Hospital for Special Surgery Receives Visionary Gift from Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder to Establish the Lauder Family Spine Center
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has received a landmark contribution from philanthropists Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder to establish the Lauder Family Spine Center. The Center will be part of a transformation of the HSS main campus in New York City and increase capacity and access to the world’s best spine care.
HSS is recognized internationally as a leader in pioneering treatment for the full spectrum of spine conditions for over 22,000 spine patients each year at locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and West Palm Beach, Florida. The Lauder Family Spine Center, which will open in 2024, will build upon the exceptional spine care offered across the HSS enterprise. The Center will span the new state-of-the-art HSS Kellen Tower, Pavilion, and main hospital buildings on the New York City main campus.
“We are grateful for Leonard and Ronald Lauder’s tremendous generosity and continued commitment to HSS,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, HSS Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director. “This gift, in establishing the Lauder Family Spine Center, will enable our world-class medical team to do what they do best, even better. This is not just an investment in HSS but also in our community and the world.”
This contribution builds on the Lauder family’s longstanding dedication to HSS and vision for elevating the care of patients impacted by debilitating orthopedic conditions. The Lauder family’s support of HSS extends over thirty years, having funded vital programs to advance the treatment of pediatric orthopedic conditions, improve care for underserved patients, and pioneer new approaches in pain management.
“We are committed to supporting all the outstanding physicians at HSS who are defining the future of medical care and proud to make this gift in honor of Dr. Sheeraz Qureshi,” said Leonard and Ronald Lauder. “With the Lauder Family Spine Center, we are supporting the excellent spine care for which HSS is so well known and ensuring HSS remains at the forefront of the field well into the future.”
“I am deeply moved by Leonard and Ronald Lauder’s commitment,” said Sheeraz Qureshi, MD, MBA, Patty and Jay Baker Chair in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at HSS. “The Lauder Family Spine Center will have a profound impact on the lives of our patients and their families.”
The extraordinary support of Leonard and Ronald Lauder comes at a pivotal moment. “The incredible partnership of the Lauder family has allowed us to reach a crucial threshold of support for our expansion plans and will benefit all the patients who will count on HSS for healing and hope for decades to come,” said Louis A. Shapiro, President and CEO at HSS.
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 14th consecutive year), No. 2 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2023-2024), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2023-2024). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fourth consecutive year (2023). 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.
