The annual Crain’s New York Business Notable Health Care Leaders editorial feature profiles top health care leaders in administration, clinical, research, nursing, and more. Although the pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of society, no field was more immediately and wholly transformed than healthcare after COVID-19 struck New York.
Workers in all spheres of the industry—including physicians, medical technology developers, and insurance company executives—were forced to pivot, and they continue to adjust today. The sharpening focus on public and individual health crystallized imperatives such as widely accessible healthcare, responsive physician training, and ever-more-sophisticated technologies.
Crain’s recognizes 86 individuals who have helped New Yorkers and people worldwide lead healthier lives through their dedication, innovation, and sacrifice. Those making this Notable Health Care Leaders list come from hospitals, government agencies, tech startups, and related fields. The honorees are notable for their consummate leadership, pioneering accomplishments, and ability to adjust to crises. Moreover, all of them have demonstrated a commitment to mentoring.
Under Dr. Hillyer’s leadership, we continue to advance our mission and vision, doubling in size through mergers and acquisitions and optimization of our full portfolio of specialized blood products and services. Dr. Hillyer’s research has dramatically altered healthcare, including the way we collect cells used for bone marrow transplantation and transfuse patients with severe trauma, which led to a >80% improvement in survival. He also helped create sustainable transfusion services in seven countries in Africa, allowing extraordinary advancement in patient care for pediatrics, trauma, childbirth, cancer, and surgery in those countries. Some of his most recent accomplishments that helped garner this outstanding recognition include:
• Navigating our organization through significant challenges, including the recent pandemic and spearheading the nation’s efforts to supply convalescent plasma to COVID patients in need while facilitating COVID therapies and vaccine clinical trials.
• Championing NYBCe’s longstanding commitment to sickle cell patients, including meeting transfusion needs and developing new treatments for sickle cell complications , as well as novel strategies to help cure the disease through stem cell transplantation and gene therapy.
• Working to secure the New York City Council’s approval for the rezoning of Center East, forging a path to create the Center East Life Sciences Hub that will support innovation and the organization’s mission to provide blood and stem cell products to the community.
• Creating NYBC Ventures, the first and only venture fund solely focused on fostering innovation in blood and blood disease-related medicines and technologies.
Congratulations to Dr. Hillyer and all of this year’s honorees for their exceptional leadership that continues to advance lifesaving innovation and strengthen the health of the local, national, and global communities we serve.