HOW TO SERVE LEGAL PAPERS ON NEW YORK CITY HEALTH AND HOSPITALS CORPORATION

How to Serve Legal Papers on New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation — operating publicly as NYC Health + Hospitals — is not the City of New York and is not a NYC Charter agency. It is a public benefit corporation created under Chapter 1016 of the Laws of 1969, governed by Section 20 of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Act. Service of process routes to the Office of Legal Affairs, Claims & Litigation Division, 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004 — or by email at [email protected]. It does not route to the New York City Law Department (Corporation Counsel) at 100 Church Street, which accepts service for City Charter agencies — FDNY, NYPD, the Department of Correction, and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene — but does not accept service for HHC. The 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) and General Municipal Law § 50-e runs against the unserved corporation while counsel’s papers sit at the wrong building.

HHC operates the largest municipal public health care system in the United States: 11 acute-care hospitals, 5 skilled nursing facilities, and more than 70 patient-care locations across the five boroughs, with more than 40,000 health care professionals, under the leadership of President and CEO Mitchell H. Katz, MD. HHC’s subsidiaries MetroPlusHealth and Correctional Health Services (CHS) are served at 50 Water Street under HHC Act § 20. The NYC Department of Correction and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are separate City Charter agencies served through Corporation Counsel — outside the HHC Act § 20 framework. This page covers service for civil litigation against the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, MetroPlusHealth, Correctional Health Services, and individual HHC clinicians in personal capacity. Maimonides Health — three Brooklyn hospitals and 80+ community sites — is pending integration with NYC H+H; until that closes, Maimonides remains a separate private nonprofit and is not served as an HHC entity.

Call (800) 774-6922 before your 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) closes.

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Why Serving the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Is Difficult

Don’t Serve Corporation Counsel — Serve the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street

HHC is a public benefit corporation under Section 20 of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Act — not a NYC Charter agency. Practitioners who default to the City-as-defendant routing pattern and send papers to Corporation Counsel at 100 Church Street find them refused. Corporation Counsel accepts service for FDNY, NYPD, the Department of Correction, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and other Charter agencies under NYC Charter § 396 — it does not accept service for HHC. Civil litigation against HHC routes to the HHC Office of Legal Affairs, Claims & Litigation Division, 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Email service is accepted at [email protected] — accepting service on behalf of HHC, the President and CEO Mitchell H. Katz, MD, MetroPlusHealth, and Correctional Health Services. The 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) and GML § 50-e runs against the unserved corporation while counsel’s papers sit at the wrong address.

Plead the 30-Day or 40-Day Demand Allegation Required by HHC Act § 20(1)

Section 20(1) of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Act imposes a complaint-pleading prerequisite distinct from the 90-day Notice of Claim. The complaint must allege that a demand was presented to a director or officer of the corporation AND that the corporation neglected or refused to make an adjustment within the prescribed period — 30 days for direct service at 50 Water Street under HHC Act § 20(1); 40 days for service through the Secretary of State at the New York Department of State Customer Service Counter in Albany, under GML § 53 and General Construction Law § 66. Counsel selects the service path and drafts the demand allegation; the process server’s gps-verified affidavit anchors the elapsed-period calculation to a verifiable delivery timestamp. This pleading requirement is a procedural prerequisite in addition to, not a substitute for, the 90-day Notice of Claim under § 20(2). A complaint missing the 30-day or 40-day demand allegation is dismissable on motion regardless of the merits.

File the Notice of Claim Within 90 Days — the Continuous-Treatment Trigger Matters in Malpractice Cases

HHC Act § 20(2) imports GML § 50-e in full. The 90-day Notice of Claim clock runs against HHC for personal injury, property damage, and most tort claims. For medical malpractice — approximately 900 Notices of Claim annually — the continuous-treatment doctrine governs when the clock begins: the 90 days run from the malpractice date OR the last date of related treatment at an HHC facility, whichever is later. Approximately 65% convert to lawsuits; approximately 1,600 are in active litigation at any given time. A late Notice may be cured by motion under GML § 50-e(5) within the 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations, but that relief is purely discretionary and a denial bars the suit. Missing the 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) without securing leave to file late bars the suit against HHC entirely.

Wrongful Death Claims Route Through Public Authorities Law, Not General Municipal Law

HHC Act § 20(2) carves wrongful death actions out of GML § 50-e and routes them to Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9, which has its own notice-of-claim provisions and time limitations. The notice form, deadlines, and procedural requirements under Title 11 Article 9 can differ materially from a parallel personal injury claim. When the same incident caused both injury and death, counsel may need both tracks simultaneously — personal injury under GML § 50-e (imported by HHC Act § 20(2)) and wrongful death under Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9 (carved out by HHC Act § 20(2)). Undisputed Legal delivers whatever papers counsel directs to 50 Water Street; counsel characterizes the claim. A wrongful death claim filed only under GML § 50-e — without compliance with Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9 — risks dismissal on the wrongful death cause of action even if the personal injury claim survives.

Don’t Confuse HHC Subsidiaries with Separate City Agencies

Three confusions recur in HHC service-of-process matters. First, MetroPlusHealth is an HHC insurance subsidiary — MetroPlus litigation routes to HHC at 50 Water Street under HHC Act § 20, not to a separate insurance regulator or the City. Second, Correctional Health Services (CHS) is an HHC operational unit delivering medical and behavioral health care to people in NYC custody — CHS is part of HHC, not the Department of Correction. A medical-negligence claim against a CHS clinician routes to HHC at 50 Water Street; a custody-conditions claim against DOC routes to Corporation Counsel under NYC Charter § 396. Third, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is a separate NYC Charter agency served through Corporation Counsel at 100 Church Street — not part of HHC. A pleading captioning DOC, DOHMH, or the City of New York alone — when the underlying conduct is HHC’s — does not toll the 90-day Notice of Claim window against HHC, and serving Corporation Counsel does not constitute service on HHC.

NYC H+H service-of-process matters resolve at the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor — not at 100 Church Street, not at any individual HHC hospital facility. The statutory window runs from the date of injury without exception. Undisputed Legal delivers the moment counsel provides written direction.

Our Process for Serving NYC Health + Hospitals

Undisputed Legal is a service-delivery logistics provider for NYC H+H civil matters. We deliver documents prepared by counsel to the address counsel specifies. The steps below mark where the line falls.

1. Intake. Counsel transmits the prepared papers with instructions identifying the named defendant, delivery address, and service method. Whether the target is HHC, a subsidiary, or an individual clinician is counsel’s determination. We do not classify which entity is the correct named defendant. We do not evaluate whether the 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) / GML § 50-e has been satisfied. We do not assess whether the § 50-h pre-suit examination has been completed as a condition precedent. We do not determine whether a claim falls under the wrongful death carve-out routed to Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9. We do not advise on the 30-day versus 40-day demand allegation under HHC Act § 20(1). We do not track the 90-day Notice of Claim window, the 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations, or any other deadline as a compliance service. We do not review pleadings for sufficiency, completeness, or jurisdictional adequacy. We do not interpret HHC Act § 20, GML § 50-e, GML § 50-h, GML § 53, CPLR, FRCP, or 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for clients.
2. Verification of destination. We confirm the destination office, hours, and intake requirements for the address counsel has directed. The HHC Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor accepts service during standard business hours. The New York Department of State Customer Service Counter in Albany accepts service weekdays 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM; $250 statutory fee required. For individual-capacity federal claims, the server confirms the clinician’s address per counsel’s direction. We do not determine which destination is correct.
3. Dispatch. A licensed New York process server experienced with the HHC Office of Legal Affairs intake at 50 Water Street is assigned. Server credentials are current under New York State licensing requirements.
4. Delivery — in-person, email, or Albany. The server delivers per counsel’s explicit instructions: in-person to the HHC Office of Legal Affairs, Claims & Litigation Division, 50 Water Street, 17th Floor; by email to [email protected] with documented timestamp; or to the New York Department of State Customer Service Counter, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12231, with the $250 statutory fee for Secretary of State service under GML § 53. Method selection is counsel’s decision. We do not select between delivery tracks.
5. GPS-verified affidavit. At delivery, the server records GPS coordinates and timestamp. The affidavit reflects the precise address, date and time, the name and title of the accepting party for personal delivery, and the method of service. All NYC H+H assignments include gps-verified affidavit of service.
6. Notarized return. The affidavit is notarized and returned to counsel within the applicable turnaround — 3–7 business days for routine service, 24–48 business hours for rush, same business day for confirmed orders placed before noon. Counsel tracks applicable statutory deadlines.
7. Filing assistance. At counsel’s request, Undisputed Legal delivers the affidavit to the designated court clerk. Counsel directs court, docket, and filing deadline. We do not advise on forum selection, jurisdictional choice, or whether the matter belongs in NY Supreme Court or federal district court.

Process servers experienced with HHC’s 11-hospital network and the public-benefit-corporation service framework deliver civil papers to 50 Water Street — not to 100 Church Street, not to 1 Centre Street, and not to individual hospital facilities.

Where to Serve NYC Health + Hospitals

HHC Act § 20 governs service on the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation — not CPLR § 311(a)(2). The table below identifies correct and incorrect service destinations.

Service to a DOES NOT ACCEPT location does not toll any statutory window.

Compliance Requirements for Serving NYC Health + Hospitals

HHC Act § 20(1) — The 30-Day or 40-Day Demand Allegation

Courts strictly enforce the demand-allegation prerequisite under HHC Act § 20(1). The complaint must allege a demand was presented to a director or officer of the corporation AND the corporation neglected or refused to make an adjustment within the prescribed period — 30 days for direct service at 50 Water Street, and 40 days for service through the Secretary of State under GML § 53. Counsel prepares the demand and drafts the complaint allegation — a procedural prerequisite in addition to the 90-day Notice of Claim under HHC Act § 20(2). The process server’s gps-verified affidavit anchors the elapsed-period calculation to a verifiable delivery date and time. A complaint missing the demand allegation under HHC Act § 20(1) is subject to dismissal on motion regardless of the merits.

General Municipal Law § 50-e — The 90-Day Notice of Claim (Imported by HHC Act § 20(2))

Courts strictly enforce General Municipal Law § 50-e Notice of Claim filings within ninety days under HHC Act § 20(2). For personal injury and most tort claims against HHC, the Notice of Claim is a condition precedent to suit — the 90-day window runs from injury or accrual, not the date of discovery or counsel’s retention. For medical malpractice, the continuous-treatment doctrine extends accrual to the last date of treatment for the malpractice-related injury at an HHC facility. A late Notice may be cured by motion under GML § 50-e(5) within the 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations, but that discretion is purely discretionary. HHC Act § 20(2) routes the Notice to the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor — not the NYC Comptroller at 1 Centre Street. Undisputed Legal delivers per counsel’s direction.

General Municipal Law § 50-h — Pre-Suit Examination as Condition Precedent

Courts strictly enforce the General Municipal Law § 50-h pre-suit examination as a condition precedent to filing the complaint under HHC Act § 20(2). The § 50-h examination must be completed — or a reasonable period for scheduling must have elapsed — before the complaint is filed. A complaint filed before the § 50-h requirement is satisfied may be dismissed for failure to fulfill the pre-suit condition precedent. Counsel schedules and attends the § 50-h examination; Undisputed Legal delivers any written demand or response per counsel’s direction. The § 50-h examination runs on a separate track from service, but virtually all HHC claims — tort, malpractice, wrongful death — are subject to this pre-suit protocol under HHC Act § 20(2).

Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9 — The Wrongful Death Carve-Out

Courts strictly enforce the wrongful death notice requirements under Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9, imported by HHC Act § 20(2) — the notice form, deadlines, and procedural requirements can differ materially from a parallel personal injury claim under GML § 50-e. HHC Act § 20(3) specifies venue: in New York City, the county where the cause of action arose, or New York County if the cause arose outside New York City. When the same incident caused both personal injury and death, counsel may need dual-track compliance under GML § 50-e and Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9. Undisputed Legal delivers whatever papers counsel directs to 50 Water Street; we do not classify whether a claim is personal injury, wrongful death, or a combination.

This page describes service-of-process logistics for New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation matters. It does not constitute legal advice. Consult licensed counsel regarding HHC Act § 20 statutory interpretation, claim viability, deadline calculation, the 30-day-versus-40-day demand allegation, the wrongful death carve-out, and procedural strategy.

How Do I Serve Legal Papers on New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation?

State-law tort and personal injury claims against HHC require a Notice of Claim at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, under HHC Act § 20(2) importing GML § 50-e, within 90 days of injury or accrual. A § 50-h pre-suit examination is a condition precedent before the complaint is filed. After § 50-h is satisfied, the summons and complaint are served at 50 Water Street with the complaint alleging 30 days elapsed under HHC Act § 20(1). The 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations cannot be extended. Undisputed Legal delivers both the Notice and the summons and complaint per counsel’s direction.

Medical malpractice claims follow the same HHC Act § 20 framework but the continuous-treatment doctrine governs the 90-day Notice of Claim accrual trigger — the clock runs from the malpractice date or the last related treatment at an HHC facility. Approximately 900 Notices of Claim are filed against the System annually; approximately 65% convert into lawsuits, with approximately 1,600 active malpractice matters in litigation. Undisputed Legal delivers to the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street — not to any treating facility.

Wrongful death claims route through a separate track under Public Authorities Law Title 11 Article 9, as carved out by HHC Act § 20(2) — with notice provisions and time limitations distinct from GML § 50-e. When the same incident caused personal injury and death, both tracks may require simultaneous compliance. Undisputed Legal delivers whichever papers counsel directs to 50 Water Street; we do not determine whether a claim is personal injury, wrongful death, or a combination.

Federal claims against HHC — including 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for constitutional violations by HHC personnel acting under color of state law — route to the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, under FRCP 4(j)(2). HHC Act § 20 is the controlling state-law statute; 50 Water Street is the designated intake. Individual HHC clinicians sued in personal capacity under § 1983 are served at their residence or place of employment under FRCP 4(e).

Individual-capacity claims against HHC clinicians route service to the clinician at their residence or place of employment under FRCP 4(e) — neither 50 Water Street nor any HHC hospital is a substitute. Counsel confirms the employment status and service address; Undisputed Legal delivers per counsel’s written instruction. Where both corporate and individual tracks are named, both operate simultaneously.

Service via the Secretary of State under GML § 53 and General Construction Law § 66 routes to the NY Department of State Customer Service Counter, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12231, weekdays 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM; $250 statutory fee. The complaint must allege 40 days elapsed since the demand under HHC Act § 20(1). Counsel selects the method; we deliver per counsel’s direction. Call (212) 203-8001 or Order Service Now for NYC H+H service-of-process across all claim tracks.

Pricing — New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation Service

All service levels include gps-verified affidavit of service. Secretary of State service at Albany under GML § 53 is a separate order; $250 statutory fee applies. Individual clinician service is billed per clinician.

Frequently Asked Questions About Serving NYC Health + Hospitals

What Is the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation?

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation is a public benefit corporation under Chapter 1016 of the Laws of 1969, operating as NYC Health + Hospitals — 11 hospitals including Bellevue, Jacobi, Kings County, and Lincoln, 5 skilled nursing facilities, and 70+ patient-care locations. Because HHC is a public benefit corporation, not a NYC Charter agency, civil litigation routes to the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, under HHC Act § 20 — not through Corporation Counsel at 100 Church Street.

Where Is the HHC Office of Legal Affairs Located?

The HHC Office of Legal Affairs, Claims & Litigation Division, accepts civil service at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Email service is accepted at [email protected]. Service at an individual HHC hospital or at Corporation Counsel is refused for HHC matters. For Secretary of State service under GML § 53: New York Department of State Customer Service Counter, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12231 — $250 statutory fee.

Is NYC Health + Hospitals the Same as the City of New York for Service Purposes?

No. HHC has its own independent legal identity as a public benefit corporation under Chapter 1016 of the Laws of 1969 — it is not the City of New York. Service routes to 50 Water Street under HHC Act § 20, not to Corporation Counsel at 100 Church Street or the NYC Comptroller at 1 Centre Street. CPLR § 311(a)(2) does not apply to HHC. The 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations cannot be extended by the court. Practitioners who serve Corporation Counsel find their papers refused and their windows running.

How Do I File a Notice of Claim Against NYC H+H?

A Notice of Claim against HHC is delivered to the Office of Legal Affairs, 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, within 90 days of injury or accrual under HHC Act § 20(2) importing GML § 50-e. For medical malpractice, the continuous-treatment doctrine governs the accrual trigger. A late Notice may be cured by motion under GML § 50-e(5) within the 1-year-and-90-day statute of limitations, but that relief is purely discretionary. All delivery includes gps-verified affidavit of service.

How Do I Serve a Federal Claim Against NYC H+H?

Federal claims against HHC — including 42 U.S.C. § 1983 — route to the Office of Legal Affairs at 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, under FRCP 4(j)(2); HHC Act § 20 is the controlling state-law statute. Individual HHC clinicians sued in personal capacity are served at their residence or place of employment under FRCP 4(e). Undisputed Legal delivers per counsel’s direction for each track.

How Do I Serve an Individual HHC Clinician in Personal Capacity?

An individual HHC clinician sued in personal capacity is served at the clinician’s residence or place of employment under FRCP 4(e) — neither 50 Water Street nor any HHC hospital is a substitute address. Counsel confirms the clinician’s employment status and service address; Undisputed Legal delivers per counsel’s written instruction. Where both corporate and individual-capacity claims are named, corporate service at 50 Water Street and FRCP 4(e) personal service operate simultaneously.

What Happens If I Serve Papers at Corporation Counsel for an HHC Matter?

Service delivered to Corporation Counsel at 100 Church Street for HHC litigation is refused — Corporation Counsel accepts service for City Charter agencies but not for HHC. The 90-day Notice of Claim window under HHC Act § 20(2) continues to run. HHC has no notice of a case where papers were delivered only to 100 Church Street. Courts strictly enforce public-benefit-corporation service requirements. Re-service at the Office of Legal Affairs, 50 Water Street, 17th Floor, is required without exception.

How Does the Pending Maimonides Health Integration Affect Service?

Maimonides Health — three Brooklyn hospitals and 80+ community sites — is pending finalization of its integration with NYC H+H, announced December 29, 2025, with a target before April 1, 2026. Until the integration closes, Maimonides remains a separate private nonprofit; service follows private-nonprofit rules, not HHC Act § 20. Do not serve Maimonides matters at 50 Water Street or [email protected] until counsel confirms the integration has closed.