57 Over 20 years of dedicated service. For over twenty years, Sharon Hanson has been a member of the Board of ECMC serving as Chair from 2009 to 2012 and again from 2016 to 2018. Over the past several years, Sharon has worked to navigate the hospital through a remarkable series of changes and events that have transformed the structure and practice of medical care throughout the region. The “consummate board member,” she has eloquently advocated for both the skilled caregivers at ECMC and for the rights and comforts of its diverse patient population. In 2017, Ms. Hanson was appointed to the Governing Board of the Healthcare Trustees of New York State (HTNYS). In 2018, she was elected to the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board. She is the first woman and first African-American to serve as Chair of the Board at ECMCC and was honored with the Chairman’s Distinguished Service Award by the ECMC Foundation for her passion and dedication to ECMC and health care in Western New York. Ms. Hanson has been involved in key milestones and significant developments at ECMCC over the past two decades—including its creation in 2004 as a public benefit corporation. She was also instrumental in establishing a new collaborative health care model—Great Lakes Health System of Western New York (a consortium including ECMCC and Kaleida Health). In 2016, she led successful advocacy efforts to allow ECMCC to collaborate with Kaleida Health and the University at Buffalo to operate integrated health care delivery services in Western New York—helping to position ECMCC for sustainable service delivery for decades to come. Ms. Hanson worked with a collaborative team to lay out a strategic plan that resulted in significant growth, including development of centers of excellence in orthopaedics, transplantation, and behavioral health; the addition of new services such as oncology and bariatrics; and an expanded emergency department. She also drove efforts to launch the ECMC Foundation’s mobile mammography coach to meet the needs of medically under-served women. Erie County Medical Center 1978-Present And thanks to the remarkable generosity of Buffalo restaurateur and philanthropist Russell Salvatore, ECMC cut the ribbon in 2015 on a $12.5 million expansion to provide 22 state-of-the-art private inpatient rooms for orthopaedic recovery. Named for Mr. Salvatore, a former orthopaedic patient at the medical center, the unit also includes an area for physical rehab as well as spaces for patient education. The Russell J. Salvatore Orthopaedic Unit provides the resources for the dramatic growth in orthopaedic elective surgeries and joint replacement. In 2012, Mr. Salvatore donated 350 flat screen TVs to the hospital, which enabled all patients to have access to television at no charge. The Foot and Ankle Center opened in 2007 as an integral part of ECMC’s Department of Orthopaedics. The center is uniquely qualified to help adult patients with orthopaedic problems of the lower extremities including arthritis and joint disease, diabetic complications, occupational and sports injuries, and post-traumatic care. Orthopaedic and sportsmedicineexpertsatthehospitalalsospecializeinotherspecificareassuchasthehand, shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, and spine, and a dedicated orthopaedic nursing staff provides skilled support to specialists and surgeons at ECMC’s Center for Orthopaedic Care. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery offers comprehensive care in the management of severe disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. This care includes arthritis surgery and total joint replacement, treatment of fractures and severe musculoskeletal trauma, reconstructive surgery and sports medicine. In 2016, ECMC opened its new Center for Orthopaedic Care, doubling the number of exam rooms, improving patient safety and convenience, and bringing the highest level of outpatient orthopaedic care to patients throughout Western New York. Left, Ribbon cutting at the opening of the Center for Orthopaedic Care. Above, Ribbon cutting at the Russell J. Salvatore Orthopaedic Unit. Photo courtesy Joe Cascio.