U.S. News & World Report's most recent Best Hospitals 2018-2019 survey ranked New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery as the No. 1 hospital in the U.S. for orthopedics for the tenth successive year.
Here are seven key spine and orthopedic updates at HSS in 2019 so far.
1. In October, the hospital appointed Harvinder Sandhu, MD, and Andrew Sama, MD, as the new co-chiefs of HSS Spine. The pair succeed Frank Schwab, MD, who will transitioned to a chief emeritus role and continue to practice at the hospital
2. HSS Sports Medicine Institute is opening a new 66,000-square-foot facility in west Manhattan that will include exam rooms, diagnostic imaging, outpatient ORs, sports performance and a rehabilitation center.
3. The hospital acquired a low-dose, 2D/3D orthopedic imaging system for HSS Westchester in White Plains, N.Y., in July. It is the fourth imaging system HSS purchased, and the first that is not on its main campus.
4. HSS awarded the former chief of its foot and ankle department, Jonathan Deland, MD, its lifetime achievement award. Dr. Deland is a foot and ankle surgeon at HSS, as well as the Susan W. Rose and Jonathan T. Deland Chair for Research in Foot and Ankle Surgery.
5. HSS became the presenting partner of the Mets Academy — a baseball training facility in the Dominican Republic. HSS will provide preventive, educational, performance and consulting services to benefit the club's Latin American prospects.
6. The hospital installed virtual reality surgical training software to assist with orthopedic surgery residency training. The Osso VR system is designed to allow orthopedic surgeons to practice knee, hip and spinal procedures. Orthopedic residents are using the system in the simulation lab to practice before operating on cadavers.
7. HSS dedicated the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Complex Joint Reconstruction Center in February. The center's mission is to provide joint replacement and reconstruction patients a single access point for coordinated care.