Hospital for Special Surgery

Last week HSS President, CEO and Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, was on Capitol Hill to meet with champions of our efforts to improve access to the world’s highest quality musculoskeletal care in New York and New Jersey. Special thanks to Congressmen Jerry Nadler (NY-12, which includes our Main Campus and midtown Manhattan locations) and Dan Goldman (NY-10, which includes our Brooklyn location), and with the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressmen Adriano Espaillat and Hon. Hakeem Jeffries. Earlier in the week on the Hill, HSS, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and the The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) co-hosted a panel on the benefits of telehealth, moderated by HSS Chief Value Medical Officer Catherine MacLean, MD PhD.

In recognition of Memorial Day, the HSS Family honors those who have served our nation and are no longer with us. We encourage everyone to acknowledge this day of reflection and celebrate the lives of those who served.

Reina Belmonte, MSN, RN, Clinical Informatics Lead: “I am a Registered Nurse, working as the Clinical Informatics Lead for Inpatient Clinicians (Inpatient Nursing, Case Management, Clinical Nutrition, Respiratory Therapy, and Spiritual Care). As defined by the American Nursing Association (ANA), Nursing Informatics is the integration of nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. Nursing informatics bridges the gap between health care's clinical and technological perspectives, with the goal of enhancing the clinical experience for health care providers and patients. I value being the liaison between clinical staff and IT because this role ensures that clinical practice is not lost while implementing technology at the bedside A big part of our culture is having extended family. Extended family includes, but not limited to, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, and co-workers who became friends. A lot of our extended family showed me various aspects of the Filipino heritage. The Philippines has over 7,000 islands and while each area shares common features, there are also features that are specific to location. Being around this extended family helped me learn about the culture and fostered my interest in learning more about what makes us Filipino. Growing up, I loved going to Filipino festivals, finding restaurants that served Filipino dishes, and watching Filipino movies, which we rented from Asian supermarkets. At these festivals, I learned about cultural dances, different dialects, and various delicacies. As my children grow up, I am happy to see more representation in mainstream entertainment. There are now cartoons on PBS and Disney, which have Filipino American characters. They can see traditions that take place for certain holidays or how we celebrate certain milestones with our families. Heritage, to me, means cultural practices passed down from generation to generation. We celebrate AAPI month by attending events that are taking place around the city as well as view entertainment, specifically highlighted this month, which we may not be aware of. I am grateful to be part of the HSS family, where I can be proud of my heritage while also learning about many others.” #AAPIHeritageMonth

Theresa Lu, MD, PhD, a senior scientist in the HSS Research Institute whose work focuses on the interplay of the immune system and the sun in lupus patients, has been honored with an Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis (IMP) Teaching and Mentoring Award from the IMP Program at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Dr. Lu., who serves as Co-Director of the IMP Program, was one of three distinguished recipients of this year’s teaching and mentoring awards, which were presented by Barbara Hempstead, MD, PhD, dean of the graduate school, at this year’s convocation ceremony on May 15. “In addition to being an outstanding internationally recognized scientist, Theresa has done an amazing job of mentoring trainees in her lab. . . . she sets an example that we should all aspire to,” says Lionel B. Ivashkiv, MD, Chief Scientific Officer. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lu on this honor! (Photo Credit: Yazmin Carrasco)

At the recent 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Singapore, researchers from the HSS Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Lab presented findings from an NIH-funded study, using novel MRI biomarkers in Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS). In this oral presentation given by Gracyn Campbell (research assistant), novel MRI techniques developed by Lab Co-Director, Ek Tsoon Tan, PhD, and Study PI, Darryl B. Sneag, MD, were used to elucidate microstructural and macrostructural changes of shoulder girdle muscles in PTS. The study found that MRI biomarkers can objectively demonstrate muscle denervation changes in PTS. These findings may pave the way for future studies in treating PTS by prognosticating recovery.

A new trial led by the Center for Regenerative Medicine at HSS with a sub-site at Emory University will investigate whether using concentrated bone marrow aspirate can help patients to heal more effectively and prevent post-traumatic osteoarthritis after ACL revision surgery. This translational research study comes from HSS’ new Center for Regenerative Medicine-based trial to utilize a cell-based therapy. “We will leverage clinical outcomes and imaging to evaluate the efficacy of adding cBMA to standard treatment,” said co-primary investigator Miguel Otero, PhD, scientist in the Orthopedic Soft Tissue Research Program, co-director of the Derfner Foundation Precision Medicine Laboratory, and of the HSS Research Institute Histopathology Service. “Depending on what we learn about whether cBMA reduces the risk of PTOA, the results generated by this study may have the potential to change clinical practice,” added co-primary investigator Scott Rodeo, MD, Vice Chair of Orthopaedic Research, co-director of the Orthopaedic Soft Tissue Research Program, and director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at HSS. https://lnkd.in/eDSerzY3

Today is Clinical Trials Day, a day to honor our clinical research professionals and patients who participate in our studies. HSS has been a leader in advancing novel treatments through innovative clinical trials aimed at improving the lives of people with orthopedic, rheumatic, pain, and neurologic conditions. This year’s theme is ‘Trailblazers Among Us’, which celebrates the relentless pursuit of knowledge and unique perspectives of clinical research professionals in the search for breakthroughs. Hear from Scott Rodeo, MD, Vice Chair of Orthopaedic Research, co-director of the Orthopaedic Soft Tissue Research Program, and director of the Center for Regenerative Research at HSS, about the importance of clinical trials, how they are designed and organized, and more. #ClinicalTrialsDay #CTD2024 

April 1 marked the 100th anniversary of HSS Rehabilitation & Performance! The 1924 Annual Report made first mention of the department, back when the hospital was known as the New York Society for the Relief of the Ruptured and Crippled, and PT was referred to as “physiotherapy.” The head physician of the department, Kristian G. Hansson, M.D., spoke about the advantages of physical therapy as a compliment to orthopedic surgery in his report. He also highlighted the early educational initiatives of HSS as the department taught a course on physiotherapy to seniors at Cornell University Medical College. At the end of his report, Dr. Hansson wrote, “The Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled has long been one of the leading orthopedic hospitals in the country and there is no reason why its physiotherapy department should not serve as a model of its kind for other institutions in the future.” 100 years later, we are still working to prove Dr. Hansson right! Congratulations the HSS Rehabilitation & Performance department and to all the staff that have helped us achieve this milestone!

Pa Thor, Research Manager, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, & Pain Management: “Nyob zoo! My name is Pa Thor, and I am a first-generation Hmong American woman. I've been at HSS for three years, and my current position is Research Manager in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Management. Every day, I embrace my heritage by doing small things like preparing Hmong food, even if my cooking never compares to my mother's. I speak in my native language at home, even to my dog, who appears to understand some of what I say. I also do simple things like wear traditional clothes and wear the protective amulets that my parents gave me. Because of my last name and the amulets I wear, I regularly get asked ‘Where are you from?’ and the conversations that follow this question are never dull. Embracing one’s heritage does not have to be complex. These everyday actions, though habitual and discreet, have always kept me connected with my heritage and simply be myself wherever I am. My Hmong heritage means that I have a family and community that uplifts me, is proud of me, and provides me with unconditional support. My heritage is my identity, my values, and the motivation behind my pursuits to demonstrate that I identify as AAPI, and I am proud to be Hmong American. I cherish the cultural traditions and history that have been taught to me, and I am privileged for the opportunity to contribute to our Hmong American history and collective experience. Being a member of the HSS family means being part of another heritage; a different heritage where I can pass on the HSS values, philosophy, and reputation. When I reflect on the progress that has been made at HSS and its strategic roadmap for the future, this reflection is akin to my reflection about the remarkable achievements made by my Hmong American community and envisioning the type of roadmap I want for my community. Witnessing and celebrating the achievements of my colleagues at HSS lets me know that I am where I need to be, and I feel motivated to strive to achieve more.” #AAPIHeritageMonth

Congratulations to our outstanding nurses who were honored at this year’s Department of Nursing Excellence Awards in celebration of National #NursesWeek! In line with this year’s theme, “#NursesMakeTheDifference,” these incredible nurses embody the spirit of compassion and care in every healthcare setting.   Please join us in celebrating this year’s honorees:   Nursing Excellence Award – Advanced Practice - Eileen Cottell MSN, APRN, FNP-BC; NP; ACC 72nd St Nurse Leader Award - Nefer Chakrabarty, BSN, RN; ACC 72nd St Nurse Preceptor Award – Melissa Cheng, BSN, RN, ONC; CNII; 1st Floor PACU; Kinga Skrzat, BSN, RN; CN1; 5E South; Mahelia Campbell, BSN, RN; CN1; 4th Floor OR LPN Nursing Excellence Award: Samantha Goriah, LPN; Ambulatory Services ERPB-Clinical Support RN Nursing Excellence Award - Thamar Prendergast, MSN, RN; CNI; 6th Floor Inpatient; Yangchen Tshering, MSN, RN; CN1; 1st Floor OR; Iris Robles, BSN, RN; CN1; ACC 72nd St Nursing Support Partner Award - Maria Techera, PCA; ACC 72nd St Clinic; Albert Zamayla, PCA; 6th Floor Inpatient (not pictured); Vincent Bongiorno, ST II; 4th Floor OR Rising Star Award - Dominique Bien-Aime, BSN, RN; CNI; 5E South (not pictured) Friend of Nursing Award- Jerome Smith, PT, DPT Team Award: HSS Stamford Outpatient Center