Becker’s Hospital Review Recognizes Three NYC Health + Hospitals Nursing Leaders on 2025 “CNOS To Know” List
NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Nursing Executive Natalia Cineas, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings County Chief Nursing Officer Opal Sinclair-Chung, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan Chief Nursing Officer Christopher G. Wilson are recognized on the CNOs To Know List for their commitment to shaping the future of patient care
Jan 16, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Nursing Executive Natalia Cineas, NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings County Chief Nursing Officer Opal Sinclair-Chung, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan Chief Nursing Officer Christopher G. Wilson are recognized on the “CNOs To Know List” for 2025. The annual recognition list highlights the outstanding CNOs who drive nursing strategy, address workforce and budgetary challenges, and build strong professional development pathways for the next generation of nurses. Beyond overseeing nursing operations, these executives lead innovative initiatives that elevate care quality and clinical excellence, blending deep clinical expertise with executive leadership to support nurses and advance healthcare across their organizations. Becker’s Healthcare is the go-to source for healthcare decision-makers and one of the fastest growing media platforms in the industry.
“Being named a CNO To Know by Becker’s Hospital Review is a tremendous honor and a meaningful recognition for strengthening nursing practices across the system through innovation and patient-centered care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals CNE Natalia Cineas, DNP, MSM-N, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FADLN. “It motivates me to continue serving with dedication and compassion while striving every day to deliver the highest quality care for all New Yorkers.”
“The future of healthcare depends on investing in our nursing workforce, through mentorship, innovation and a relentless focus on quality and patient outcomes.” said NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings County CNO Opal Sinclair-Chung. “I am truly honored to be included on the list alongside so many inspiring nursing leaders.”
“It is an incredible honor to be named among the Becker’s CNOs To Know List,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan Chief Nursing Officer Christopher G. Wilson. “CNOs play a critical role in aligning clinical excellence with operational strategy, ensuring nurses have the resources they need to lead meaningful change at the bedside and beyond.”
Natalia Cineas is Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive at NYC Health + Hospitals. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare from Northern Arizona University’s W.A. Franke College of Business, a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from George Washington University, a Master of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stony Brook University. Cineas serves as adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing. In 2021, she was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the most significant milestones in a nurse leader’s career, in which their accomplishments are honored by colleagues within and outside the profession; she currently serves on the Academy’s Fellow Selection Committee and previously served on the Health Equity Panel. In 2024, she was named an Inaugural Distinguished Fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, a new fellowship program to recognize, support, and promote the astounding work that has been done to diversify the nursing profession by advancing health equity, creating anti-racism policies, and strengthening antiracism healthcare practices in an intentional way.
Opal Sinclair-Chung is the Chief Nursing Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. Sinclair-Chung has received multiple leadership awards for her work as CNO at NYC Health + Hospitals, including the prestigious “Sloan Public Service Award” from the Fund for the City of New York. She currently leads the nursing workforce at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, the largest municipal hospital in Brooklyn and a level 1 trauma center. Under her leadership, Kings County became the first hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. and the second in New York City to achieve “Pathway to Excellence” designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Additionally, her nursing staff from the medical ICU, cardiac care unit and neonatal ICU received gold and silver “Beacon” awards in 2024 from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Sinclair-Chung is committed to developing effective policies and procedures that foster highly engaged team members, prioritizing patient experience and quality outcomes.
Christopher G. Wilson, MSN, RN. is the Chief Nursing Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan. Wilson oversees nursing and patient care services at a 338-bed academic community hospital, including nursing, advanced practice nursing, radiology, laboratory, social services, respiratory care, behavioral health, creative arts therapy and pastoral care, with additional oversight of behavioral health regulatory improvements. Under his leadership since 2022, the hospital earned multiple national recognitions, including “GOLD Beacon Awards” from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for both the neonatal ICU and adult ICU, the Emergency Nurses Association “Lantern Award” for the emergency department, Baby-Friendly re-designation, Safe Sleep GOLD redesignations, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses centers of excellence and “Pathway to Excellence with Distinction,” making the organization the first in the world to achieve that distinction. Operationally, he reduced agency staffing by more than 95% while converting at least 60% of agency nurses to permanent roles, opened a new inpatient unit and an inpatient psychiatric unit, and reduced hospital-acquired pressure injury and catheter-associated urinary tract infection by more than 75%. RN turnover declined from 28.54% in 2022 to 2.26% in 2025, supported by a rebuilt education department that expanded from two educators to 14 and accelerated recruitment of RNs and nurse leaders. Wilson has earned multiple state and professional honors for nursing best practices and inclusive leadership.
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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 plan—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.
