Joel S. Buchalter, MD, FAAOS, FACS, an orthopedic surgeon with more than three decades of experience, has been named director of joint replacement surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital’s (NWH) Orthopedic and Spine Institute.

“Dr. Buchalter is a leader in orthopedics in the community and brings a wealth of experience in joint replacement to our orthopedic program. Our goal is to continue to advance the surgical services we provide for the community and we are excited to have Dr. Buchalter’s expertise and leadership as we continue to build our program,” said NWH senior vice president for medical affairs and chief medical officer, Marla Koroly, MD.

NWH’s team of highly experienced, board-certified orthopedic surgeons and specialists at the Orthopedic and Spine Institute coordinate a patient’s care with an extended team of professionals including neurosurgery, sports medicine, pain management, radiology, internal medicine and physical therapy. The team oversees treatments from pre-surgical assessments and education to surgical procedures, post-operative care and rehabilitation.

Dr. Buchalter noted that, “the Orthopedic and Spine Institute offers leading-edge technologies and techniques for minimally invasive and arthroscopic surgery, all customized to meet a patient’s unique needs. Two advanced, highly effective robot-assisted surgical approaches for full and partial knee replacements called NAVIO and MAKO are available at Northern Westchester Hospital. We’re one of the few hospitals in the region, including in New York City, to offer both technologies.” He added, “In addition to a focus on surgical excellence, patients coming to NWH benefit from the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery pain management program which provides a faster, narcotic-free recovery. Healthy Hip and Knee replacement patients can have surgery, walk several hours later, and return home the same day. We also do muscle sparing anterior hip replacements using the Hana table. I am excited to work with the team to advance our surgical practices for patients requiring orthopedic procedures.”

Most recently, Dr. Buchalter spent almost two decades at Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, NY, where he served as chief, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, director of the Orthopedic Institute, and president of the medical staff. Dr. Buchalter also serves as a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the NYU School of Medicine. In addition, he is a managing partner with Somers Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Group, which has offices in Mount Kisco, Carmel, Newburgh, and Fishkill in New York as well as in Danbury, Connecticut. He has also served as team physician at Pace University in Purchase, NY.

Dr. Buchalter has received numerous awards, including Castle Connolly’s Top Doctor NY Metro area; US News & World Report Top Doctor; the Consumer Research Council of America’s Top Orthopaedist Award; a Patient’s Choice Award; and an award for Most Compassionate Doctor.

He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. In addition, he is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons; the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery; the American College of Surgeons; The New York State Society of Orthopedic Surgeons; and the New York Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Buchalter graduated from the NYU School of Medicine and completed his Orthopaedic residency at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases (now known as the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital), He received a bachelor’s of science degree Magna Cum Laude in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. He served as chief resident in orthopaedic surgery at the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases; completed a multiple trauma rotation at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD; and an internship in general surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

Dr. Buchalter has been a resident of North Salem for over 25 years.

For more information or to register for a pre-surgery joint replacement class, call (914) 362-6133 or visit https://nwh.northwell.edu/orthopedic-spine-institute.

About Northern Westchester Hospital

Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH), a member of Northwell Health, provides quality, patient-centered care that is close to home through a unique combination of medical expertise, leading-edge technology, and a commitment to humanity. Over 650 highly-skilled physicians, state-of-the-art technology and professional staff of caregivers are all in place to ensure that you and your family receive treatment in a caring, respectful and nurturing environment. NWH has established extensive internal quality measurements that surpass the standards defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) National Hospital Quality Measures. Our high-quality standards help to ensure that the treatment you receive at NWH is among the best in the nation. For more information, please visit www.nwhc.net and connect with us on Facebook.

About Northwell Health

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 23 hospitals, nearly 800 outpatient facilities and more than 14,200 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 72,000 employees – 17,000-plus nurses and 4,500 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.