NYC Health + Hospitals Significantly Improves Nurse Retention
NYC Health + Hospitals
New York, N.Y.
NYC Health + Hospitals has achieved a dramatic improvement in nurse retention, reducing its staff nurse turnover rate from 46% in 2019 to just 7.3% in 2025 — less than half the national average of 16.4%. This success has saved the public health system over $88 million in turnover-related costs this year alone. In 2024, the system hired more than 3,400 permanent nurses, replacing temporary staff and saving an additional $150 million in recruitment expenses. These efforts not only cut costs but also strengthened the continuity and quality of patient care by building a more stable, community-rooted workforce.
The organization attributes its progress to a comprehensive strategy focused on professional development and staff engagement. Key initiatives include the Nurse Residency Program, Clinical Ladder, Shared Governance, and specialized fellowships that support nurses from onboarding through career advancement. NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan also became the first health care organization globally to receive the ANCC’s new Pathway to Excellence with Distinction designation.
“Nurses are the heart of every hospital, and over the past few years we have been investing in initiatives to show our nursing workforce how important they are to us,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, M.D. “Today’s record-low nurse turnover rate shows that we are making NYC Health + Hospitals an exciting place for nurses to work and build their careers.”