As I reflect on my past five years as Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System, I am proud of all of our accomplishments. We have progressed in all areas of our core mission, and this is reflected in our recognition as a top 25 program in the nation by US News and World Report. Our practice has expanded in Manhattan and beyond so that patients from all five boroughs can access the outstanding care that we provide. This growth has allowed us to add extraordinary talent to our Department, and this is reflected in the achievements in clinical care, education, and research.

We offer the latest in technology for very basic problems to the most complex reconstructive challenges. Our spine service is comprised of a specialized team to offer operative and nonoperative treatments. We perform minimally invasive, non fusion alternatives for scoliosis deformity, and our surgeons offer state of the art options for degenerative spinal disorders.

Our sports medicine physicians continue to care for the athletes of the US Open tennis tournament. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team was presented with new challenges. Our physicians worked tirelessly with tournament organizers to prepare a comprehensive program for keeping athletes safe and healthy before, during, and after the competition. In addition, we offer the latest technologies for cell-based therapies for cartilage regeneration, management of injuries in young athletes, and minimally invasive reconstructive options for post traumatic arthritis.

The C.V. Starr Hand Surgery Center reconstruction is underway at its new location at 425 West 59th Street. This world renowned center will house the hand and upper extremity team, occupational therapy, and the hand research staff. Mount Sinai has long been known for its state of the art treatment of complex upper extremity problems and this center will facilitate renewed collaboration between specialists and become the home for our Fellowship training program.

The Orthopedic Research Lab continues to thrive. We welcome a new PhD this fall, who will round out our team of National Institutes of Health funded scientists. Our basic science and translational research delivers novel and groundbreaking discoveries, while we are uniquely positioned to evaluate them in the context of clinical care. Alice Huang, PhD, received the Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award from the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation for her work on tendon progenitor cells in tendon development.

This past fall, we welcomed five new physicians in the specialties of joint reconstruction, spine, hand, foot and ankle, and oncology. They are seeing patients at all of our Manhattan sites and in many of the boroughs. We are thrilled to welcome this new expertise.