HSS Honors Distinguished Physician Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, and Marina Kellen French of HSS Board of Trustees at Tribute Dinner

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health, honored Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD, hand and upper extremity surgeon at HSS, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41^st Annual HSS Tribute Dinner. Marina Kellen French of the HSS Board of Trustees received the Tribute Dinner Award at the gala event, which took place on June 1 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The Tribute Dinner is the premier fundraising event for HSS, recognizing physicians, philanthropists and business leaders who have made a major impact in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. The evening, hosted by Bob Papa, voice of The New York Football Giants, featured entertainment by Sara Bareilles.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest recognition for an outstanding healthcare leader at HSS. "Dr. Hotchkiss is a transformative leader in musculoskeletal medicine who has had a significant impact on the field," said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, surgeon-in-chief and medical director at HSS. "Throughout his career, he has helped redefine how we approach some of the most complex conditions in orthopedic care. His expertise, leadership and unwavering commitment to delivering the highest-quality care have not only advanced the standard of treatment but have also made a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the patients he serves."

The HSS Tribute Dinner Award recognizes outstanding achievements in business and service to the community. "We are honored to celebrate Marina Kellen French for her longstanding leadership and commitment to HSS," said HSS President and CEO Bryan T. Kelly, MD, MBA. "Her years of service on the HSS Board of Trustees and dedication to science and research have left a lasting impact on our institution and the patients we serve. From her transformative gift to the Kellen Tower, a landmark expansion of HSS's Upper East Side campus, to the Kellen Scholars program she established, which has supported the research and discovery of dozens of the brightest minds in orthopedic medicine-her contributions have been instrumental in advancing our field."

This year's Tribute Dinner, attended by over 700 guests and raised more than $5 million for patient care, research and medical education.

HONOREES

Marina Kellen French

A philanthropist and avid supporter of the arts and sciences, both in the United States and abroad, Marina Kellen French is Vice President of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation and President of the Marina Kellen French Foundation. A member of the HSS Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors for over 15 years, she has made an indelible mark on the organization helping to shape the careers of young investigators, blaze new paths for scientific inquiry, and transform how HSS cares for those affected by musculoskeletal conditions.

Mrs. French has long been a champion of science and research at HSS, culminating her lead gift to Kellen Tower, which opened earlier this spring and marks a major milestone in the transformation of HSS's Upper East Side campus. In addition, she has created the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Clinician-Scientist Program, the Marina Kellen Chair in Complex Joint Reconstruction, the Marina Kellen French Foundation Directorship in Trauma, and a commitment to new research that will enable more patients to achieve successful outcomes from knee replacement surgery.

Mrs. French is a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the American Academy in Berlin, Friends of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and World Monuments Fund. She is a member of the Trustees' Council of the National Gallery of Art, a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera, and a life trustee of the Morgan Library & Museum and WNET Channel 13.

A recipient of numerous awards and honors, in November 2021 Mrs. French was named a Living Landmark by the New York Landmarks Conservancy for her outstanding contribu­tions to the city. She has received honors from the French government, including the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur award in 2022, and the Commandeur de L'ordre des Arts et Lettres, the highest distinction in the arts, in 2024. She has also received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit (First Class) of the Federal Republic of Germany (2014) for her exceptional work in German-American relations. Mrs. French graduated from the Brearley School in New York City and the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and attended the New York School of Interior Design.

Robert N. Hotchkiss, MD

Dr. Robert N. Hotchkiss served as the inaugural Joel and Anne Bick Ehrenkranz Chair in Hand and Upper Extremity Research and Director of Clinical Research at HSS, where he has devoted much of his professional career to advancing orthopedic surgery, clinical investigation, and innovation in musculoskeletal care. He also serves as Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and previously led the Hand and Upper Extremity Service at HSS for more than a decade.

Dr. Hotchkiss received his undergraduate education at the University of Colorado Boulder, majoring in both Chemistry and Slavic Languages and Literature, before earning his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also completed his surgical and orthopedic training.

Internationally recognized for his pioneering work in hand, elbow, and upper-extremity reconstruction, Dr. Hotchkiss has helped shape modern approaches to complex elbow trauma, instability, stiffness, and reconstructive surgery. Over a distinguished career spanning more than four decades, he has made contributions that extend beyond the operating room into biomechanics, implant design, translational research, and the emerging use of machine learning and advanced imaging technologies in medicine. He is co-founder and advisor to Imagen Technologies and holds multiple patents in orthopedic devices and drug delivery systems.

A prolific author, educator, and mentor, Dr. Hotchkiss has lectured throughout the United States and internationally, served as Associate Editor of multiple editions of Operative Hand Surgery, and trained generations of surgeons who now lead programs around the world.

Dr. Hotchkiss and his wife, Stephanie, have two grown sons, Andrew and Thomas, who are involved in healthcare technologies and early-stage biotechnology investments.