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 officially broke ground today on the Patty & Jay Baker Pavilion, marking the beginning of construction of the new HSS at NCH musculoskeletal (MSK) center. Located on the campus of the NCH North Naples Hospital, the center promises to bring unparalleled orthopedic care to Naples and Southwest Florida.

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™ 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.

About HSS

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 (2024). 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 on the east coast of 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. 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. http://www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery