NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Earns Eight-Year National Accreditation for Pharmacy Residency Program
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists recognizes Bellevue Hospital's commitment to clinical excellence, pharmacy education, and developing the next generation of healthcare professionals
Oct 23, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced that its Postgraduate Year One Pharmacy Residency Program has received an eight-year accreditation from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the organization’s full accreditation term, extending through 2034.
The accreditation follows a comprehensive review of the program’s clinical training, educational structure, and adherence to nationally established standards for postgraduate pharmacy education. The achievement reflects Bellevue Hospital’s commitment to preparing highly skilled pharmacists to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centered care.
“This accreditation is an important recognition of Bellevue Hospital’s commitment to excellence in both patient care and clinical education,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Executive Officer Eric Wei, MD, MBA. “As a public academic hospital, we have a responsibility not only to care for New Yorkers today, but also to prepare the healthcare professionals who will serve our communities for generations to come. I am proud of our Pharmacy team for achieving this milestone.”
Bellevue Hospital’s 52-week Postgraduate Year One (PGY1) Pharmacy Residency Program provides advanced clinical training across a range of specialties, including internal medicine, emergency medicine, critical care, infectious diseases, and ambulatory care. Residents work alongside interdisciplinary care teams, contribute to medication safety and quality improvement initiatives, and participate in research, teaching, and professional development.
The program prepares pharmacists to manage complex medication therapies, strengthen patient safety, and pursue advanced clinical practice or specialized postgraduate training. At Bellevue Hospital, residents gain experience caring for one of New York City’s most diverse patient populations in a major public academic medical center.
“The strongest hospitals don’t just recruit talented people; they develop them,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Chief Operating Officer Erfan Karim, MPH. “At Bellevue Hospital, our pharmacists are essential to delivering safe, coordinated care for patients with complex needs. This eight-year accreditation recognizes the rigor of our residency program and the dedication of the Pharmacy team who teach and mentor our residents. It also reflects our commitment to building the clinical workforce that New Yorkers will depend on for years to come.”
The accreditation followed an ASHP survey conducted in May 2026. The ASHP Board of Directors accepted the Commission on Credentialing’s decision in September 2026, granting the program an eight-year accreditation term through 2034.
“This achievement reflects the dedication of our residency leadership, clinical preceptors, and pharmacy staff who work every day to provide an exceptional educational experience,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Deputy Chief Pharmacy Officer Beverly Morgan, PharmD. “Our residents develop the clinical knowledge, critical-thinking skills, and professional confidence needed to become effective members of the healthcare team. We are proud to have our program recognized through this rigorous national accreditation process.”
The PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program is led by Andrew Straznitskas, PharmD, BCCCP, Residency Program Director, with support from Bellevue Hospital’s clinical pharmacy specialists, preceptors, and multidisciplinary care teams.
“Earning the maximum eight-year accreditation term as the first pharmacy residency program within NYC Health + Hospitals is a testament to the dedication, collaboration, and expertise of our entire Pharmacy team,” said Andrew Straznitskas, PharmD, BCCCP, Residency Program Director at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “Our goal is to prepare residents to think critically, make evidence-based clinical decisions, and provide the highest quality of care to patients with complex medical needs. We are proud to train the next generation of pharmacists in an environment that values collaboration, continuous learning, and patient safety.”
ASHP accreditation is a nationally-recognized process for evaluating pharmacy residency programs against established standards for postgraduate training. The eight-year accreditation further strengthens Bellevue Hospital’s role as a center for clinical education, professional development, and healthcare workforce advancement.
For more information about Bellevue Hospital’s PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program, visit NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Pharmacy Residency Program.
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MEDIA CONTACT: BellevuePublicRelations@nychhc.org, 212-562-4516
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue is America’s oldest public hospital, established in 1736. Affiliated with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the 851-bed hospital is a major referral center for highly complex cases, with 6,000 employees including highly skilled, interdisciplinary clinical staff. The hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and annually it sees about 110,000 emergency room visits, and more than 520,000 outpatient visits. Clinical centers of excellence include: Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care; Cardiovascular Services; Bariatric Surgery; Designated Regional Perinatal Center and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; Children’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program; and Cancer Services. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/bellevue and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
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.