Minimally invasive techniques have become standard for many procedures, from the removal of the gallbladder to angioplasty, but the approach is now only beginning to be available to patients with spinal conditions. The surgical team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Spine Center aims to bring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery for patients with intractable back pain, stenosis, spinal deformity, even spinal cancer.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the nation's largest, not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, has teamed with ConEdison Solutions, a leading energy services company, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to implement a wide-ranging energy conservation strategy that will deliver more than $745,000 in annual energy savings at the ten-million-square-foot institution.

For the third consecutive year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with its ENERGY STAR Award for leadership in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The Hospital is one of only two organizations in New York state and 26 nationally to receive a 2007 award for "Sustained Excellence" -- the highest ENERGY STAR honor. The award was bestowed at a March 21 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital "ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year" for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through leadership in energy management. NewYork-Presbyterian's accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15, 2005. NewYork-Presbyterian, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2003, has been recognized for sustaining smart energy management practices and investments throughout its operations, including a total energy savings of $700,000 through capital improvements and efficient operating strategies.

New York State has awarded a $1 million grant to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to help construct a clean and efficient cogeneration plant that will improve New York State's environment and energy security while lowering the Hospital's energy costs.

A large, multi-center clinical trial led by researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) shows that a new genetic test resulted in significantly more clinically relevant information than the current standard method of prenatal testing. The test uses microarray analysis to conduct a more comprehensive examination of a fetus's DNA than is possible with the current standard method, karyotyping — a visual analysis of the fetus's chromosomes. Results were published in the Dec. 6, 2012, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Cancer patients at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center are participating in a new free program that provides information, resources and support on their journey back to good health.

Advocates of planned home birth have emphasized its benefits for patient safety, patient satisfaction, cost effectiveness, and respect for women's rights. A clinical opinion paper published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology critically evaluates each of these claims in its effort to identify professionally appropriate responses of obstetricians and other concerned physicians to planned home birth.