New orthopedics center opens in Wilton

An increasing demand for orthopedic services in the region, particularly for those living along the Norwalk-Danbury corridor, has inspired a new chapter in the ongoing collaboration between two leading healthcare providers: Stamford Health and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have joined forces to open a new medical facility at the Wilton Crossing complex at 195 Danbury Road in Wilton.

The facility, formally known as HSS Orthopedics at Stamford Health-Wilton, had a soft launch in November and is centered on providing musculoskeletal care, with an emphasis on spine, sports medicine, and reconstructive and joint replacement services. The office also offers physiatry, or physical medicine and rehabilitation centered on restoring function and maintaining quality of life for people with disabilities or physical impairments due to a wide range of health problems. The collaboration also includes surgical capabilities by surgeons from both HSS and Stamford Health at Stamford Hospital and Stamford Health’s Tully Health Center.

Stamford Health and HSS have collaborated since 2017 and the new office has joined HSS Sports rehab locations in Stamford, Greenwich, Wilton and New Canaan.

“People are aging but they want to remain active,” said John Finger, HSS’s senior vice president of the New York regional market.

Finger explained that the region’s demographic trends show that demand for the ability to stay active at older ages will continue to rise. In fact, the office was already needed.

“At Stamford Hospital we’ve about doubled our surgical volume in the last couple of years, and our patient activity at our Stamford office is up about 58 percent compared to what we were doing in 2019 pre COVID,” he said.

According to Finger, the Wilton business community has been welcoming and HSS looks forward to becoming involved with the town through affiliations with sports teams and community organizations.

Jonathan Bailey, senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer for Stamford Health, felt much the same. As a Wilton resident, he was excited by the prospect of seeing the impact of the center in the community where his family lives. He’s also excited to see the ease of access it will provide to people in the region.

“We played a key role in making sure that the needs in Wilton were addressed while coming out of the pandemic,” Bailey said. “I get frequent calls about “Hey, I or my loved one need to see somebody for an orthopedic related injury or condition.’ And oftentimes those patients would have to make the drive over to Chelsea Piers.

“Coming out of the pandemic traffic has certainly picked back up,” he continued. “What used to be a maybe 15- to 20-minute drive now can be 30 to 40 minutes. And when you have an orthopedic condition and you’re struggling with mobility, the last thing you want is having to sit in a car. You want the convenience.”