Newsroom Hospital for Special Surgery

The 41st Annual HSS Tribute Dinner

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:15:17 -0400

HSS hosted its 41st Tribute Dinner on Monday, June 1, 2026 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan raising over $5 million for education, research, and patient care. The gala honored Marina Kellen French of the HSS Board of Trustees with the Tribute Dinner Award.

Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bob Papa, The Voice of New York Football Giants hosted the event which featured entertainment by Sara Bareilles, Award winning singer, activist, and New York Times Best-selling Author.

Special thanks to dinner co-chairs Dan Benton & Stephanie March, Jamie Dinan & Elizabeth Miller, and Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch.

Read the full article at newyorksocialdiary.com.

Hospital for Special Surgery honors Dr. Robert Hotchkiss

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:19:00 -0400

Becker's Spine Review reported on Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41st Annual HSS Tribute Dinner.

Dr. Hotchkiss is a hand and upper extremity surgeon, and he served as the inaugural Joel and Anne Bick Ehrenkranz Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Research and Director of Clinical Research at HSS. His career has spanned more than four decades, and he has helped shape modern approaches to complex elbow trauma, instability, stiffness, and reconstructive cases.

Read the full article at beckersspine.com.

HSS Honors Distinguished Physician Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, and Marina Kellen French of HSS Board of Trustees at Tribute Dinner

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:20:54 -0400

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, honored Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41^st Annual HSS Tribute Dinner. Marina Kellen French of the HSS Board of Trustees received the Tribute Dinner Award at the gala event, which took place on June 1 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The Tribute Dinner is the premier fundraising event for HSS, recognizing physicians, philanthropists and business leaders who have made a major impact in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. The evening, hosted by Bob Papa, voice of The New York Football Giants, featured entertainment by Sara Bareilles.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest recognition for an outstanding healthcare leader at HSS. “Dr. Hotchkiss is a transformative leader in musculoskeletal medicine who has had a significant impact on the field,” said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, surgeon-in-chief and medical director at HSS. “Throughout his career, he has helped redefine how we approach some of the most complex conditions in orthopedic care. His expertise, leadership and unwavering commitment to delivering the highest-quality care have not only advanced the standard of treatment but have also made a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the patients he serves.”

The HSS Tribute Dinner Award recognizes outstanding achievements in business and service to the community. “We are honored to celebrate Marina Kellen French for her longstanding leadership and commitment to HSS,” said HSS President and CEO Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA. “Her years of service on the HSS Board of Trustees and dedication to science and research have left a lasting impact on our institution and the patients we serve. From her transformative gift to the Kellen Tower, a landmark expansion of HSS’s Upper East Side campus, to the Kellen Scholars program she established, which has supported the research and discovery of dozens of the brightest minds in orthopedic medicine—her contributions have been instrumental in advancing our field.”

This year’s Tribute Dinner, attended by over 700 guests and raised more than $5 million for patient care, research and medical education.

HONOREES

Marina Kellen French

A philanthropist and avid supporter of the arts and sciences, both in the United States and abroad, Marina Kellen French is Vice President of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation and President of the Marina Kellen French Foundation. A member of the HSS Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for over 15 years, she has made an indelible mark on the organization helping to shape the careers of young investigators, blaze new paths for scientific inquiry, and transform how HSS cares for those affected by musculoskeletal conditions.

Mrs. French has long been a champion of science and research at HSS, culminating her lead gift to Kellen Tower, which opened earlier this spring and marks a major milestone in the transformation of HSS’s Upper East Side campus. In addition, she has created the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Clinician-Scientist Program, the Marina Kellen Chair in Complex Joint Reconstruction, the Marina Kellen French Foundation Directorship in Trauma, and a commitment to new research that will enable more patients to achieve successful outcomes from knee replacement surgery.

Mrs. French is a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the American Academy in Berlin, Friends of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and World Monuments Fund. She is a member of the Trustees’ Council of the National Gallery of Art, a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera, and a life trustee of the Morgan Library & Museum and WNET Channel 13.

A recipient of numerous awards and honors, in November 2021 Mrs. French was named a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy for her outstanding contributions to the city. She has received honors from the French government, including the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur award in 2022, and the Commandeur de L’ordre des Arts et Lettres, the highest distinction in the arts, in 2024. She has also received the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit (First Class) of the Federal Republic of Germany (2014) for her exceptional work in German-American relations. Mrs. French graduated from the Brearley School in New York City and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and attended the New York School of Interior Design.

Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD

Dr. Robert N. Hotchkiss served as the inaugural Joel and Anne Bick Ehrenkranz Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Research and Director of Clinical Research at HSS, where he has devoted much of his professional career to advancing orthopedic surgery, clinical investigation, and innovation in musculoskeletal care. He also serves as Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and previously led the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at HSS for more than a decade.

Dr. Hotchkiss received his undergraduate education at the University of Colorado Boulder, majoring in both Chemistry and Slavic Languages and Literature, before earning his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his surgical and orthopedic training.

Internationally recognized for his pioneering work in hand, elbow, and upper-extremity reconstruction, Dr. Hotchkiss has helped shape modern approaches to complex elbow trauma, instability, stiffness, and reconstructive surgery. Over a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, he has made contributions that extend beyond the operating room into biomechanics, implant design, translational research, and the emerging use of machine learning and advanced imaging technologies in medicine. He is co-founder and advisor to Imagen Technologies and holds multiple patents in orthopedic devices and drug delivery systems.

A prolific author, educator, and mentor, Dr. Hotchkiss has lectured throughout the United States and internationally, served as Associate Editor of multiple editions of Operative Hand Surgery, and trained generations of surgeons who now lead programs around the world.

Dr. Hotchkiss and his wife, Stephanie, have two grown sons, Andrew and Thomas, who are involved in healthcare technologies and early-stage biotechnology investments.

Hughes Underwent Surgery, Injury Update

Sat, 15 Nov 2025 13:04:00 -0500

NHL.com reports The New Jersey Devils have issued a medical update regarding center Jack Hughes:

“New Jersey Devils C Jack Hughes underwent successful surgery on his finger. The procedure was performed by Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS. The expected return to play timeline is eight weeks and he will be re-evaluated at the six-week mark.”

Read the full article at NHL.com.

Osteochondral autologous transplantation may be effective for osteochondritis dissecans

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:47:11 -0400

Orthopedics Today reports that osteochondral autologous transplantation may be an effective treatment option for adolescent athletes with capitellar osteochondritis dissecans, according to results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

“This study has identified synovial inflammation as a significant component of the disease process,” Jose M. Gutierrez-Naranjo, MD, research fellow at HSS, said. “We found [osteochondral autologous transplantation surgery (OATS)] to effectively restore the osteochondral architecture, leading to long-term pain relief and preserved function in adolescent athletes.”

Dr. Gutierrez-Naranjo, Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS, and colleagues retrospectively reviewed data from 17 adolescent athletes (mean age, 14 years; 15 men, two women) with capitellar osteochondritis dissecans who underwent osteochondral autologous transplantation surgery between 2009 and 2023.

Read the full article at healio.com.

Xavier McKinney: Back in the Game

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 08:58:00 -0400

New York Giants' safety Xavier McKinney was in Mexico when he got in an ATV accident that shattered his hand breaking multiple fingers. Scott Rodeo, MD, sports medicine surgeon at HSS and head team physician for the New York Giants, Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS, and Aviva L. Wolff, EdD, OT, CHT, occupational hand therapist at HSS discuss his recovery.

“Our first job as a team physician when we hear about an injury is to get the information. Talk to the player, see what happened, get them in right away, and evaluate them. I work with my colleague Bob Hotchkiss, our hand and wrist expert and get all the imaging studies. Dr. Hotchkiss did the surgery and did a wonderful job as far as restoring anatomy. But the biggest issue in the recovery process is getting the motion back. Fingers and hands tend to get stiff," said Dr. Rodeo.

“If you put him in a cast for three months, the bone would heal, but then he couldn't move his fingers. But if you move faster than the bone is healed, then that alignment issue that you are trying to protect becomes compromised. So that is the balance,” said Dr. Hotchkiss.

"When we first started working together, Xavier's entire hand was really tight, so we've been working a lot on opening the span, stretching out and making a first. Once he's warmed up and did some soft tissues massage, it's easier for him to get some motion on his own and his strength is coming back, said Aviva.

Read the full article at giants.com.

Rangers’ Chris Kreider undergoes surgery on wrist

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 16:27:00 -0400

The New York Post reports New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider underwent a successful surgery to remove a small bone fragment from his wrist performed by Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS. The expected timeline for his recovery is 2-4 weeks.

Read the full article at Nypost.com. Additional coverage: Beckersspine.com.

Medical update regarding Samuel Montembeault

Mon, 09 May 2022 18:30:00 -0400

NHL.com reports Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault underwent successful surgery on his right wrist performed by Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS.

Montembeault is expected to be fully recovered and ready for the start of training camp next September.

Read the full article at Nhl.com.

Medical update regarding Jonathan Drouin

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 17:08:00 -0400

NHL.com reports Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin underwent a successful wrist surgery on April 8 performed by HSS hand and upper extremity surgeon Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD.

Read the full article at Nhl.com.

Crosby Undergoes Successful Wrist Procedure

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:18:00 -0400

NHL reports Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby underwent a successful wrist surgery on September 8, performed by HSS hand and upper extremity surgeon Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD.

Read the full article at NHL.com. Additional coverage: Pensburgh.com.

Penguins’ Sidney Crosby undergoes wrist surgery

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 08:56:00 -0400

Boston Herald reports Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby underwent successful arthroscopic wrist debridement surgery on Monday performed by HSS hand and upper extremity surgeon Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, at the Hospital’s main campus in New York City.

Read the full article at Bostonherald.com.

Additional coverage: Patch.com, Beckersspine.com

Devils provide medical updates on Hall, Maroon, Schneider

Tue, 08 May 2018 07:00:00 -0400

NHL.com reported that New Jersey Devils' Taylor Hall, Cory Schneider and Patrick Maroon underwent successful surgeries by HSS hand and upper extremity surgeon Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD; chief of Sports Medicine service Bryan T. Kelly, MD; and spine surgeon Andrew A. Sama, MD, respectively.

Read the full article at nhl.com

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