Hospital for Special Surgery Receives Distinguished Award
The Metabolic Bone Disease Program Will Continue Critical Education Efforts
Hospital for Special Surgery’s Metabolic Bone Disease Fellowship Program was recently awarded a $495,000 grant from the global biotechnology company Amgen. This prestigious award is a first for HSS. The grant will help fund and support trainee salaries and educational conference participation. The program reinforces the hospital’s continued commitment to training clinicians and scientists in basic and applied research.
The award will have a tremendous impact on the ability of HSS to continue to educate trainees in the field which highly skilled practitioners are critically needed now more than ever. Through the program, trainees gain the knowledge and research skills necessary to build successful careers in metabolic bone disease. HSS is now uniquely positioned to continue providing training utilizing the comprehensive curriculum that is currently in place.
Alena Competello, MS, Director, Office of Education Development and Alumni Affairs in the HSS Education Institute, led this remarkable achievement in partnership with Matthew Drake, MD, Ph.D., Chief, Metabolic Bone Disease Service at HSS, Nathanaelle Raymond, Metabolic Bone, Endocrinology Fellowship Program Coordinator along with The Office of Academic Training within the Education Institute. Together, their efforts have secured critical resources that will significantly enhance the hospital’s ability to train future specialists in an area of growing clinical need.
"Through its academic programs, for more than 150 years, HSS has trained the minds, hearts, and hands of some of the finest clinicians dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal health. A steadfast commitment to excellence in education dates to the Hospital’s earliest traditions and continues to influence its mission and vision,” said James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, MBA, Chief Academic Officer at HSS. “We are honored to receive this grant which will help shape the next generation of leaders in metabolic bone disease.”
The conferences and forums trainees attend serve as invaluable platforms for continuous learning and collaboration, featuring monthly journal clubs that foster in-depth discussions on the latest research and advancements in the field. During their training, fellows learn how to evaluate laboratory, radiographic and histologic analyses of metabolic bone diseases.
“The Metabolic Bone Disease Program is truly unique. Trainees receive hands-on training and insights that simply aren’t available anywhere else. Our fellows complete the program prepared to make an immediate impact in a dynamic and growing field,” Competello said. “Receiving this recognition from Amgen further demonstrates the credibility of both HSS and this program. I am proud to be a part of this team, I look forward to seeing what this talented group will accomplish next.”
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 16th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2025-2026). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
