own in any situation.  It gave me the skills and fine-tuned my critical thinking to be a team player and react calmly in all medical emergencies no matter what comes my way. I am honored now to take those valuable lessons and share them with the new nurses that I am grateful to be training.”

“The Citywide Nurse Residency Program exemplifies our city’s unwavering dedication to supporting our health care workforce and improving patient care for every New Yorker,” said Wilhelmina Manzano, MA, RN, NEA-BC, group senior vice president and chief nursing executive, NewYork-Presbyterian. “We are proud to collaborate with this outstanding program and support new graduate nurses as they develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.”

“We are honored to celebrate with the New York City Mayor’s Office and the New York Alliance for Careers in Healthcare to recognize 5,000 nurses who completed the Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program. Recognizing the unwavering commitment and ongoing pursuit of knowledge by these vital health care professionals is a noteworthy accomplishment, celebrating their dedication to delivering optimal patient care,” said Evy Olson, MSN, MBA, RN, vice president, Nursing Programs at Vizient. “Nurse residency programs are critical in helping newly licensed nurses transition into practice effectively, ultimately contributing to the well-being of the community, the health care organization, and the patients under their care.”

“The Nurse Residency Program provided structured support and opportunities for me as a new nurse,” said Wendy Zhao, MSN, staff nurse, at NYC Health + Hospitals, South Brooklyn Health and graduate of the Citywide Nurse Residency Program. “My team’s project poster won first place at the 2022 American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet and Pathway to Excellence Conference. I entered the residency program as an associate’s degree nurse, and I emerged from it with my bachelor’s degree; this past summer, I completed my master’s degree in Nursing Education, receiving top nursing honors from the College of Nursing at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. The early encouragement and lessons in evidence-based practice and research from the residency program were major contributors to my success.”

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NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today was joined by New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties, Blackstone, elected officials, and community leaders to break ground on Sunset Pier 94 Studios — a first-of-its-kind film and TV campus coming to Manhattan’s West Side.

Leveraging $350 million in private investment, the project is expected to create more than 1,700 jobs, including more than 1,300 construction jobs, add $6.4 billion to the local economy over the next 30 years, as well as adding new public restrooms, significant public space and bike safety improvements, and a new workforce development program to connect New Yorkers. The start of construction represents major progress on a site sitting vacant, where efforts to advance a project creating jobs and public open space have stalled for more than a decade.

The start of construction on Sunset Pier 94 Studios marks a major stop on Mayor Adams’ “Working People’s Tour,” continuing to create jobs and power New York City’s economic recovery after the city set an all-time job record with 4.7 million total jobs, recovering the nearly 1 million jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project at Pier 94 also delivers on key initiatives in Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s “Making New York Work for Everyone” action plan, which recommended new investments to build on the city’s status as a hub for film and TV — driving both the city’s economy and its cultural and creative identity.

“New York City didn’t set an all-time jobs record by accident — we did it by strategically protecting public safety, investing in public space, and supporting and delivering for working people. This project at Pier 94 will do all three, and we are excited to bring our ‘Working People’s Tour’ to the West Side,” said Mayor Adams. “Sunset Pier 94 Studios will bring a major private investment to this public asset, activating this long-vacant space to create good-paying jobs, vibrant public space, and exactly the amenities this community has been asking for.”

“After breaking New York City’s all-time record for jobs, our administration forges ahead to ensure our economy remains the most competitive in the world and is accessible to all New Yorkers. Sunset Pier 94 Studios is part of our inclusive growth strategy and will cement New York City as the capital of world-class film and television production,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “I want to thank NYCEDC, Vornado, Hudson Pacific, and Blackstone for working quickly to reach this major milestone.”

“It was only a few months ago that we announced this exciting new public-private partnership that’s going to bring jobs and a huge economic boon to the film and television industry here in New York City, and we are already breaking ground,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Kimball. “This is a huge milestone for the city and all our partners, and we are looking forward to cutting the ribbon on Manhattan’s first film, television, and content production facility, along with the significant improvements to the public realm and waterfront access on the West Side of Manhattan.”

“Congratulations to NYCEDC and partners on today’s milestone groundbreaking of the Sunset Pier 94 Studios, which is poised to become a major contributor to New York City’s film and television production industry,” said Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Pat Swinney Kaufman. “With an economic impact of $82 billion and a role in supporting 185,000 jobs, it is easy to say that when our city’s film and television industry thrives, New York City thrives. Welcome Sunset Pier 94!”

Sunset Pier 94 Studios will be a first-of-its-kind space, home to state-of-the-art film, television, and content production technology that will make New York City even more competitive with other cities. Sunset Pier 94 will also provide impressive amenities for all New Yorkers to enjoy, including new public restrooms for Hudson River Park, an 1,850-square-foot community amenity space, 25,000 square feet of waterfront open space on the pier, and safety improvements to the existing greenway. There will also be a program to support workforce development and training programs to connect residents to opportunities in film, television, commercial and other media production.

The project represents a total investment of approximately $350 million from Vornado, Hudson Pacific, and Blackstone. The project construction will utilize $183 million in construction financing led by RBC with expected completion by the end of 2025.

New York City’s film and TV industry has grown significantly over the last decade, supporting 185,000 jobs, generating over $18 billion in wages, and contributing more than $82 billion in economic impact. After struggling during the pandemic, the city’s arts and entertainment sector continues to show positive momentum in its jobs recovery — growing nearly 16 percent between May 2022 and May 2023 and recovering nearly 46,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic. The new Writers Guild of America labor contract, reached in September, represents continued progress for the sector, with a new contract for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists hopefully soon to follow.

“The swift commencement of construction on Sunset Pier 94 Studios is representative of the strength of this public-private partnership and the demand we anticipate for the first purpose-built studio facility in Manhattan,” said Victor Coleman, chairman and CEO, Hudson Pacific Properties. “We know the local entertainment industry is hungry for a modern, ideally located production facility and we look forward to delivering and operating this unique project to meet those needs.”

“Today, alongside our partners, we celebrate breaking ground at Sunset Pier 94 Studios, which will further cement New York City as a leading market in content creation,” said Nadeem Meghji, head of real estate Americas, Blackstone. “We look forward to the productions this project will enable, the jobs it will create, and the benefit it will have on the surrounding area — a win-win-win.”

“Sunset Pier 94 Studios is a tremendous project for New York City that will generate new jobs, while further beautifying the Hudson River waterfront,” said Michael Franco, president and chief financial officer, Vornado Realty Trust. “Our collective willingness and ability to move forward despite the challenging financial markets is a testament to our confidence in the promise of creating such a dynamic new product in Manhattan.”

“Sunset Pier 94 represents a significant investment in New York City’s film and television industry and one of the most important public amenities in Manhattan, the Hudson River Park,” said New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “I’m grateful to NYCEDC, Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties, and Blackstone for this innovative collaboration that will both create jobs and improvements to the park, as well as workforce development and training programs to help connect our local residents to opportunities in film and TV.”

“Sunset Pier 94 Studios heralds a new era for artistic production in our borough. This investment in Manhattan as a hub of the entertainment industry and a talented workforce will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our economy,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “The public benefits and workforce development initiatives that will be part of this project demonstrate the Sunset Pier 94 Studio’s team commitment to everyday New Yorkers. I look forward to seeing this project come online.”

“Manhattan Community Board 4 applauds the transformation of Pier 94,” said Jeffrey LeFrancois, chair, Manhattan Community Board 4. “The project will be a boon for film and television production and brings great improvements to Pier 94 for the public: additional space to Hudson River Park’s Clinton Cove, restrooms, and significant improvements for cyclists and pedestrians. It took a long time to get where we are, and the community looks forward to a speedy, efficient, and effective construction process.”

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NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has announced that the City has set a record high for the total number of both public and private sector jobs in city history, with 4,709,400 total jobs.

According to new data released by the New York State Department of Labor, with this milestone, the city has regained all of the 946,000 private sector jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic — surpassing the previous record of 4,702,800 total jobs set in January 2020 — and marked a new phase in its economic recovery.

Just 22 months into Mayor Adams’ tenure, the landmark moment in New York City’s recovery comes more than a year ahead of Independent Budget Office estimates and just 17 months after the administration released its “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery.” New Yorkers interested in taking the next step in their career through a new job, training, or education can visit the city’s Jobs Ready NYC website.

“In the earliest days of this administration, our team was laser-focused on two connected goals: making New York City safer and accelerating our economic recovery. Today, not only do we continue to be the safest big city in America with overall crime continuing to trend down, but we have also fully recovered from a pandemic that left many counting New York City out by setting an all-time record for total jobs in the five boroughs — an achievement once predicted to take until 2025 or later,” said Mayor Adams.

“This was no accident. It was the result of smart investments in public safety, a dedication to our public spaces and streetscapes, policies to allow businesses to grow, a new approach to workforce and talent development, and an unwavering commitment to the working people of this city. But our work will never be complete until these employment opportunities are shared equitably by New Yorkers in every community.

“This is a watershed moment for the city,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “Mayor Adams’ economic agenda has powered an historic economic recovery, and we have now recovered the nearly 1 million private sector jobs that were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New York: New York City administration organized a virtual conference to explore possibilities to ensure access to halal food for the Muslim students at the city’s public schools.

New York City Public Schools Senior Executive Director Office of Food and Nutrition Services and Office of Ethnic and Community Media Executive Director Jose Bayona hosted the conference to discuss access to halal food in New York City Public Schools.

Welcoming the conference participants, Jose Bayona said the event is aimed at discussing the possibilities about access to halal food in public schools and we want people from all communities to express their views on this issue.

Chris Tricarico, executive director of the Food and Nutrition Office, who participated in the conference, said that the effort we started in 2018 is successful today and we currently have 88 schools that have been certified, and all these schools have a halal menu that is served to the children.

On this occasion, the participants of the conference also asked questions, while giving answers, Executive Director Chris Trecarico said that we are seriously considering the requests of students regarding halal food and we must ensure that we provide halal food to Muslim students in schools.

Chris said that we have some schools that are still in the process of certification.

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New York: Dr. Mariam Shaikh, a Pakistani Information Group Officer who served as Counselor Press at Pakistan Mission from July 2020 till August 2023 has been selected as an Advisor- Digital and social media to work in the team of 78th President of the United Nations General Assembly.

As per details, Dr. Mariam Shaikh has been offered a role in the core team assigned with the responsibility to develop and implement the President’s social and digital media strategy due to her outstanding work and capabilities.

In existing practice, only officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were considered in the past , that too, on a secondment basis, supported by their government. Member States lobby hard to get their candidates selected by the PGA on a secondment basis.

Fortunately, Pakistan is among the few members states whose officer has been selected on priority by the president with support from the president’s fund.

Based on her competence, Dr. Mariam’s candidature to the President of the General Assembly was considered for recruitment to the United Nations Secretariat.

In the office indicated (OPGA-78) , H.E Mr. Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago from one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is the current president of the General Assembly.

Dr. Mariam Shaikh has been given permission to join the offered role on a deputation basis under Civil Servants (Service in International Organizations).

During her tenure as Counselor Press, Dr. Mariam Shaikh was known for her extraordinary performance that includes successful media coverage and promoting the narrative  of Pakistan at the United Nations, especially during annual UNGA, flood exhibition, securing chairmanship of Committee on Information for Pakistan.

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