Hospital for Special Surgery Appoints Dr. James W. Schroeder, Jr., as Chief Academic Officer

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) announced today the appointment of James W. Schroeder, Jr., MD, MBA, as Chief Academic Officer, effective December 1, 2025. In this role, Dr. Schroeder will lead all aspects of the hospital's academic mission, serving as Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and overseeing graduate and continuing medical education, academic promotions and credentialing.

Dr. Schroeder joins HSS from Northwestern University, where he held joint appointments as Professor in the departments of Medical Education and Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine. During his more than two decades of service, he helped to strengthen educational infrastructure and develop sustainable governance models through multiple leadership roles in graduate and undergraduate medical education and faculty development, including as inaugural Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Surgery at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and as Assistant Designated Institutional Official (DIO) at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. McGaw is a not-for-profit consortium that supports graduate medical education for more than 1,200 residents and fellows across over 180 accredited and non-ACGME programs affiliated with the Feinberg School of Medicine.

Trained as an otolaryngologist, Dr. Schroeder was also the long-time Program Director of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Fellowship at Lurie Children's Hospital-one of the highest-rated programs of its kind in the country. His clinical expertise lies in the management of pediatric sinonasal, airway and swallowing disorders, and his research focuses on pediatric dysphagia related to congenital and acquired airway conditions. He has published more than 70 scientific articles and book chapters and he lectures frequently on these topics. Dr. Schroeder plans to continue his clinical practice at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

At HSS, Dr. Schroeder will oversee all graduate and continuing medical education programs, academic promotions, alumni relations, community health needs, credentialing and other scholarly activities. He will also play a central role in advancing HSS's educational vision through expanded interprofessional learning, enhanced faculty development, and a focus on ensuring that residents and fellows have the mentorship, resources and learning environments they need to thrive.

"Education is central to our mission and to the advancement of musculoskeletal care worldwide," said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS. "Dr. Schroeder's leadership and depth of experience will help shape the next generation of physicians and ensure that HSS remains at the forefront of medical education and innovation."

"I'm honored to join the talented team at HSS at a moment when changing healthcare needs and innovation in healthcare delivery are redefining what's possible in musculoskeletal medicine," said Dr. Schroeder. "As technology continues to reshape the way we provide the highest quality care to more people today, it reinforces our need to embrace and lead the changing paradigms of medical and surgical education for the healthcare leaders of tomorrow. I'm proud to help guide the future direction of our renowned education programs and to make expert musculoskeletal knowledge more accessible and relevant to clinicians everywhere."