By Tiffany Williams –
Brooklyn, N.Y. — For years, Idiatou Diallo moved through emergency rooms and doctors’ offices across Brooklyn with the same result: worsening pain, swelling, and no clear answers. At 27, the Brooklyn resident found herself cycling through misdiagnoses as her condition deteriorated, until her symptoms became impossible to ignore and her brother urged her to seek care at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn.
That visit marked a decisive break from what had come before. In the Emergency Department at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, Diallo was evaluated immediately, receiving blood work, imaging, and consultations with specialists. A biopsy soon confirmed advanced-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma, providing the clear diagnosis that had eluded her and allowing treatment to begin without delay.
“Everything moved quickly, and everyone took my situation seriously,” Diallo said. “I want more people to know that this level of care is available right here in Brooklyn.”
Diallo’s experience has unfolded alongside a broader transformation at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, which this month marks 10 years since its merger with the former Lutheran Medical Center. Hospital leaders point to measurable changes over that decade in quality, safety, and access to specialty care, particularly for patients facing complex or life-threatening illnesses in a borough with some of the highest levels of medical need in the country.
“Our focus over the last decade has been unwavering: improve quality, strengthen safety, and ensure Brooklyn residents can access world-class care close to home,” said Bret J. Rudy, MD, executive vice president and chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn. “Every investment and improvement we’ve made has been guided by what will best serve our patients and our community.”
Under Dr. Rudy’s leadership, the hospital’s mortality rate now ranks among the lowest in Brooklyn and nationally, a notable distinction in a borough with one of the nation’s highest Medicaid populations. More than 80 percent of patients discharged from the hospital are insured through Medicaid or Medicare, underscoring the hospital’s role as a safety-net institution for diverse communities. Patients relying on government insurance or lacking insurance entirely often face higher rates of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, factors that complicate hospital care and outcomes.
Since the merger, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn has reduced average lengths of stay, lowered readmission rates, and emerged as one of New York City’s higher-performing hospitals for patient safety and quality. A 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open found a 33 percent decline in mortality among patients hospitalized at the facility since the merger. The hospital also became the first in Brooklyn to earn Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recognizing sustained excellence in nursing practice and patient outcomes.
Expanded access to specialty care has been central to that transformation. The hospital has increased procedural and surgical volume, developed comprehensive oncology services through Perlmutter Cancer Center—Sunset Park, strengthened advanced cardiac and surgical programs, and maintained its Level 1 Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center. Since 2017, surgeries have increased by more than 20 percent, with on-time start rates exceeding 90 percent, part of a broader strategy to reduce the need for Brooklyn residents to seek specialized care elsewhere in the city.
Diallo felt the effects of those changes almost immediately after her diagnosis. She began chemotherapy at Perlmutter Cancer Center—Sunset Park under the care of Oscar B. Lahoud, MD, chief medical officer of NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn and a hematologist-oncologist at Perlmutter. Dr. Lahoud personally oversaw her treatment, coordinating a multidisciplinary team to respond to the urgency of her condition.
“Since joining NYU Langone, my vision has always been to bring advanced and innovative care to Brooklyn, so patients never have to leave the borough for treatment,” Dr. Lahoud said. “Cancer care requires more than treatment. It requires coordination, accessibility, and trust.”
Over six months, Diallo completed chemotherapy with ongoing monitoring and support from her care team, including patient navigators who helped manage appointments, imaging, testing, and transitions between inpatient and outpatient care. Dr. Lahoud has said her outcome reflects the importance of early intervention, coordinated cancer care, and consistent communication throughout treatment.
Now in remission for a little over a year, Diallo continues follow-up visits every few months. While she still experiences fatigue related to treatment, she has resumed many aspects of daily life and remains closely connected to the clinicians who treated her.
“Dr. Lahoud and the team at NYU Langone gave me hope when I didn’t have any,” Diallo said. “From the first day of chemotherapy, the nurses explained everything and made me feel comfortable and supported. I never felt like I was facing this alone.”
As NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn looks ahead, hospital leaders say the next phase will focus on expanding specialty services, strengthening patient navigation, and continuing infrastructure investments to meet the evolving needs of Brooklyn’s communities. For patients like Diallo, those changes have already translated into something tangible: timely answers, coordinated care, and the possibility of a future that once felt out of reach.