Albany Medical Center Announces Departmental Status for Orthopedics
Elevation from Division of Orthopedics Seeks to Enhance Strengths and Successes of Orthopedic Services
Albany Medical College, part of the Albany Med Health System, has elevated its Division of Orthopedic Surgery to departmental status. The announcement allows for additional support of the high-quality and specialized orthopedic care provided by Albany Medical Center to adults and children across the region, as well as research and education components that align with the Center’s mission.
The orthopedic service at Albany Medical Center provides a wide range of care, including focus areas of orthopedic trauma, pediatric orthopedics, and orthopedic oncology. While seeking to enhance care, the shift to departmental status will also serve as a valuable tool for the recruitment of faculty and residents.
“Departmental status has important and positive implications for our orthopedic operations,” said Alan Boulos, MD, ’94, executive vice president and dean of Albany Medical College. “This not only allows us to better position ourselves in response to the growing need for orthopedic care in our region, but also to pursue opportunities to educate and lead the way in terms of research and discovery.”
Albany Medical Center shares a relationship with The Bone & Joint Center, which has led to a long-standing academic and private practice partnership that is at the core of the mission to enhance patient care across the region. This has led to the development of a joint ambulatory surgery venture, the Center for Advanced Ambulatory Surgery in Malta, a partnership between the Albany Med Health System and the Bone & Joint Center.
The partnership’s success is seen in its level of care and patient trust. In 2019 (the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic), 189,000 outpatient orthopedic visits were registered and more than 17,000 surgical procedures were performed at Albany Medical Center’s campus as well as partner locations throughout the region.
“This announcement undoubtedly helps to put us on a level playing field with other orthopedic programs across the country,” said Richard Uhl, MD, interim chair of the Department of Orthopedics. “It will support our efforts to drive innovation and allow us to open new doors to explore opportunities for research and discovery, all in alignment with our educational mission.”
Albany Medical Center’s Department of Orthopedics sees patients at their Albany office on Washington Avenue Extension, as well as the Center for Advanced Ambulatory Surgery in Malta.
