NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Launches Mystery Patient Program to Strengthen Avian Flu Preparedness across Health Care Facilities
Free, voluntary program helps hospitals test and strengthen real-time infectious disease response
Apr 28, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced the launch of a voluntary “Mystery Patient” program designed to help health care facilities strengthen their readiness to respond to potential cases of avian influenza (H5N1) and other high-consequence infectious diseases. As part of the program, trained clinical evaluators acting as patients present unannounced to participating facilities with symptoms and exposure histories consistent with avian flu. These exercises simulate real-world conditions and are designed to test a facility’s ability to rapidly identify, isolate, and inform appropriate infection control teams and public health authorities.
The Mystery Patient program is available to hospitals, emergency departments, and ambulatory care settings across Region 2, which includes New York, New Jersey, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Bellevue Hospital is home to the Region 2 Regional Emerging Special Pathogens Treatment Center (RESPTC).
“Bellevue Hospital’s decades of experience at the forefront of infectious disease and public health preparedness position us to lead with both expertise and innovation,” said Eric Wei, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. “This program reflects how we continue to evolve that leadership — helping health care systems translate knowledge into real-world readiness.”
Bellevue Hospital’s Special Pathogens Program has led outreach to health care systems across HHS Region 2 to offer participation in the program. Hospitals and healthcare facilities may opt in and complete an initial consultation to align on protocols and expectations prior to evaluation. The program is offered at no cost, providing facilities with expert-led assessment, actionable feedback, and training support without financial barriers.
“Partnership and preparedness are central to all of the work that we do,” said Vikramjit Mukherjee, MD, Chief of Critical Care and Chief of the Special Pathogens Program. “By working alongside facilities that choose to participate, we are helping ensure that when a high-risk patient presents, teams are ready to respond quickly, safely, and effectively.”
“This program reflects the kind of proactive, real-world readiness we strive for across all care settings,” said Andrew Wallach, MD, Chief of Ambulatory Care and Special Pathogens Program Steering Committee Member. “By giving facilities the opportunity to test their protocols in a safe and supportive way, we can strengthen frontline response, reinforce best practices, and ultimately improve patient and staff safety.”
Each drill is conducted in real time within clinical settings and typically lasts up to two hours, beginning when the simulated patient enters the facility and concluding at the point of initial evaluation and escalation of care protocols. Healthcare facilities interested in participating can contact BellevueSPP@nychhc.org to learn more and schedule an initial consultation.
The program evaluates critical components of infectious disease preparedness, including:
- The speed and effectiveness of patient identification through screening and triage
- Implementation of infection control measures, including masking and isolation
- Adherence to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols
- Clinical assessment of exposure risk and symptoms
- Timely notification of infection control teams and public health authorities
- The overall patient experience during the encounter
These elements reflect nationally aligned preparedness priorities and are essential to ensuring health care systems can safely manage potential cases of H5N1 and other emerging infectious diseases.
Following each exercise, participating facilities receive a detailed After-Action Report and Improvement Plan, outlining strengths, identifying opportunities for improvement, and providing targeted recommendations. Facilities may also receive additional training and guidance to address identified gaps. Importantly, the program is designed as a collaborative, non-punitive quality improvement initiative, focused on strengthening systems and supporting frontline staff, not evaluating individual performance.
Bellevue serves as the HHS Region 2 Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center and is one of three institutional leaders of the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center. Learn more about the HHS Region 2 RESPTC at www.R2RESPTC.org.
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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 103,000 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 https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/locations/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.