NCH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM BRINGS WORLD’S NO. 1 IN ORTHOPEDICS TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
NCH Healthcare System today announced a collaboration with the renowned Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) that will bring unparalleled orthopedic care to Naples and Southwest Florida.
HSS is ranked no. 1 in orthopedics worldwide by Newsweek, and nationwide – for 13 consecutive years – by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1863, HSS is the world’s largest academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal health. Thousands of Florida residents are among patients from more than 100 countries and all 50 states who have travelled to New York City for treatment at the HSS main campus. With this collaboration, HSS will work alongside NCH Healthcare System to bring leading-edge orthopedic care closer to home right here in Naples.
HSS performs over 35,000 orthopedic surgical procedures annually and has been recognized as a top-ranked hospital for both orthopedics and rheumatology for 31 consecutive years. HSS maintains the lowest complication and readmission rates for orthopedics in the nation, and among the lowest infection rates.
As part of the collaborative agreement, NCH will build a state-of-the-art facility offering outpatient and inpatient services, including a jointly owned and operated ambulatory surgery center, and imaging and rehabilitation services, all under the guidance of HSS to provide residents with the highest-quality musculoskeletal care closer to home. The new facility will be on the campus of the NCH North Naples Hospital with construction scheduled to start on the two-year project after the holidays.
“The NCH Healthcare System is in a period of transformational change to become an Advanced Community Healthcare SystemTM,” said Paul Hiltz, President & CEO, NCH Healthcare System. “We are excited to embark on this collaboration with Hospital for Special Surgery, which not only helps us meet that goal, but more importantly, will allow more of our neighbors in need of any kind of orthopedic care to get it here at NCH, close to home.”
As part of the arrangement, HSS will bring expert orthopedic surgeons to NCH to perform a wide range of orthopedic procedures that include methods already practiced in Naples as well as those previously only available elsewhere. Currently, HSS partners in Florida with only one other facility in West Palm Beach. Plans call for the center in Naples to be larger than the existing site on the east coast.
“HSS has a responsibility and opportunity to make the world’s highest quality musculoskeletal care more accessible to more people,” said HSS President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro. “This requires strategic collaboration with like-minded organizations in vibrant communities, and we are delighted to have found those in the NCH Healthcare System and Naples.”
“The NCH Healthcare System strives to ensure our community has access to world-class treatment, and this collaboration represents a huge step forward, not just with this mission but in advancing the field of orthopedic medicine as a whole,” said Jay Baker, Board Trustee at NCH Healthcare System who has played a considerable role in bringing HSS to Naples. “This is an exciting opportunity to expand our reach and combine forces with another giant in the healthcare sector to deliver outstanding services to our patients.”
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.
