UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEM TO COLLABORATE WITH WORLD #1 IN ORTHOPEDICS TO PROVIDE MUSCULOSKELETAL CARE IN SOUTH FLORIDA

MIAMI, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UHealth – University of Miami Health System and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) are collaborating to provide world-class musculoskeletal care to patients in South Florida. Combining HSS's world-recognized knowledge and expertise with UHealth's outstanding orthopedic physicians and surgeons, the collaboration will bring premier orthopedic and musculoskeletal care to patients at UHealth SoLé Mia, the health system's largest ambulatory facility being built in North Miami and set to open in fall 2025. The collaboration will leverage HSS expertise, pathways and guidance to enhance UHealth's already stellar orthopedics treatment, increasing access and improving patient care.

Led by renowned orthopedic surgeon, Francis J. Hornicek, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., UHealth's Department of Orthopaedics includes the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute, medical provider for the Miami Hurricanes and the Miami Marlins. The department is the only academic, full-service multidisciplinary orthopedics program in South Florida and is a leader in research using stem cells, refining microsurgery for amputations, treating back pain and musculoskeletal oncology.

"We are pleased to announce this collaboration even before we open our doors at UHealth SoLé Mia," said Dipen J. Parekh, M.D., chief operating officer of UHealth and founding director of Desai Sethi Urology Institute. "UHealth and HSS are both academic medical centers similarly focused on leading research and delivering excellence to patients in a clinical setting. This alliance will truly make UHealth SoLé Mia an unparalleled medical destination for our local community and beyond. Patients from across the nation already look to UHealth and HSS for world-class care. This collaboration brings the best of both worlds under one roof."

Specialized since 1863, HSS has been ranked No. 1 in orthopedics worldwide since Newsweek introduced that ranking five years ago and has been ranked No. 1 in orthopedics nationwide for 15 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report (2024-2025). HSS is the world's largest academic medical center specializing in musculoskeletal health and is the official hospital of the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Giants, the New York Knicks, current WNBA champions the New York Liberty, the New York Mets, the New York Red Bulls, UFC and other high-performing sports organizations.

"HSS is committed to making the world's highest-quality musculoskeletal care accessible to more people," said Sheeraz Qureshi, M.D., M.B.A., chief medical officer, HSS Florida and co-chief of HSS Spine. "This goal relies on strategic collaborations with like-minded organizations and leveraging these relationships to enhance care models from routine to complex musculoskeletal conditions. We are proud to partner with the University of Miami Health System and look forward to advancing the field of orthopedics together for South Florida residents."

As part of this collaboration at the North Miami facility, UHealth will build a musculoskeletal program that includes imaging, physician services, ambulatory surgeries and rehabilitation services. Medical Director for Integrated UM/HSS Orthopedics Musculoskeletal Program, Lee Kaplan, M.D., M.H.C.M., and Senior Administrative Officer, Monica Calcines, J.D., will work in consort with Dr. Qureshi with the goal of unified and consistent care delivery. UHealth and HSS will also work together to recruit specialized surgeons to enhance orthopedic services offered at SoLé Mia.

With the help of the University of Miami Strategy Team led by Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Aaron Snyder and Executive Director Ina Hoxha, the impact of this strategic alliance will have reach well beyond the North Miami facility, enhancing the quality, patient experience and outcomes of the UHealth orthopedics department. Dr. Hornicek describes the collaboration as "a win-win for patients in South Florida. We're bringing in the top orthopedics program in the nation to work hand in hand with our already-stellar faculty. This will only improve access and patient outcomes for our community."

"Guided by our mission to improve mobility and enhance quality of life for all, HSS is committed to building partnerships that drive innovation and deliver lasting impact," said Tara M. McCoy, chief executive officer, HSS Florida. "We value the power of collaboration. Our shared commitment to musculoskeletal health will enable us to make meaningful progress together."

"We are bringing together two powerhouses in the orthopedic field," said Dr. Kaplan, who is director of the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute. "This will benefit the patients of South Florida who live an active lifestyle and make this area a destination for care."

In addition to the newly formed affiliation, UHealth and HSS will host the 9^th Annual Winter Technology & Innovation in Orthopedics Symposium in Ft. Lauderdale. The two-day event in January features specialized presentations of the latest advances in orthopedics, including joint replacement, sports medicine and spine surgery.

ABOUT UHEALTH

UHealth – University of Miami Health System delivers leading-edge patient care by top-ranked physicians who treat some of the most complex cases. Powered by the Miller School of Medicine's ground-breaking research and medical education, UHealth is the region's only academic-based health care system. With a comprehensive network of nearly 40 outpatient facilities, its flagship hospital in the heart of Miami's Health District, and more than 1,800 providers across South Florida, UHealth is a vital component of the community that is leading the next generation of health care. UHealth is home to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the No. 1 ranked eye hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, the region's only NCI-designated cancer center, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, dedicated to urologic research and discovery, and a neurology and neurosurgery program ranked in the top 20 in the nation. These programs, along with 100 other specialties, make UHealth a trusted destination for compassionate, research-based care. Among those specialties is the Department of Orthopaedics, where for more than 35 years, it has conducted some of the most advanced patient care, medical instruction and research aimed at helping people regain function to lead more active lives. Each year, physicians and surgeons provide care at four locations across South Florida, including 45,000 outpatient and 9,000 orthopaedic emergency room visits, plus more than 10,000 surgical procedures. Within the department is the University of Miami Sports Medicine Institute, which provides care for the Miami Hurricanes and the Miami Marlins. UMiamiHealth.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 15th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2024-2025), 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 (2023). 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 in 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. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. 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. www.hss.edu.

SOURCE University of Miami Health System