[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 24, 2013

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great 
pleasure to recognize the 150th anniversary of Hospital for Special 
Surgery (HSS), which will be celebrated on May 1, 2013. The hospital, 
which is located in my district on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 
was established in 1863 as a 28-bed hospital for children with severe 
disabilities and has grown to become an international leader in 
orthopedics and rheumatology for children and adults. It has been 
ranked #1 in the country for orthopedics for three consecutive years by 
U.S. News & World Report and has been among the top ranked hospitals in 
orthopedics and rheumatology for 22 consecutive years. Through its long 
and successful history, HSS has always maintained its specialized focus 
on improving patients' quality of life and getting them back to work 
and leisure. Today, the skilled medical staff at HSS perform some 
27,000 surgeries each year, helping patients from across the United 
States and around the world maintain active lives.
  Demand for the hospital's services has almost doubled in the past six 
years, and I am confident that this trend will accelerate as people of 
all ages live more actively than ever before. People travel far and 
wide for the unsurpassed level of care provided by the hospital--in 
2012, patients came from every state and 90 countries. HSS physicians 
are the official team doctors for the New York Giants, New York Mets, 
New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and New York Red 
Bulls. Despite these high-profile relationships, everyday athletes and 
non-athletes are treated the same as elite athletes at the hospital.
  HSS nurses have been widely recognized for their excellence and 
caring. In 2012, Hospital for Special Surgery became the first hospital 
in New York State to earn Magnet Recognition by the American Nurses 
Credentialing Center--the nation's highest honor for nursing excellence 
for the third consecutive time.
  In addition to outstanding clinical care, HSS conducts research that 
directly improves the lives of people with arthritis, mobility 
disorders, severe injuries, and autoimmune diseases. For example, in 
the 1970s a team of HSS surgeons and engineers pioneered the first 
modern total knee implant, called the total condylar knee, which led 
the way for millions of people with advanced knee arthritis to live 
active lives with limited pain. More recently, the modular shoulder 
replacement and other significant HSS implant designs improved the 
lives of so many more. HSS scientists continue to make breakthrough 
discoveries about the causes of autoimmune diseases, providing exciting 
new opportunities for drug therapies.
  Building on a rich legacy of pioneering achievement in the fields of 
orthopedics and rheumatology, HSS will meet the future with the same 
unwavering commitment to fulfill its mission in patient care, research, 
and education it has exhibited in the last 150 years. HSS is dedicated 
to finding new solutions to improve the lives of patients by striving 
for the highest levels of quality, making discoveries in the 
laboratory, pursuing innovative technologies, and training physicians 
who will influence and lead the fields of orthopedics and rheumatology 
around the world.
  Hospital for Special Surgery's unique culture of excellence and 
dedication to patients continues to be its strength, and will ensure 
its success in the future. I congratulate the hospital on this 
important anniversary and invite Members to join me in extending 
appreciation for its past, present, and future accomplishments.

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