SUNY Downstate

01/07/2026

The January 6, 2026 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!

01/05/2026

Welcoming the First Baby of 2026 at University Hospital at Downstate

University Hospital at Downstate (UHD) proudly welcomed its first baby of 2026 on January 1 at 10:17 p.m.

Baby Jamael, a healthy baby boy, marked a joyful and symbolic beginning to the new year for his family and for the entire Downstate community.

The birth of the first baby of the year holds special meaning at UHD. It represents renewal, hope, and the trust Brooklyn families place in Downstate to provide compassionate, high-quality care at life’s most important moments.

Jamael’s birth also highlights the dedication of UHD’s obstetrics team, nurses, midwives, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and support staff, whose patient-centered care ensures families feel supported and confident during one of the most significant experiences of their lives.

We thank our UHD care team for exemplifying Downstate’s values of service, excellence, and community partnership.

We wish baby Jamael and his family a future filled with health, happiness, and promise.

01/05/2026

As we welcome the start of a new year, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude and admiration to Downstate and our community.

As we embrace 2026, may it bring you health, happiness, and success in all your endeavors.

12/23/2025

Warm Kwanzaa Wishes from Downstate

From December 26 to January 1, Kwanzaa invites us to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and rich heritage of African American culture—traditions that have shaped Brooklyn and our nation in profound ways. In a borough where cultures from around the world coexist, Kwanzaa stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of community, heritage, and passing values from one generation to the next.

Families and communities mark Kwanzaa through drumming, storytelling, shared meals, and the lighting of the Kinara. Each evening honors the Nguzo Saba—unity, self-determination, purpose, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, creativity, and faith—principles that resonate deeply in Brooklyn and strengthen our communities every day.

To all who celebrate, we wish you a meaningful and joyful Kwanzaa. May this season deepen your connection to culture and community and inspire a New Year grounded in unity, purpose, and hope.

12/23/2025

Merry Christmas from Downstate

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ—a reminder that light has entered the darkness and that hope, compassion, and renewal are always possible. It is a season that proclaims God’s closeness to humanity and the promise of healing, peace, and love.

During this Christmas season, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to every member of the Downstate community. Your dedication has shaped students, cared for patients, strengthened neighborhoods, and carried our mission forward. You live out the message of “peace on earth, goodwill toward all” through your compassion, service, and care.

May this Christmas bring you a quiet moment to rest, reflect, and recognize the profound impact of your work—at Downstate and far beyond our campus walls.

For all who are celebrating, Merry Christmas! May the season bring comfort, joy, and peace to you and your loved ones.

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!