On Thursday, May 8, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Special Assistant to the Borough President Yvonne Graham greeted health care professionals at Borough Hall for a salute to Brooklyn nurses in recognition of National Nurses Week. Representatives from several hospitals and health care organizations were on hand, including Lutheran Medical Center, Long Island College Hospital, Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, Cobble Hill Health Center, Visiting Nurses Regional Health Care System and Preferred Health Partners.

“As anyone who has ever been in a hospital knows, nurses and nurse technicians are the backbone of our health care system,” says BP Markowitz. “With the funding and staffing challenges facing every medical institution in America, nurses’ roles have never been more critical.”

The event was inspired by Brooklyn Technical High School student Diana Cheung, a volunteer at Lutheran Medical Center’s Emergency Department who wrote the Borough President’s Office requesting a special day for nurses. “Everyday, these nurses work to save lives and their efforts are not always recognized,” says Cheung. “Yes, the doctors provide the mechanics to better health but it’s the nurses who provide the warmth, care and comfort that patients need.”