Ms. Contreras serves as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, a level 1 trauma center with one of the busiest emergency departments in the nation, within the country’s largest municipal healthcare system. She began her career as a caseworker and progressed through positions of increasing responsibility before her appointment as CEO in 2024. Across more than 30 years of leadership in public healthcare, Ms. Contreras has delivered financial turnarounds, measurable quality and safety improvements, expanded access in high-need communities and national recognition for equity and excellence. She is recognized for creating an organizational culture grounded in authenticity, kindness and transparency, and as a champion of her team’s wellbeing. Under her leadership, the hospital earned the American College of Surgeons “National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Meritorious Award” in 2024 as one of only 76 hospitals in the nation to receive the distinction, along with full Joint Commission accreditation including specialized programs for palliative care and advanced perinatal care. Ms. Contreras previously served as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan in New York City and held progressive leadership roles at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx. She serves on the NYU School of Public Service advisory board and presented at the 2025 American College of Healthcare Executives Annual Congress.
