Och family gifts $50 million

A pivotal $50 million gift to the New York-Presbyterian from the Jane and Daniel Och Family Foundation makes way for the expansion of the renowned Och Spine program across the New York metro area, providing more adults and children with access to world-class spine care.

The New York-Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital (“Och Spine Hospital”), established in 2015 and located in Northern Manhattan, acts as a hub for the world’s top orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgeons as well as other spine care specialists to treat all spine problems, from the simple to most complex of cases, using surgical and nonsurgical procedures. Och Spine merges the world-class spine programs of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medicine, providing patients access to leading physicians and specialists from two highly acclaimed medical schools.

The foundational gift will establishing more Och Spine facilities across the New York Metro area, including in underserved communities, thereby increasing overall access to Och Spine care. Non-operative services and care are also a significant focus for the development of the program, which with this endowment will now include a state-of-the art outpatient center in The Spiral, a newly constructed 65-story office tower in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards district.

“With Jane and Dan’s generous support, Och Spine and its team of world-class specialists have transformed the way spine care is delivered, setting a new standard for exceptional, innovative care, personalized patient experience and community access,” said president and CEO of New York-Presbyterian, Dr. Steven J. Corwin. “We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary gift that will strengthen New York-Presbyterian’s position as a global leader in spine care and enable us to provide exceptional spine care to more patients in our communities and beyond.”

Jane and Dan Och previously donated $25 million in 2017 to transform spine care at New York-Presbyterian and help to build Och Spine Hospital as the premier spine program in the world, making this their second major gift to the Hospital. Dan Och has been a New York-Presbyterian Hospital trustee since 2005.

“We would first like to recognize the tremendous work and heroic efforts of each and every healthcare worker over the last few years. Their dedication to patients and communities is extraordinary,” said Jane and Dan Och. “The mission of Och Spine, since our first involvement, has been to help countless patients with spine problems, and we are thrilled to continue to support its role as a global leader in spinal care and research.”

“Jane and Dan’s gift reflects their vision of improving the health and well-being of our communities by providing outstanding spine care to as many patients as possible,” said the chair of New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Board of Trustees, Jerry I. Speyer. “We look forward to expanding access to our Och Spine services across the Greater New York area.”

A central part of the expansion will be the initiation of a new Och Spine facility in The Spiral, which will occupy the entire second floor, where clinicians from Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine will collaborate to provide comprehensive, individualized spine care. This plan was developed by Tishman Speyer and is set to open in 2023.

The 50,000-square foot facility will:

Leverage innovative technology to provide seamless access to care and a second-to-nonpatient experience

Serve as a one-stop shop for spine evaluation, imaging, and treatment, as well as improving spine health

Feature on-site radiology, procedure rooms, a physical therapy gym, and a collaborative space for physicians

Be conveniently located within blocks of major transportation hubs, making it easily accessible for patients from all five boroughs, as well as New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island, and those traveling nationally and internationally.

The Ochs’ endowment will also power the growth of the non-operative team. At Och Spine facilities, every aspect of each patient’s care is delivered by a clinician who specializes in meeting the unique needs of spine patients – not just surgeons, but physiatrists, pain specialists, neurologists, psychologists, physical therapists, nurses and more. As most patients experiencing back or neck pain can be treated without surgical intervention, the gift will support the recruitment of more non-operative specialists dedicated to providing the right care plan for each patient’s specific needs.

The gift will also support the opening of a new inpatient unit dedicated to spine care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in 2023, and expand Och Spine services to NewYork-Presbyterian Lawrence Hospital in Westchester in 2022. In the coming years, Och Spine care will be available at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals in Brooklyn and Queens.

“Och Spine is dedicated to providing the most innovative, advanced spine care for the treatment of everything from common disorders to the rarest, most complex conditions,” said Dr. Lawrence Lenke, co-director and surgeon-in-chief at the Och Spine Hospital, and chief of spinal deformity surgery in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “Jane and Dan’s extraordinary support will not only allow us to expand access to care, but also improve our ability to provide the very best spine care to our patients.”

“Thanks to the remarkable support of Jane and Dan, Och Spine has expanded to include a team of leading specialists from two renowned medical schools,” said Dr. Roger Härtl, co-director of Och Spine, director, neurosurgery spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and director of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Center for Comprehensive Spine Care. “At Och Spine, our operative and non-operative clinicians work together to deliver personalized, comprehensive care to each patient for their particular spine issue.”

According to the New York State Department of Health, Och Spine, which is run in conjunction by the orthopedic and neurosurgical spine services at Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine, treats more people with spine problems than any other hospital in New York City. As leaders in using both minimally invasive and complex surgical techniques, Och Spine experts work together to determine the best approach to treating issues such as scoliosis, spinal tumors, degenerative spine disorders, and spinal trauma. Children and adults travel from all over the country and world to receive care from Och Spine operative and non-operative specialists.