Hospital for Special Surgery and NCH Break Ground on New Orthopedics Center of Excellence in Southwest Florida

NAPLES, Fla., Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and NCH today officially broke ground on the Patty & Jay Baker Pavilion, marking the beginning of construction on the new HSS at NCH musculoskeletal ( MSK) center. Located on the campus of NCH North Naples Hospital, the center promises to provide unparalleled orthopedic care to Naples and Southwest Florida.

Today’s ceremony marks the start of construction that will result in a state-of-the-art facility on the NCH North Naples Hospital campus spanning more than 80,000 square feet. 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 managed with HSS. With the aim of funding this project primarily through private philanthropy, the new facility is expected to open to patients in early 2025.

“I am extremely proud to have helped bring HSS to our community,” said Jay Baker, Board Trustee at NCH, who, along with his wife Patty, committed a $20 million match grant intended for orthopedic services. “The new partnership with HSS at NCH 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 one of the top-rated hospitals in both orthopedics and rheumatology for 31 years in a row. 1 in orthopedics worldwide for the past four years by Newsweek and nationally since 2010 by US News & World Report. They perform more than 35,000 orthopedic surgical procedures annually and consistently maintain the lowest complication and readmission rates for orthopedics in the country.

Last summer, HSS and NCH proudly announced the appointment of HSS renowned orthopedic trauma surgeon David L. Helfet, MD, as HSS Executive Medical Director at NCH. Although Dr. Helfet’s focus on orthopedic trauma has gained international recognition, he also specializes in hip disorders 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 the leadership of Dr. Helfet, 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 development of the HSS at the NCH Center, these partners are one step closer to realizing their vision of bringing leading orthopedic care to the community without having to 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 of NCH. “We are pleased to partner with HSS – the world leader in orthopedics – to make this high level of care available to our patients.”

“NCH and HSS are both patient-centered 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 Bryan T. Kelly, MD , MBA. “This is especially important to us at HSS, where we feel a great sense of responsibility not only to help more people, but also to consistently achieve the highest quality outcomes for patients.”

“This new center, made possible by Patty and Jay Baker, will ultimately shape the way world-class orthopedic care is delivered to this community for generations to come,” said Dr. Helfet. “We are building a world-class team of physicians, 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 highest quality clinical care and patient experience in the world right here in Southwest Florida,” added Dr. Helfet.

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

About NCH

NCH ​​​​is a locally governed nonprofit organization and Advanced Community Health System™ based in Naples, Florida. The system consists of more than just two hospitals (called 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 provides nationally recognized, high-quality health care to our community. Our mission is to help everyone live longer, happier and healthier lives. For more information, visit www.NCHmd.org.

About HSS

HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is the Hospital for Special Surgery, ranked #1 nationally in orthopedics (for the 14th year in a row), #2 in rheumatology by US News & World Report (2023-2024), and the top pediatric orthopedic hospital in New York. NJ and CT by US News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2023-2024). In a survey of medical professionals in more than twenty countries by Newsweek, HSS ranks first in the world in orthopedics for the fourth year in a row (2024). Founded in 1863, the hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and one of 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. HSS, an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, 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 on the east coast of Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS is a leader in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute consists of 20 laboratories and 300 employees focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through the prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new medicines, therapies and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, paramedics, academic trainees and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution collaborates 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. http://www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery