The hardest lessons for orthopedic leaders

Learning how to deal with declining reimbursements while still delivering top quality care and adapting personal strategies to lift up the strengths of colleagues are just two of the difficult lessons that orthopedic surgeons are reporting they have learned. 

To be a strong leader in the orthopedic space, surgeons must have a positive outlook, be adaptable and be flexible, according to these four orthopedic surgeons and leaders. 

Ask Orthopedic Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to orthopedic surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all orthopedic surgeon and specialist responses.

Next question: What is one prediction you have about orthopedic surgery in 2035?

Please send responses to Cameron Cortigiano at ccortigiano@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CT on Sept. 1.

Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Question: What is the hardest lesson you’ve learned as a leader in orthopedic care?

Jonah Davies, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at UCI Health (Irvine, Calif.): The hardest lesson I’ve learned as a leader in orthopedics is that you can’t expect others to respond or act exactly as you would in every situation. Each person brings their own blend of character traits, skills, experiences and perspectives, which makes them unique. If you try to force people into roles or situations with rigid expectations, you risk setting them up for failure because it may not align with how they process or approach challenges.

True leadership means placing others in a position to succeed and supporting them along the way. That often requires adapting to individual needs, sparking creativity and nurturing motivation so that people can thrive. It takes more effort than applying blanket policies, but the payoff is worth it: greater job satisfaction, stronger dedication and improved team retention.

Ronald Gardner, MD. Founder of Gardner Orthopedics (Fort Myers, Fla.): Often, quality care is poorly rewarded either monetarily or with gratitude. The motivation for excellence and then actually seeing that result has to be inborn and self satisfying. Otherwise this is just a job.  The important part for orthopedists to be happy is to recognize whether they are the surgeon who strives to be the absolute best they can be or if they view their career as being more of just an avocation.

David Kugelman, MD. Joint Replacement Surgeon at Rothman Orthopaedics (Philadelphia): One of the most difficult lessons has been recognizing that, despite delivering high-value care and strong clinical outcomes, orthopedic reimbursement continues to decline. Navigating this economic reality requires persistent advocacy and adaptation.

Madhish Patel, DO. Orthopedic Surgeon at Gardner Orthopedics (Fort Myers, Fla.): Establishing evidenced-based patient expectations early on is a “must have” conversation when counseling surgical patients. Each patient has a different pole position prior to surgery and thus a variable threshold to achieve the minimal clinically important difference.  

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