NYC Health + Hospitals and NYC Department of Veterans’ Services Partner to Connect Veterans and Their Families to Benefits
New partnership gives veteran patients, staff, community members, and their immediate family members direct access to benefits advisors who can help them navigate VA claims and secure the benefits they have earned
Aug 27, 2026
New York, NY – NYC Health + Hospitals today announced a new partnership with the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) to expand access to benefits assistance for veterans and their immediate family members across New York City. Through the partnership, eligible New Yorkers will be able to connect directly with trained benefits advisors who can help them navigate the VA claims process, access the benefits they have earned through their service, and connect with resources that support their health and well-being. Veteran patients, NYC Health + Hospitals staff, community members, and their immediate family members can now schedule one-on-one time with a NYC Department of Veterans’ Services benefits advisor via Outlook. Benefits advisors can provide individualized support to help veterans and their families better understand the benefits available to them, navigate the claims process, and identify resources that can support their financial security, health, and overall quality of life.
“Supporting the health of our veterans means looking beyond the walls of our facilities and helping them access the resources they have earned,” said Dr. Shannon Freeman, Senior Director of Disability, Accessibility, and Veterans Services at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Through this partnership with the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services, we are making it easier for veterans and their families to get personalized guidance, navigate the benefits process, and ultimately live their healthiest lives. This is another important step in NYC Health + Hospitals’ commitment to expanding support for all New Yorkers, including those who have served.”
“Veterans and their families should not have to navigate the benefits process alone,” said NYC Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner Yesenia Mata. “This partnership allows us to bring DVS benefits expertise directly to more New Yorkers, meeting veterans where they already receive care, work and connect with their communities. By making that support easier to access, we can help more veterans and families understand their options and secure the benefits they have earned.
The partnership builds upon NYC Health + Hospitals’ continued efforts to create a more inclusive and accessible health care system for veterans. By connecting veterans and their families with benefits expertise through DVS, the health system is helping address needs that can directly impact health and well-being, including financial stability, housing, education, employment, and access to care.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
NYC Health + Hospitals: pressoffice@nychhc.org
NYC Department of Veterans’ Services: connect@veterans.nyc,gov
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal 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 MetroPlusHealth —all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the NYC Department of Veterans’ Services
The NYC Department of Veterans’ Services’ mission is to connect, mobilize, and empower New York City’s Veteran community to foster purpose-driven lives for U.S. military service members— past and present—and their caregivers, survivors, and families. We assist NYC Veteran community members on issues including employment, housing, food security, wellbeing, benefits, culture, and targeted advocacy. For more information about DVS programs and services, please visit www.nyc.gov/vets, call (212) 416- 5250, or email connect@veterans.nyc.gov.