New York-Presbyterian Hospital is one the most comprehensive university hospitals in the world, with leading specialists in every field of medicine on staff.  New York Presbyterian is composed of two renowned medical centers, the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, and is affiliated with two Ivy League medical institutions, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and Weill Medical College of Cornell University.  In the 1980's, Mr. Costella acted as Owner's Representative /Assistant Director for Modernization on behalf of the Medical Center.

This $350 million building program involved 740,000 total square feet, 646,000 square feet of new construction and 94,000 square feet of interior renovations.  Starting in 1984 and completed in 1989, the project resulted in the demolition of older buildings, excavation and construction for the new ten-level Milstein Hospital.  The first three levels contain departments such as the Entrance Lobby, Clark Conference Center, Admitting, Emergency, Imaging, Dentistry, Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Records, Ambulatory Services, Operating Rooms (12), Ambulatory Recovery Rooms and Inpatient Recovery Rooms.  The next three levels contain Operating Rooms (10), a Recovery Room, Anesthesia Unit, Cystoscopy Suite, Neuropathology Unit, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (12 beds), Surgery/Anesthesia ICU (16 beds), Neurological ICU (12 beds), STAT Lab, Oncology, Medical ICU (18 beds), and Coronary ICU (18 beds). The top four levels contain Inpatient Medical/Surgical, Nursing Units, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery.  The ninth, and top patient care floor, contains the McKeen Pavilion with private restaurant. The tenth floor houses the Mechanical Units (MEP). The new facility is connected to the existing Hospital at the second, third, fourth and tenth floor levels by steel and glazed bridges.

Milstein Hospital's super-structure assembly in 1986. In the background of the Milstein Hospital is the George Washington Bridge, which connects the upper west side of Manhattan with New Jersey.