As Co-Chief of HSS Spine and holder of the Patty and Jay Baker Chair in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Dr. Qureshi is an internationally recognized leader in the field of minimally invasive and motion-sparing spine surgery. In his expanded role as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Qureshi will oversee clinical operations and quality across all HSS Florida locations and for HSS at NCH. He will also partner with HSS Florida CEO Tara McCoy to make HSS care more accessible to more people across the state of Florida and cultivate relationships with industry, employers and other strategic partners. Dr. Qureshi will maintain his leadership role and clinical practice at the HSS Main Campus in New York.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Qureshi to our team. He brings a wealth of clinical experience and proven leadership history to HSS Florida,” said Ms. McCoy. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with him to expand high-quality leading-edge treatment options to patients across the state.”

“I am honored and deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with a dynamic Florida clinical team and staff who are dedicated to improving orthopedic care in the communities we serve,” Dr. Qureshi said. “Together, we will continue to provide more people with the high-quality orthopedic care they have come to expect from HSS.”

David Backstein, MD, is Appointed Medical Director of HSS at NCH

Dr. Backstein is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in primary and revision total knee replacement and primary hip replacement. He has special expertise in the use of minimally invasive and robotic techniques in joint replacement surgeries. Dr. Backstein, who joined HSS at NCH earlier this year from the University of Toronto where he led the division of orthopedics at Mount Sinai Hospital, is the recipient of numerous awards for clinical research and has published more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals. He regularly presents his work at conferences all over the country and around the globe.

Dr. Backstein succeeds Dr. Helfet, who has helped to guide the first year of the HSS at NCH collaboration. As Founding Medical Director, Dr. Helfet will continue to serve the Naples community, providing education on HSS and the new HSS at NCH Musculoskeletal Center as well as partnering with the HSS and NCH philanthropy teams. Additionally, he will serve as a conduit between HSS at NCH and HSS’s main campus in New York City, helping to foster increased clinical alignment.

“Dr. Helfet’s expertise has been paramount in establishing the musculoskeletal center and the Orthopedic Service, and his collaboration with Dr. Backstein will ensure that our world-class orthopedic care and outstanding patient experience are seamless for communities in southwest Florida,” said Dr. Padgett. “Dr. Backstein’s leadership complements our dedication to excellence and to move healthcare forward for the residents of Florida and beyond.”

“We are excited about these additions to leadership. We continue to strengthen our collaboration while enhancing our ability to deliver outstanding orthopedic health services,” said Paul Hiltz, President and CEO, NCH. “This marks an exciting new chapter for HSS at NCH.”

“Fostering a stronger collaboration between HSS and NCH clinicians, researchers, and industry partners to find clinical solutions for patients in our Florida communities will be a primary focus for me in my new role,” said Dr. Backstein. “I’m looking forward to working with Dr. Helfet and the greater care team to bridge the gap between clinical need and outcomes.”

The HSS at NCH musculoskeletal center, now under development, spans more than 80,000 square feet and will be the centerpiece in the HSS at NCH collaboration to elevate orthopedic care in Naples and Southwest Florida. The facility will offer outpatient and inpatient orthopedic services, including an ambulatory surgery center, imaging, and rehabilitation, and will be jointly operated by HSS and NCH. The HSS at NCH facility is scheduled to open in 2025.

Today’s ceremony marks the beginning of construction that will result in a state-of-the-art facility on the NCH North Naples Hospital campus that is more than 80,000 square feet in size. The center will offer outpatient and inpatient orthopedic services, including an ambulatory surgery center and imaging and rehabilitation services that will be jointly owned and operated with HSS. With the goal of funding this project primarily through private philanthropy, the new facility is expected to open to patients in early 2025. 

“I am immensely proud to have helped bring HSS to our community,” said Jay Baker, Board Trustee at NCH, who alongside his wife, Patty, pledged a $20 million match grant earmarked for orthopedic services. “The new HSS at NCH collaboration is a testament to our commitment to world-class healthcare, and we are honored to have contributed to this transformative endeavor.”

Founded in 1863 and headquartered in New York City, HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center specializing in musculoskeletal health. HSS has been recognized as a top-ranked hospital for both orthopedics and rheumatology for 31 consecutive years, ranking no. 1 in orthopedics worldwide for the past four years by Newsweek and nationwide since 2010 by US News & World Report. Performing over 35,000 orthopedic surgical procedures annually, they consistently maintain the lowest complication and readmission rates for orthopedics in the nation. 

This past summer, HSS and NCH proudly announced the appointment of David L. Helfet, MD, renowned HSS orthopedic trauma surgeon, as Executive Medical Director of HSS at NCH. While Dr. Helfet’s focus on orthopedic trauma has earned international acclaim, he also specializes in hip conditions and is part of the Hip Preservation Service at HSS. He is consistently ranked as one of New York Magazine's "Best Doctors in New York" and Castle Connolly's "America's Top Doctors." Under Dr. Helfet’s leadership, HSS at NCH will bring expert orthopedic surgeons to the area to perform a wide range of state-of-the-art orthopedic procedures.

Thousands of Florida residents are among the patients from more than 100 countries and all 50 states who have visited New York City for treatment at the HSS main campus. With the groundbreaking of the HSS at NCH center, these partners are one step closer to realizing their vision of providing leading-edge orthopedic care to the community without necessitating travel outside of Southwest Florida.

“This groundbreaking marks an important milestone in our quest to bring world-class orthopedic care to our community as NCH continues its journey to become an Advanced Community Healthcare System™,” said Paul Hiltz, President & CEO, NCH.  “We are thrilled to be collaborating with HSS – the world leader in orthopedics – to make this high level of care available to our patients.”

“NCH and HSS are both patient-centric organizations committed to high-quality care, and we are aligned in our goal of making the highest quality orthopedic care more accessible to the people of Southwest Florida,” said HSS President and CEO, Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA. “This is especially important to us at HSS, where we feel a great sense of responsibility not just to help more people, but to consistently achieve the highest quality outcomes for patients.”

“This new center made possible by Patty and Jay Baker will ultimately shape the way premier orthopedic care is served to this community for generations to come,” said Dr. Helfet. “We are building a world class team of doctors, surgeons, nurses and more, from around the world and within this community.”

“Our growing team is already hard at work, transferring and implementing HSS knowledge, standards, and methods to achieve the world’s highest-quality clinical care and patient experience right here in Southwest Florida,” added Dr. Helfet.

All donations to support orthopedic services at NCH are matched by the $20 million grant pledged by the Bakers. For more information on how you can support HSS at NCH and be part of this historic partnership, please contact the NCH Center for Philanthropy at 239-624-2000. 

About NCH

NCH is a locally governed non-profit and an Advanced Community Health System^TM located in Naples, Florida. The System is more than just two hospitals (referred to as the NCH Baker Hospital and NCH North Hospital) with a total of 713 beds. NCH is an alliance of 775 physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Southwest Florida that offers nationally recognized, quality health care to our community. Our mission is to help everyone live a longer, happier, healthier life.  For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.

Founded in 1863 and headquartered in New York City, HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal health.  HSS has been ranked no. 1 in orthopedics worldwide for the past four years by Newsweek, and nationwide since 2010 by US News & World Report.  Dr. Helfet received the 2015 HSS Lifetime Achievement Award, is a past President of the National Orthopaedic Trauma Association and has published over 383 papers in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to over forty books.

HSS at NCH will bring world class care closer to home for the thousands of Southwest Florida residents affected by orthopedic conditions each year. The two organizations are collaborating to design and build the most advanced medical facility for HSS at NCH, at the North Naples Hospital campus. That facility will be more than 80,000 square feet and be a destination for comprehensive outpatient and inpatient musculoskeletal services, including a jointly owned and operated ambulatory surgery center, clinics, imaging, and rehabilitation services.

 “As we embark on this exciting journey to bring world-class musculoskeletal care closer to home, we are thrilled to welcome Justin Blohm as our Vice President of HSS at NCH,” said Jon Kling, NCH Chief Operations Officer. “With his extensive experience and leadership in the orthopedic field, along with our collaboration with the renowned Hospital for Special Surgery, we are committed to creating a state-of-the-art facility that will transform the healthcare landscape in our region. Together with Justin and our dedicated team, we are poised to make a profound impact on the lives of Southwest Florida residents affected by orthopedic conditions.”

“Dr. Helfet and I are delighted to welcome Justin to the team at a particularly exciting time for HSS at NCH and our support for the people of Southwest Florida,” said McCoy.  “The collaboration and response from the community are both exceeding our high expectations, and Justin’s expertise and leadership will help ensure we support excellence in clinical care and patient experience.”

Blohm said his sense of connection to the community will be as important as his professional experience.

“Quality of orthopedic care varies more widely than many people realize, and that has real implications for quality of life everywhere,” said Blohm.  “More than most I understand the significance of what NCH and HSS are doing together and I am honored and excited to help realize the full benefit of that for the people of Southwest Florida and beyond.”

Founded in 1863, HSS is the world’s largest academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal health, ranked no. 1 in orthopedics worldwide by Newsweek, and nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. 

HSS at NCH will bring world class care closer to home for the thousands of southwest Florida residents affected by orthopedic conditions each year. The two organizations are collaborating to design and build the most advanced medical facility for HSS at NCH, at the North Naples Hospital campus. That facility will be more than 80,000 square feet and be a destination for comprehensive outpatient and inpatient musculoskeletal services, including a jointly owned and operated ambulatory surgery center, clinics, imaging, and rehabilitation services.

Through this collaboration, HSS knowledge, standards and methods are being implemented at NCH and will be at the new facility. Dr. Helfet will oversee HSS at NCH program development and growth, clinical quality, and all aspects of patient care.

Dr. Helfet is Director Emeritus of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at HSS, a professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and the 2015 recipient of the HSS Lifetime Achievement Award presented by his longtime patient Dr. Henry Kissinger. He is a past President of the National Orthopaedic Trauma Association and has published over 383 papers in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to over forty books.

“This will be the first and only healthcare center of its kind in southwest Florida, thanks to the vision and community commitment of NCH President and CEO Paul Hiltz and the NCH Board,” said HSS President, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA.

“Dr. Helfet is supremely qualified to blend the best of both organizations in HSS at NCH, bringing world class orthopedic care and patient experience to the people of southwest Florida," said Kelly.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. David L. Helfet as the Executive Medical Director of HSS at NCH,” said NCH President and CEO Paul Hiltz. “Dr. Helfet's expertise will ensure the highest standards of care for the residents of southwest Florida and beyond. This visionary collaboration is a testament to our commitment to elevating the standard of orthopedic care and enhancing the quality of life for our community."

While Dr. Helfet’s focus on orthopedic trauma has earned international acclaim, he also specializes in hip conditions and is part of the Hip Preservation Service at HSS. He is consistently ranked as one of New York Magazine's "Best Doctors in New York" and Castle Connolly's "America's Top Doctors". Additionally, Dr. Helfet often provides medical care to public safety individuals as the designated Orthopedic Trauma specialist for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police.

Dr. Helfet received his medical degree at the University of Cape Town Medical School in South Africa before completing his residency at Johns Hopkins University. He has held fellowships at the University of Bern in Switzerland and the University of California Los Angeles.

“I am honored to be selected to lead HSS at NCH and work alongside NCH and HSS colleagues to build upon a longstanding foundation of medical excellence,” said Dr. Helfet. “In orthopedics, quality varies widely and together we will make the highest quality of care available closer to home for the people of Naples and all of southwest Florida.”

“HSS remains laser-focused on providing access to the highest quality musculoskeletal care close to where people work and live, and we recognize Floridians’ high expectations for quality of life,” said HSS Florida CEO Tara McCoy. “NCH shares this commitment and Dr. Helfet’s appointment is another demonstration of the substance behind our promise to the people of southwest Florida.”

Dr. Helfet’s new role is effective July 1, starting a phased transition from his practice at the HSS main campus in New York over the next three years.

Donations to support orthopedic services at NCH are matched by the $20 million grant pledged by Jay Baker, Naples philanthropist and NCH board member, and his wife Patty. For more information, please contact the NCH Center for Philanthropy at 239-624-2000.

About NCH

NCH is a not-for-profit, multi-facility healthcare system located in Naples, Florida, and is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The System is more than just two hospitals (referred to as the NCH Baker Hospital and NCH North Naples Hospital) with a total of 713 beds. NCH is an alliance of 775 physicians and medical facilities in dozens of locations throughout Collier County and southwest Florida that offers nationally recognized, quality health care to our community. NCH delivers 3,500 babies and houses the only pediatric ER in Collier County serving more than 19,000 children every year. Our mission is to help everyone live a longer, happier, healthier life.  For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.

"There was no significant difference in functional outcomes of patients who had supination/pronation external rotation four ankle injuries with posterior malleolar fractures vs. [posterior inferior tibiofibular ligament] PITFL injuries as long as each was treated operatively in an injury-specific manner," said Dr. Helfet.

According to the article, Dr. Helfet and his colleagues collected foot and ankle outcome scores for 187 ankle fractures.

Read the full article at healio.com [registration required].

This award recognizes the continued and untiring efforts, skill and support of Dr. Helfet to the members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and their families. Dr. Helfet was profoundly honored to receive this award in recognition of his work which represents a central focus to him as an orthopedic trauma surgeon, clinician and member of the community.

Members of the NYPD, New York Fire Department (NYFD) and New York State Police (NYSP) have always been a major priority to Dr. Helfet, as he truly appreciates the difficult and challenging work they do along with their personal, daily sacrifices. Dr. Helfet has been an honorary surgeon for the NYPD from 1999 to present; assistant division physician for the NYSP from 1999 to present; and Honorary Medical Officer and Honorary Fire Officer from 2009 to present.

Dr. Helfet has had the opportunity to provide treatment to many members of the NYPD, NYFD and NYSP throughout his career. Patients have presented him with injuries ranging from isolated orthopedic trauma to complex poly-trauma requiring complex surgical procedures. The goal is always to provide optimal treatment to enable maximum recovery. Additionally, at HSS  and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Helfet seeks to provide the best patient care possible by using the most effective treatment strategies. Meeting family members of the police and fire departments and being part of their recovery is a great source of pride for Dr. Helfet.

Dr. Lorich was the associate director of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at HSS, and he was committed to improving the lives of those in need. In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Dr. Lorich and a team of HSS healthcare providers rushed to aid victims by performing surgeries.

His longtime colleague David L. Helfet, MD, chief emeritus of the Orthopedic Trauma Service, said "Dean was a superb, well-respected surgeon, teacher, colleague and friend to me and the entire Hospital for Special Surgery and NewYork-Presbyterian community. It is truly a great loss—throughout his 18-year career, he impacted the lives of thousands of patients both near and far. On behalf of the entire Orthopedic Trauma Service, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and patients."

Read the full tribute at ryortho.com