From immigrant daughter to hospital CEO, Helen Arteaga Landaverde shares her remarkable journey from translating her father’s leukemia diagnosis as a young girl to leading one of New York’s most vital hospitals with courage, purpose, and heart.
In this deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Helen joins host Ron to reminisce about their NYU days in the 1990s, when two first-generation college students bonded over late nights, campus activism, and dreams that felt far beyond their reach. Today, Helen stands as the CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst as the first woman and first Latina to lead the 192-year-old institution. Her story begins in an Ecuadorian immigrant household in Queens, where ten family members shared one bathroom but never felt poor, surrounded by love and determination.
A defining moment came when Helen’s father fell gravely ill, and a young Helen found herself translating life-altering medical news for her mother — an experience that exposed the inequities of healthcare and ignited her lifelong mission. Decades later, she leads the very hospital where her father passed away, transforming it from a symbol of loss into a beacon of healing and equity. During the pandemic, Elmhurst became a global emblem of resilience, developing protocols adopted worldwide. Under Helen’s leadership, the hospital has raised over $140 million, expanded women’s and pediatric services, and redefined what compassionate, community-centered healthcare looks like.
Helen’s insights extend far beyond medicine, touching on leadership, cultural identity, and perseverance. She speaks candidly about facing bias as a Latina leader, about turning pain into purpose, and about the quiet power of everyday acts of kindness. For Helen, success means staying rooted in community and using every challenge as fuel to make life better for someone else.
Tune in to hear how Helen Arteaga Landaverde transformed hardship into healing, proving that true leadership begins where compassion meets conviction.
Chapters
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00:40 Meet Helen Arteaga Landaverde and Her Journey from Ecuador to CEO
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01:21 Ron Shares His Publishing Journey
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02:14 Helen’s Early Life and Family Struggles
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04:09 Overcoming Adversity and Helen’s Path to Leadership
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24:55 Pride in Transforming Elmhurst Hospital
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25:43 Leadership and Transformation During the Pandemic
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27:27 Fundraising Success and Technological Advancements
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29:10 Community Connections and Personal Stories
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35:22 Challenges in Modern Healthcare
Links
Episode 66
