Hospital For Special Surgery

Description

HSS Mission
The Mission of Hospital for Special Surgery is to provide the highest quality patient care improve mobility and enhance the quality of life for all and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery rheumatology and their related disciplines through research and education We do this regardless of race color creed sexual orientation or ethnic origin

HSS Vision
The Vision of Hospital for Special Surgery is to lead the world as the most innovative source of medical care the premier research institution and the most trusted educator in the field of orthopedics rheumatology and their related disciplines

HSS Values
Excellence HSS is an institution of excellence and shall meet and exceed the expectations of all those we serve We set and adhere to the highest standards possible for all that we do

Integrity HSS shall maintain the highest levels of personal and professional
conduct We shall always conduct ourselves in an ethical and honest manner

Compassion HSS shall provide a friendly caring environment where the patient
comes first We shall deliver compassionate care treating patients and
families with respect and dignity

Respect We pledge respect for the diversity of traditions and cultures
within our organization and the broader community we serve We will maintain
an environment that encourages fair treatment and equal opportunity

Teamwork HSS will foster collaboration and cooperation among individuals and
departments We will work together as a team and treat each other with
respect

Quality Quality in all aspects of health care delivery is of the utmost
importance We will work together to continuously improve our standards of
care and our clinical outcomes

Safety HSS will strive to maintain safe clinical and physical environments
for patients staff and physicians

Innovation We value new ideas HSSs clinical research and educational
efforts will be directed toward innovation in the identification prevention
and treatment of orthopedic and rheumatic diseases and conditions

Education We are committed to the professional growth and development of
staff and to the education of patients and the community

Efficiency HSS will strive to operate efficiently and cost effectively while
maintaining the highest standards of care We will fulfill our mission only
if we successfully manage our financial and other resources

History

Timeline
1863 Dr James A Knight SurgeoninChief The Hospital for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled is founded with the support of Robert M Hartley of the New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled

In 1863 New York was a burgeoning city of 800000 Then as now its diverse population was marked by extremes of wealth and poverty With little access to lifesustaining work and medical care growing numbers of poor New Yorkers especially the lame and deformed had little hope of improving their lot in life

With the philanthropic efforts of Robert M Hartley Dr James A Knight a general practitioner from Maryland founded a new institution to meet the needs of this unfortunate group of patients On April 13 1863 the Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled was incorporated in the State of New York The Hospital now the oldest existing orthopedic hospital in the United States with 28 inpatient beds was located in Dr Knights private residence on Second Avenue and 6th Street It opened its doors to its first patients on May 1 1863 in the middle of the Civil War In its first year 824 patients were received and treated It soon became clear that a larger building would be needed to accommodate the growing demand for the Hospitals services A group of prominent New Yorkers led by John C Green a successful China trader set about raising more than 200000 for a new facility which opened in May of 1870 on the northwest corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue the site presently occupied by the Hyatt Hotel

The Hospital for the Ruptured and Crippled flourished under Dr Knights leadership His attitude toward care emphasized sunshine and fresh air along with diet exercise electrical stimulation and gentle rehabilitation known as Expectant Treatment Given the frequency and severity of surgical infection at the time Dr Knight considered surgical treatment detrimental With few exceptions surgical operations were not performed during his tenure as SurgeoninChief

1887 Dr Virgil P Gibney SurgeoninChief Establishes the first Operating Room Hernia Department and Resident Training Program

Dr Knights successor Dr Virgil P Gibney couldnt have been more different in his approach to orthopedic care Dr Gibney who became the first Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia Medical College Dr Gibney strongly advocated the use of plaster of paris traction and even surgery in certain cases Assuming the position of SurgeoninChief in 1887 he led the effort to expand the Hospital from a local crippled childrens hospital to an internationally renowned center for the treatment of musculoskeletal diseases

Dr Gibneys first major project was to establish a separate Hernia Department Committed to the importance of surgery he opened the hospitals first operating room in 1889 and recruited some of New Yorks foremost surgeons including Dr Royal Whitman and Dr William T Bull to the Hospitals staff He established the first orthopedic residency training program in this country Because of pressure from the New York Central Railroad in 1912 the hospital moved to a new building on 42nd Street and Second Avenue now the site of the Ford Foundation

By 1924 the final year of his leadership more than 3000 surgical procedures had been performed at the Hospital addressing the complete spectrum of orthopedic pathology

1924 Dr R Garfield Snyder PhysicianinChief First Chief of Arthritis appointed

1925 Dr William Bradley Coley SurgeoninChief General Surgeon world famous for malignant tumors

1933 Dr Eugene H Pool SurgeoninChief General Surgeon at the New York Hospital

1935 Dr Philip D Wilson SurgeoninChief Hospital name changes in 1940 to the Hospital for Special Surgery HSS begins its affiliation with the New York Hospital and Cornell University Medical College

A famous orthopedic surgeon from Boston Dr Wilson makes major changes in the hospital eliminating the Hernia Department and focusing on musculoskeletal conditions Under Dr Wilsons leadership HSS became a national center for the treatment of victims of the polio epidemic One of the first bone banks in the United States was established at the Hospital in 1948 In 1949 it entered an agreement of affiliation with New York Hospital and Cornell University Medical College Under the terms of the agreement HSS would provide orthopedic and rheumatological services for the newly expanded medical center

The Hospital moved to its present site on the East River between 70th and 71st Streets in 1955 just one year before Dr Wilson retired as SurgeoninChief to assume the position of first Director of Research The construction of the Alfred H Caspary Research Building in 1956 marked the beginning of a new era in orthopedics in which the specialty would benefit from everdeeper grounding in basic research This along with university affiliation positioned HSS to become a world leader in the field

1944 Dr Richard Freyberg PhysicianinChief Establishes fellowships in rheumatology

Dr Richard Freyberg who assumed the position of PhysicianinChief in 1944 developed a worldrenowned rheumatic disease service at the Hospital

1955 Dr T Campbell Thompson SurgeoninChief Expands orthopaedic surgical treatment introduces the Fracture Service at New York Hospital and the opening of the Margaret Caspary Research Building

Dr Thompson was challenged by the new affiliation with the New York Hospital and Cornell Medical College HSS provided the orthopedic and rheumatological services for the New York Hospital In return the New York Hospital provided the Fracture service and Emergency Room services utilizing mainly HSS staff The new research building was opened in 1960 and bed capacity of the hospital increased to 196

1963 Dr Robert Lee Patterson Jr SurgeoninChief Begins HSS longstanding excellence in joint replacements oversees major developments in lupus arthritis and autoimmune disorders and establishes HSS biomechanics laboratory and fellowship program

Dr Robert Lee Patterson Jr who was appointed SurgeoninChief in 1963 foresaw the coming impact of technology and bioengineering on orthopedics Prosthetic replacement of the hip had already arrived and a prototype of a knee replacement was developed in 1970 leading to the evolution of the HSS Total Condylar Knee Replacement used worldwide Implants for the elbow and wrist followed soon after Dr Patterson established a biomechanics laboratory that would foster close collaboration between surgeons and engineers toward the continual improvement of prosthesis design

During the 1970s education programs were expanded to include postgraduate fellows from the United States and abroad The Hospitals affiliation with Cornell Medical College was strengthened facilitating student rotations through clinical services at HSS

1970 Dr Charles L Christian PhysicianinChief Director of Rheumatology

Dr Charles Christian brought an exciting emphasis on immunologic research to the position He and his colleagues advanced the understanding of the roles of genetic factors immune complexes and infectious agents in the development of autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

1972 Dr Philip D Wilson Jr SurgeoninChief Expands the Hospitals research department and oversees the introduction of many new services and centers

In 1972 the Hospital named Dr Philip D Wilson Jr as SurgeoninChief the same position held by his father 37 years earlier During his tenure the residency program became one of the most sought after in the United States Dr Wilson Jr also expanded the Hospitals robust research department and brought biomechanics into the computer age Since then computerassisted design methods have become standard at HSS in advancing the design and manufacture of custom prosthetic implants In 1980 major expansion was completed with an increase from four operating rooms to eight with specially designed areas for performing total joint procedures

The final decades of the last century brought yet another series of additions to the Hospital with the opening of the Sports Medicine Research and Performance Center the Osteoporosis Center the Pediatric Rheumatic Disease Unit the Orthopedic Trauma Service the Womens Sports Medicine Center the Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Disease and the Physiatry Service In 1988 the year of its 125th anniversary HSS was designated a Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Center by the National Institutes of Health NIH one of 13 nationwide Five years later the NIH further designated the Hospital as a Specialized Center of Research SCOR one of two in the United States for the study of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

1990 Dr Andrew J Weiland SurgeoninChief Introduces the ambulatory hand surgery operating rooms

A ninth operating room was added on the fourth floor and two new operating rooms were opened in the ambulatory suite on the first floor As length of stay was dramatically reduced 32 beds were decertified

1993 Dr Russell F Warren SurgeoninChief Oversees major staff changes hospital expansion over the East River Drive in 1995 and the addition of four new operation rooms

1995 Dr Stephen A Paget PhysicianinChief Oversees research education and the introduction of new biologic agents in the treatment of rheumatology

The Department of Physiatry was established and four new operating rooms were opened on the fourth floor The Barbara Volker Center for Women with Rheumatic Diseases was also created

2003 Dr Thomas P Sculco SurgeoninChief Introduces new leadership in academic training clinical services and musculoskeletal research

A major change in departmental organization included academic training clinical services and clinical research Major hospital expansion began with three floors added to the West building and plans for expanding over the East River Drive from the Caspary Research building

2010 Dr Mary K Crow PhysicianinChief

Todays Leaders Dr Thomas P Sculco Dr Mary K Crow

The Hospitals pattern of dedication innovation and humanism in medicine continues to unfold into the 21st century All along it has used its strengths in education and research to improve the quality of care it provides to its patients Under the direction of Thomas P Sculco MD SurgeoninChief and Mary K Crow MD PhysicianinChief Hospital for Special Surgery continues to meet a highquality standard of patient care treating each patient with respect and compassion