Monica Hidalgo (pronouns she, hers, ella) has dedicated her career to education and public health. After college, she taught Science and Anthropology to children ages 3-7 and their caregivers in the Science and Nature Program of the American Museum of Natural History. As part of the Museum’s outreach work, she also taught science essons in Spanish at the Goddard Riverside Headstart program and led professional development trainings on Science and Museum Education for teachers. She is grateful that she learned how to teach and become an inquisitive learner by studying in the halls of the AMNH.

In 2002, she was hired at Bard High School Early College – a collaboration between Bard College and the New York City Department of Education that allows students to earn their Regents high school diploma and Associate’s Degree in four years. Her last charge at BHSEC was as director of the Admissions Department. In this role she led the school’s admissions process, including recruitment, to select a 9th grade cohort that represented the socioeconomic diversity of New York City. During her tenure at BHSEC,
she assisted with the creation and implementation of the BHSEC Early College Academy – an academic enrichment program that prepared public middle school Students from District 1 for admissions to the Early College.

Ms. Hidalgo joined NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) in 2009 as program manager of the Lang Youth Medical Program (Lang Youth), which was started by the late philanthropist Eugene Lang. Lang Youth is a medical pipeline youth development program that recruits students in the 6th grade from public middle schools in Washington Heights and Inwood who have an interest in the health sciences. It was at NYP that Monica was introduced to public health, and she commenced a new professional trajectory. After four years overseeing Lang Youth, she became program director in the Division of Community and Population Health. In this position she developed, oversaw, and grew a diverse portfolio of evidenced-based community programs that leveraged the hospital’s resources to improve the health outcomes of the communities it serves. She has extensive experience not only in program development, implementation, and sustainability, but also in leadership and hospital operations.

In her current role as Corporate Director of Community Affairs, Ms. Hidalgo is responsible for standardizing and implementing the community relations and engagement strategy across NYP’s 10 campuses. She cultivates, maintains, and supports the Hospital’s relationships with community-based organizations, elected officials, and community leaders in New York City and Westchester County. She develops strategies to help improve the health and well-being of the communities surrounding NYP’s campuses and advises on internal policies related to Government and Community Affairs. Monica also co-chairs NYP’s LGBTQ+ Task Force, which was established to ensure this community receives comprehensive and equitable treatment.

Ms. Hidalgo holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from New York University and a master’s degree in Policy and Education from Columbia University Teachers College. She was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and immigrated to the United States at the age of four with her mother, later followed by her father and brothers. She was raised in Washington Heights, where she proudly resides with her two children.