The top-ranked orthopedic hospital is expanding efforts to improve sports-related wellness nationwide, focusing its vast experience in treating injuries on developing programs that help young athletes avoid them. Approximately 28 million children and adolescents participate in organized sports each year in the United States.

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), ranked #1 in the nation for orthopedics for the past nine consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, and the Aspen Institute have extended and expanded their collaboration to explore and provide safety strategies and guidelines for children. Working together through the Institute’s Sports & Society Program and its Project Play initiative, the two organizations will research and develop evidence-based projects and provide content for communities, health and education leaders and parents.

HSS is now the exclusive sponsor of the Sports & Society Program in both the musculoskeletal medical/surgical service and the hospital categories.

"It is important for HSS to apply our knowledge to reduce the risk of injury and promote healthy, lifelong lifestyles for everyone, especially our children," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO at HSS. "As a leader in musculoskeletal health, it is our responsibility and privilege to help renovate the role of healthcare in our society by harnessing our knowledge to serve broader populations."

Last year, HSS teamed up with the Aspen Institute to develop their Healthy Sport Index which is the nation’s first-ever tool that assesses the benefits and risks of participating in the most popular sports for high school students – all based on data and expert insights.

"We are aligned with the Sports & Society Program’s mission to convene leaders, foster dialogue and inspire solutions that focus on the development of healthy children and communities," said Laura Robbins, DSW, senior vice president, HSS Education Institute. "Since 2015, our HSS Sports Safety Program has been working to keep young athletes in the game by providing educational courses to help prevent injuries. Healthy communities begin with healthy children."

About Aspen Institute and Project Play
The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas. Based in Washington, DC, the Institute also has campuses in Aspen, CO, and on the Wye River in eastern Maryland, and maintains offices in New York City and several other cities. An initiative of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, Project Play develops, applies and shares knowledge that helps stakeholders build healthy communities through sports.