The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is the leading orthopedic hospital in the United States, serving over 230,000 patients every year.
From 2000 to 2005, the Foundation was a significant supporter of HSS’s Discovery to Recovery, the Campaign for Research, providing $19 million in gifts that enabled the hospital to build new laboratories to increase the quality and quantity of scientific investigations, recruit and retain renowned scientists, and pursue research into new and more effective therapies for bone and joint disorders.
For example, osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful joint disease that is a leading cause of disability among adults and afflicts millions of people around the world. Current treatments are severely limited and often ineffective. Foundation support to launch HSS’s Integrated Osteoarthritis Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Program spurred research to address all stages of the disease—from preventing the onset of OA in people with joint injuries to improving outcomes for those who undergo joint replacement surgery.
Additionally, the Foundation-endowed Starr Chair in Mineralized Tissue Research and Starr Chair in Tissue Engineering Research enable scientists to advance research aimed at preventing musculoskeletal tissue degeneration and improving treatments, healing, and health outcomes for patients affected by diseases including osteoporosis, fractures, arthritis, and loosening of joint implants.
In 2019, amid the accelerating opioid crisis in the United States, The Starr Foundation established the C.V. Starr Endowed Chair in Pain Management to boost pain management research, program development, and physician education at HSS. Recognizing that orthopedists are among the top prescribers of opioids, HSS’s program prioritizes prescribing opioids in a safe manner, holistic approaches to pain management—including nerve blocks, acupuncture, meditation, injections, and medication—and the use of nonopioid alternatives.
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