Brooklyn Hospital Center bigwigs celebrated the medical center’s 175th anniversary with an Oct. 2 award ceremony honoring 10 extraordinary women for their outstanding contributions to Kings County — included former Fox 5 news anchor Sukanya Krishnan, New York Public Library COO Iris Weinshall, and Schneps Media President and Publisher Victoria Schneps.
“The founding of Brooklyn Hospital was deeply intertwined with the founding of Brooklyn as we know it today, and the ideas and vision of the hospital are still reflective of the city as a whole,” said Vice President of Development, Debbie Niederhoffer. “Because of that, we decided the hospital’s anniversary shouldn’t just celebrate the hospital itself. It should celebrate the people who made Brooklyn this incredibly unique borough.”
The event — which was held in the Brooklyn Navy Yard — was the third in an ongoing award series aptly named “175th Anniversary Medalists,” which aims to celebrate the hospital’s anniversary, as well as Kings County’s best and brightest, according to one hospital executive.
“There were so many levels of people getting to know and to recognize one another,” said Niederhoffer. “Some of the honorees were long term friends…It was lovely to see some of the people who make Brooklyn great mingling together.”
Founded as the borough’s first voluntary hospital in 1845 — 24 years before work began on the Brooklyn Bridge — the Brooklyn Hospital Center evolved throughout the decades to meet the needs of the borough’s growing population.
The hospital also housed Brooklyn’s first nursing school in 1880, and today services nearly 300,000 patient visits a year.
To help celebrate its 175th anniversary, the hospital center is holding a number of awards ceremony at different locations throughout the borough in an effort to spotlight the local businesses, owners, and entrepreneurs that helped shape Kings County.
Hospital honchos chose the Navy Yard venue as tribute to Deirdre Quinn, the CEO and Co-Founder of fashion vendor Lafayette 148 — who recently moved the company’s main corporate offices from Manhattan to the Brooklyn manufacturing complex, and joined The Brooklyn Hospital Center’s board of trustees.
“One of the things that attracted me to Brooklyn was its remarkable diversity,” said Quinn. “The tapestry of fabrics and flavors that make up Brooklyn were mirrored in tonight’s honorees.”
