HSS Global Partnerships
As one of the leading musculoskeletal care providers in the world, Hospital for Special Surgery is bringing cutting edge knowledge, ideas, and information to the global community. HSS Global Partnerships works with partners to elevate the standard of musculoskeletal care in their communities and beyond. Together we create cultures of excellence through knowledge transfer, education, and process improvement. We align with like-minded care providers and institutions to improve patient outcomes and organizational performance. We aim to raise the level of orthopedic education and training, and improve access to high quality, trusted orthopedic care through providers affiliated with HSS.
As part of its mission to provide the highest quality musculoskeletal care and improve the quality of life for all, HSS facilitates best practice knowledge transfers and partnerships for the international musculoskeletal medicine community.
The HSS Orthopedic Knowledge Network was established in 2022 to align leading Orthopedic care providers from around the world to advance the provision of Orthopedic care and the science of musculoskeletal health across geographies. The establishment of the Network is in furtherance of the commitment of HSS and HSS physicians to advance the field of musculoskeletal medicine through knowledge transfer, education, and the development of world-class health delivery systems.
Members participating in the Network will be provided the opportunity to work with HSS and HSS physicians, as well as with other members, to share knowledge and advance the science of musculoskeletal health and participate in educational, training, and mentoring activities that will advance Member’s capabilities and reputation as leaders in musculoskeletal health. Knowledge exchange takes place through interaction abroad as well as at our institution.
HSS pursues relationships that have a similar mission and vision dedicated to high quality patient care, academic excellence, and cutting-edge research. To discuss potential partnerships and/or best practice knowledge transfer projects, contact globalpartnerships@hss.edu.
Institutional Members
Leading Together
We align the top orthopedic care providers from around the world to advance the provision of orthopedic care and the science of musculoskeletal health through the HSS Global Orthopedic Alliance.
Hospital for Special Surgery has partnered with Hospital Alvorada in Brazil and Bumin Hospital Group (BHG) in South Korea in multi-year consulting agreements involving education, mentorship, and professional training in the field of musculoskeletal medicine.
A Premier Membership Network
We assess each organization seeking membership in the Alliance. Members have high-quality outcomes, are leaders in patient safety, and offer excellent patient experiences.
We review orthopedic service capabilities especially in the following areas:
- Infection Control
- Quality Assurance & Patient Safety
- Perioperative Services
- Nursing and Rehabilitation
HSS also collaborates with other professional organizations to facilitate a unique learning experience for musculoskeletal health professionals at HSS and around the world.
Other Knowledge Transfer Initiatives
- Latin America Regional Anesthesia Knowledge Exchange Program
- HSS Orthopedic Knowledge Exchange in China
- Ranawat Orthopaedic Conference
- American Austrian Foundation (AAF)
- International Society of Orthopaedic Centers, Ltd. (ISOC)
- 2023 HSS Stavros Niarchos Foundation Orthopedic Seminar Program
Traveling Fellowships
- The Knee Society, Insall Traveling Fellowship
- The Hip Society, Rothman-Ranawat Traveling Fellowship
- AOA American-British-Canadian (ABC) Traveling Fellowship
- AOA North American Traveling Fellowship (NATF)
Centro Hospitalario Serena del Mar (CHSM)
In November 2019, HSS established a relationship with Centro Hospitalario Serena del Mar (CHSM), a medical center at the heart of a visionary new development on the north coast of Cartagena, Colombia. HSS offered input on the design of the medical center, which is operated by Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, the leading healthcare provider in the nation’s capital.
HSS advises CHSM on clinical services related to musculoskeletal care and provides the center with specialist knowledge, training, and best practice protocols, along with access to diagnostic support. This helps to ensure the highest possible standards of quality for patients from Central and South America.
Timelines for this initiative have been delayed during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Guided by the pillars of its mission — patient care, research, education, and enhanced quality of life — HSS is committed to advancing global health and the delivery of humanitarian services. HSS seeks to develop well-rounded leaders capable of providing short-term international or domestic assistance that promotes human welfare and reduces human suffering.
FOCOS
The Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) was founded by Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, MD, Chief Emeritus of the HSS Scoliosis Service. FOCOS provides orthopedic care to underserved populations in West Africa and other developing nations.
FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in Accra, Ghana is a freestanding hospital with its own full-time staff. It brings state-of-the-art orthopedic care to an area of the world where the need is great. HSS supports its goal to provide high-quality care and improve quality of life in Ghana and neighboring countries.
HSS staff members — including nurses, central sterile processing technicians, physical therapists, prosthetic technicians, procurement staff, and neuromonitoring technicians — make week-long service trips to the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital twice each year to offer educational support and share best practices with the FOCOS staff.
Humanitarian Initiatives Program
The Humanitarian Initiatives Program aims to improve orthopedic care in resource-limited nations by supporting one to two service-and outcome-based projects annually that promote sustainable knowledge transfer in the area of musculoskeletal health.
Global Musculoskeletal Health Equity Division (GMHED)
The HSS Global Musculoskeletal Health Equity Division (GMHED) is a division of HSS Global Partnerships founded in 2021 by Dr. Swetha Pakala and Dr. Mark Brouillette to provide humanitarian services in places where the need for musculoskeletal care is great and access to safe high-quality care is lacking. This program was formerly the Global Health Initiative (GHI), founded in 2012 within the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care & Pain Management.
In recognition of her work, Dr. Pakala was honored in 2019 with the first Leon Root, MD, Community Service Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the community by leading initiatives that improve the health of underserved populations.
Other Supported Humanitarian Efforts
Crutches for Kids
HSS partners with Crutches 4 Kids (C4K), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing crutches to disadvantaged children around the world. The mission of C4K is to bridge the gap between crutch supply and demand to empower children with mobility impairments. Providing crutches to disabled children gives them the gift of mobility, which leads to independence and enables them to attend school, use their education to gain future employment, and become active participants in the lives of their families and communities.
Beth E. Shubin Stein, MD, Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at HSS and Chair of C4K, co-founded the organization with her brother and husband in 2010. Board members include HSS President and CEO Louis A. Shapiro and JeMe Cioppa-Mosca, PT, MBA, Senior Vice President of Rehabilitation at HSS.
COVID-19 Resources
- Support for Your Patients
- The Power of Pivoting: Managing Though a Crisis | Free, Innovative Online Series of Educational Courses for Professionals
Global Impact Report
Excellence Amplified. Global impact through international partnerships, patients and education.
Read the current issue of the HSS Global Impact Report.
GlobalLink Newsletter
The HSS GlobalLink newsletter highlights our global initiatives and partnerships and promotes opportunities to advance musculoskeletal health around the world.
Grand Rounds from HSS: Management of Complex Cases
Grand Rounds publications are for musculoskeletal health professionals. These materials profile highly complicated cases, including follow-up data and clinical treatment discussions.
HSS Journal®
Published since 2005, HSS Journal: The Musculoskeletal Journal of Hospital for Special Surgery is a peer-reviewed journal published by SAGE beginning in 2021. Submissions are welcome from clinicians around the world. The journal features original research, review articles, and case reports on musculoskeletal conditions, their diagnosis, and their treatment. Articles from professionals in fields relevant to musculoskeletal health are encouraged: orthopedics, anesthesia, perioperative medicine, bone and mineral medicine, radiology and imaging, clinical pathology, rheumatology, telehealth, robotics, musculoskeletal nursing, neurology, physiatry, and rehabilitation.
Continuing Education
Developed in collaboration with HSS faculty, the HSS eAcademy® learning platform is one of the largest portfolios of premium, on-demand musculoskeletal content and offers professional education courses and content to physicians, physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and healthcare professionals. The platform, which includes orthopedic surgical videos and conversations with experts, reaches more than 30,000 healthcare professionals in more than 130 countries. It is also open to the public, providing access to reliable musculoskeletal content at their convenience.
HSS also offers a wide range of livestreaming and onsite courses and conferences. Visit the CME and CEU Activities and Offerings page for a selection of upcoming programs, grand rounds, and more.
Studies on Humanitarian Work
- Regional anesthesia training model for resource-limited settings: a prospective single-center observational study with pre-post evaluations.
- Anesthesia Capacity in Ghana: A Teaching Hospital's Resources, and the National Workforce and Education.
- Orthopedic surgery in the developing world: workforce and operative volumes in Ghana compared to those in the United States.
- Motivations and impact of international rotations in low- and middle-income countries for orthopaedic surgery residents: Are we on the same page?
- Topics, Skills, and Cases for an Undergraduate Musculoskeletal Curriculum in Southern Africa: A Consensus from Local and International Experts.
- Consortium of Orthopaedic Academic Traumatologists: A Model for Collaboration in Orthopaedic Surgery.
Contact Us
If you are interested in learning more about the work of HSS Global Partnerships or are interested in collaborating with HSS, please contact us at globalpartnerships@hss.edu.
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