Since 2015, Dr. Sylvie de Souza has served as Chair of The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC)’s Department of Emergency Medicine where she oversees emergency care for more than 70,000 patients annually. She is a member and Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

Dr. de Souza graduated from CUNY in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Sciences and Mathematics, earned her medical degree from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 1989, and first joined The Brooklyn Hospital Center as an intern in that same year. After completing her residency training in emergency medicine, she became a member of TBHC’s Emergency Department team as an attending physician and faculty. Since then, Dr. de Souza has held numerous leadership positions, has been actively involved in resident education, pre-hospital care education as the first medical director of TBHC’s ambulance service, and served on a multitude of Emergency Department and Hospital Committees, including Clinical Service, Quality and Patient Safety, Code Blue, Credentialing & Privileging, Emergency Management, Operations, and Graduate Medical Education.

Dr. de Souza led the Stroke Committee which helped TBHC achieve its accreditation as a Stroke Center. A few years later, she enrolled TBHC in the “Mission Lifeline” program of the American Heart Association for the treatment of cardiac emergencies and eventually developed the activation policies and processes that led to TBHC’s designation as a STEMI-PCI Cardiac Center. Both programs have since received accolades and awards from the American Heart and Stroke Associations several years in a row for outstanding care. She also led the workgroup responsible for earning TBHC’s FDNY designation as a “Therapeutic Hypothermia Center.” She has been actively involved in emergency preparedness and disaster management, participating in efforts since 9/11, spearheading the responses during hurricane Sandy, the Dekalb subway station and Atlantic Terminal train derailments, large scale events at the Barclays Center and Citifield, and during the H1N1 crisis which led to her receiving an “H1N1 Hero” award from NYC DOH for her outstanding service. When the opioid epidemic became a national emergency, she developed, in collaboration with TBHC’s Pharmacy department, protocols for an “opiate-free” emergency department, an innovative initiative that earned recognition in the local press.

As the daughter of a career diplomat from Benin – where she spent her early childhood years – and a teacher from France, Dr. de Souza developed passions for public service, compassionate healing and mentoring the doctors of tomorrow. Thanks to her international upbringing and mastery of multiple languages, including French and Spanish, she possesses the unique ability to connect with patients across all cultures and backgrounds.

Dr. de Souza remains active in the New York City Department of Health Medical Reserve Corps. She resides in New York City with her husband and son.