New Leadership, Breakthrough Techniques and Research Clearly Defines Hospital for Special Surgery's Internationally Recognized Department of Radiology and Imaging

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Globally known as the premier center for world class musculoskeletal clinical and research imaging, the Department of Radiology & Imaging at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), is poised for the future with the appointment of Hollis G. Potter, M.D. as its new Chairman.

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A 22-year HSS veteran, Dr. Potter succeeds Helene Pavlov, M.D. and plans to expand on her successful development of the Department's commitment to clinical and research excellence.

"Imaging is a vital component of the integrated care system that is uniquely provided by HSS.  We collaborate with colleagues from a wide variety of specialties and practices with a singular focus: to work together as a team to improve the quality of our patients' lives and to restore their function," Dr. Potter said. "Because of our extraordinary access to transitional research, we can quickly provide the most innovative and efficacious imaging available world-wide."

In her new role, Dr. Potter will lead a team of 250 physicians, researchers and specialists.

"As HSS continues to move forward, we are very cognitive of the role Radiology & Imaging plays in driving efficiency and accuracy in musculoskeletal medicine," said Louis A. Shapiro, President and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery. "Dr. Potter is an outstanding clinician, scientist and educator with unique expertise and proven success in this field making her ideal for advancing our ongoing commitment to this service."

According to Dr. Potter, many MRI and CT imaging protocols and ultrasound procedures considered routine at HSS are rarely done, if at all, at other institutions. In many instances, HSS patients and physicians have access to technological breakthroughs which are largely unavailable to the general public.

"We are one of the major clinical and scientific collaborators in orthopaedic applications for General Electric, as well as several additional companies, and collectively, we are constantly innovating and implementing new techniques and equipment," she explained. "In addition, our research imaging scientists are responsible for many of the most significant developments in radiology and imaging in the last ten years. Our teams are constantly optimizing the ability to image the earliest signs of a musculoskeletal condition, disease progression and/or healing."

With 250 members, the HSS Department of Radiology & Imaging performs close to 300,000 musculoskeletal examinations each year including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound (US), of which approximately 180,000 are conventional radiography (x-ray) and interventional procedures.

The Department includes The Coleman Center for Musculoskeletal MRI. Approximately 30,000 musculoskeletal MRI examinations of the axial and appendicular skeleton, including peripheral MR angiography, are currently performed on eleven high field strength units including 1.5T and 3T units. Many prototype MRI pulse sequences have been developed in collaboration with Dr. Potter and Dr. Matthew Koff, who is a research scientist and Associate Director of the MRI laboratory.

The Department has an ACGME Fellowship for training future musculoskeletal radiologists. Dedicated CME approved conferences are held regularly for faculty and  fellows.

All Radiology & Imaging faculty members hold academic appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College and many have been recognized in Castle Connolly's "America's Top Doctors". In addition, many of the faculty are the recipients of prestigious awards for outstanding research from peer reviewed organizations and have been recognized for their teaching skills from international organizations such as the ISMRM, the AAOS, and the RSNA, graduating orthopedic and radiology residency classes.

About Hospital for Special Surgery  
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 4 in rheumatology and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S. News & World Report (2013-14), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2012, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery