NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the academic medical center specialized in musculoskeletal care since 1863, today announced the appointment of Sheeraz Qureshi, MD, MBA as co-chief of HSS Spine, effective October 1, 2022. Dr. Qureshi will succeed Harvinder S. Sandhu, MD, MBA, and joins Andrew A. Sama, MD, as co-chief of HSS Spine. Dr. Sandhu will become Co-Chief Emeritus of HSS Spine and Medical Director of HSS Orthopedics with Stamford Health, succeeding Charles “Chip” Cornell, MD, who will retire next month.
Dr. Qureshi joined HSS in April 2017 after serving as chief of minimally invasive spine surgery and associate director of the Spine Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. His clinical practice focuses on minimally invasive and motion-sparing spine procedures using the latest technologies. He has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles published in peer-reviewed journals, given more than 100 invited lectures and contributed to educational videos, and trained surgical fellows nationally and internationally. Dr. Qureshi also works with leading implant manufacturers, pioneering innovations in disks and implants for restoring height and proper spinal alignment.
“Dr. Qureshi is an exceptional spine surgeon, researcher and educator,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA, surgeon-in-chief and medical director of HSS. “I look forward to working with him and Dr. Sama as they take HSS Spine to even higher levels of excellence.” 
“I’m excited to lead HSS Spine together with Dr. Qureshi, with a shared vision to expand our services with a laser focus on the patient journey from initial diagnosis to rehabilitation,” said Dr. Sama. “Our team will continue to pioneer advances in spine care, conduct rigorous research, and adopt new technologies and techniques when they are proven to provide better care and achieve better outcomes.”
“I’m honored to join Dr. Sama in leading the specialists who have already made HSS the nation’s most popular and successful spine treatment center,” said Dr. Qureshi, who also serves as the Patty and Jay Baker Chair in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and was recently promoted to professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Our multidisciplinary team personalizes for each patient the latest evidence-based options, from conservative, nonsurgical therapies to surgical treatment for the most complex conditions.”
More than 22,000 patients a year are treated for back and neck pain by the HSS Spine team. While the majority are treated non-surgically, HSS performs 138% more spine surgeries than the next leading hospital.
“Our spine service is a key reason why HSS has been ranked the #1 orthopedic program in the world, and in the United States for 13 consecutive years,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO at HSS. “I know that Drs. Qureshi and Sama and the HSS Spine team will continue to advance the field and create new possibilities for our patients.”
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 13th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2022-2023), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2022-2023). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a second consecutive year (2022). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest complication and readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection 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. 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 145 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 Hospital for Special Surgery
