David Silvestri, Appointed Systemwide Assistant Vice President Of Emergency Management

NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the appointment of David Silvestri, MD, MBA, MHS as systemwide Assistant Vice President of Emergency Management. In this role, Dr. Silvestri will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing emergency and disaster response systemwide, including the ongoing COVID-19 efforts.

Dr. Silvestri, an emergency medicine physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, has served in various leadership roles within the Office of Quality & Safety and Office of Ambulatory Care since his arrival to the public health system in 2019.

“Dr. Silvestri has proven his capabilities and commitment to our public health system through the COVID-19 pandemic, earning his new role as emergency management director,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “David was a key player in our pandemic response, expertise and passion he’ll surely carry into strengthening and preparing our system for other threats – from weather-related disasters to other dangerous pathogens – while continuing to provide direct patient care at Lincoln.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that a system’s ability to respond to a threat is only as strong as it’s preparedness. Our public health system is fortunate to have incredible public health, emergency management, and special pathogens experts that worked together far before the pandemic reached NYC, which in turn helped save thousands of lives,” said Dr. Silvestri. “I look forward to working more closely with these experts at every level of our resilient health system, promising continuity of high-quality care to all New Yorkers even through the most challenging of disasters and threats our city might be faced with in the future.”

“Dave embodies the mission-driven clinical leader who works tirelessly to make a difference for our 1.2 million patients,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer Eric Wei MD, MBA. “He has embraced every challenge thrown at him – from working clinically in a number of our emergency departments during the COVID-19 pandemic, to streamlining transitions of care, to optimizing utilization management. I’m confident Dave’s leadership will steer our system through the rest of this pandemic and prepare us for whatever might come next.”

David Silvestri, MD, MBA, MHS has served in numerous leadership capacities since joining NYC Health + Hospitals in 2019. Under the Office of Quality & Safety and Office of Ambulatory Care, Dr. Silvestri has led several systemwide initiatives to strengthen transitions of care and access to follow-up after emergency department and hospital discharge.

He’s also served as the system’s Medical Director for Utilization Management, overseeing utilization management strategy and improvement activities for the system. Dr. Silvestri practices regularly as an emergency physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Silvestri played a leading role in NYC Health + Hospitals’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including advancing personal protective equipment policies, surge response and level-loading operations, and system surveillance strategy.

Dr. Silvestri graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, completed his Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Business Administration at Vanderbilt University, residency at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, and post-doctoral health services and policy research fellowship training at Yale University in the National Clinician Scholars Program.

He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha, and Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Societies, and has authored over two-dozen peer-reviewed academic publications.

Dr. Silvestri replaces Dr. Laura Iavicoli who is transitioning as Deputy Chief Medical Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst.

NYC Health + Hospital

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs.

A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals.

Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible.

For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org