Spine Surgeon for Westchester County Patients
Han Jo Kim, MD is a spine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, specializing in cervical spine and scoliosis surgery along with complex spinal deformity. Patients travel to see him from across the region, including throughout Westchester County.
To be clear about location: there is no Westchester office. Dr. Kim sees patients at HSS on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and at offices in Uniondale and Water Mill. For most of Westchester, the Manhattan office is a straightforward trip – details are further down this page.
The office is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm ET.
About Dr. Han Jo Kim
A New York City native, Dr. Kim earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, completed the Hospital for Special Surgery Orthopaedic Residency, and finished a spine fellowship in Adult and Pediatric Scoliosis and Cervical Spine Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was recruited back to HSS for his spinal deformity and cervical spine surgery expertise, and has served as Director of the HSS Spine Fellowship.
He has operated alongside leading spine surgeons across the United States and internationally. As a volunteer surgeon at the FOCOS hospital in Ghana, West Africa, he has treated some of the rarest and most complex spinal deformities in both pediatric and adult patients – cases of a severity the average spine surgeon might encounter once or twice a year. Over his career he has operated on hundreds of rare and complex spinal deformities.
Dr. Kim works alongside internists, anesthesiologists, neurologists, radiologists, physiatrists, and pediatricians so that every alternative to surgery is explored before an operation is recommended. Read the full biography.
Published work and teaching
Dr. Kim has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles and more than 35 book chapters. He co-authored a textbook on cervical spine surgery with Dr. K. Daniel Riew, The Riew-Kim Manual for Cervical Spine Surgery.
Through the AO Spine Foundation, he has been invited by international leaders in spine surgery to author surgical reference guides used to teach other surgeons performing scoliosis surgery. He is the lead investigator on numerous research studies and is actively involved in the education of residents, fellows, and physician assistants.
Research interests: proximal junctional kyphosis, cervical spine alignment, global sagittal balance, cervicothoracic deformity.
Awards, fellowships, and honors
- Castle Connolly Top Doctors, 2026 – Orthopaedic Surgery
- IMAST Chair, 2020
- Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship, 2017
- Whitecloud Award Nominee, IMAST, 2015 and 2012
- CSRS Best Paper Session Nominee, 2014
- Edgar G. Dawson Fellowship Award, Scoliosis Research Society, 2013
- CSRS Meeting Best Paper Award, 2012
- Hibbs Award Nominee, SRS Meeting, 2012
- Lewis Clark Wagner Award for excellence in orthopaedic clinical and translational research, 2011
- Swanson Scholarship Award, 2009
- Eastern Orthopaedic Association Resident/Fellow Research Award, 2008
- Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society, 2005
Professional memberships: Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spine Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cervical Spine Research Society, Alpha Omega Alpha.
Languages: English, Spanish, Korean. Full profile and research.
Accepted insurance
Accepted plans include Blue Cross Blue Shield (HealthPlus – not Medicaid, Federal, Empire, and Horizon), Cigna, Connecticare (not through Access Health CT), EmblemHealth GHI, EmblemHealth HIP, NYSHIP, Oxford, UnitedHealthcare, and UnitedHealthcare Compass.
You may also have coverage subject to the availability of out-of-network benefits. Because coverage for spine procedures varies significantly between plans, call 212-774-2837 to confirm your specific plan before scheduling. You can also read about your billing protections under the No Surprises Act.
What Dr. Kim Treats
Dr. Kim’s practice centers on the cervical spine, scoliosis, and complex spinal deformity in both adults and children. Each area has a dedicated page with procedure detail.
Cervical Spine and Neck
Neck pain, cervical spondylosis, herniated cervical discs, nerve compression, and cervical deformity. Procedures include fusion, disc replacement, foraminotomy, laminoplasty, laminectomy, and cervical osteotomy.
Scoliosis
Adult and pediatric scoliosis, from monitoring and bracing through to surgical correction. Procedures include spinal fusion, spinal tethering, growing rod placement, and spinal osteotomy.
Spinal Deformity
Kyphosis, kyphoscoliosis, flatback deformity, coronal and sagittal imbalance, chin-on-chest deformity, and failed prior back surgery.
See all services, or the Knowledge Center for articles on specific conditions.
Getting Here from Westchester
The Manhattan office at HSS is the closest location for Westchester patients, and for most of the county it is a manageable trip for a consultation.
By train
Metro-North’s Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines all run into Grand Central Terminal, which puts you roughly two miles from the office. From Grand Central it is a short crosstown and uptown trip to East 71st Street by subway, bus, or taxi.
If you are travelling after surgery or with limited mobility, call the office before your visit and staff can talk you through the easiest route for your situation.
By car
From most of Westchester the route is south on the Saw Mill River Parkway or the Major Deegan Expressway, then across to the FDR Drive and down the East Side to the 71st Street area. Travel times vary considerably with traffic, so allow extra time for a morning appointment.
Street parking on the Upper East Side is limited. Call 212-774-2837 ahead of your visit and the office can advise on nearby parking.
If you would rather not come into Manhattan
The Uniondale office on Long Island is an alternative, though for most of Westchester it is a longer trip than Manhattan. The Water Mill office serves the East End. Call the office and staff can help you work out which location makes the most sense for you.
Office Locations
HSS – The Pavilion
541 East 71st Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10021
Fax: 646.797.8428
Also at HSS Long Island in Uniondale (333 Earle Ovington Blvd, Suite 106) and HSS Southampton in Water Mill (56 Flying Point Road).
Your First Visit
Bring any imaging you already have – X-rays, MRI, or CT – along with records from physicians you have already seen. If you have had spine surgery before, bring the operative reports. Patients coming from Westchester often arrive having already seen a local physician or physical therapist, and those records make the first visit far more productive.
Expect a conversation about your symptoms, what you have already tried, and what you want to get back to doing. Most spine problems are treated without surgery, and the first visit is about establishing an accurate diagnosis rather than scheduling an operation. See our patient information page for more, or read patient testimonials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an office in Westchester County?
No. Dr. Kim sees patients at HSS on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and at offices in Uniondale and Water Mill. Westchester patients typically come to the Manhattan office, which is reachable by Metro-North into Grand Central or by car down the East Side.
Is it worth travelling into Manhattan for a spine consultation?
That depends on your situation, and it is a fair question to ask. For straightforward problems, a local physician or physical therapist may be all you need. Where a subspecialist matters is in complex deformity, scoliosis, cervical conditions, and revision surgery after a previous operation has not worked – these are narrower fields, and experience with them is concentrated in relatively few surgeons.
Do I need a referral?
That depends on your insurance plan rather than on the office. Some plans require a referral from a primary care physician before seeing a specialist. Call 212-774-2837 and the office can help you check.
Can I get a second opinion here?
Yes. Second opinions are common in spine care, particularly when surgery has been recommended elsewhere. Bring your imaging, your records, and any surgical plan you have been given.
Does Dr. Kim treat children as well as adults?
Yes. His fellowship covered adult and pediatric scoliosis, and his volunteer work in Ghana involved complex spinal conditions in both pediatric and adult patients. Pediatric scoliosis in particular benefits from being caught early, while the spine is still growing.
I have already had spine surgery and I am still in pain. Can anything be done?
Often, yes. Failed prior back surgery is one of the conditions Dr. Kim treats within his deformity practice, and his research focuses in part on proximal junctional kyphosis – the breakdown that can occur at the top of a previous fusion. Bring your operative reports and all prior imaging.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Call 212-774-2837 Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm ET. Have any prior imaging and records ready if you can, and mention any previous spine surgery when you call.
Speak With the Office
If neck or back pain is not improving, an accurate diagnosis is the place to start – whether or not it leads to surgery. Call the office and we will help you understand what is causing your symptoms and what your options are.