Culture isn’t built overnight, it takes ongoing commitment from every individual to obtain the beneficial outcomes and culture that organizations pursue.
Programs rewarding excellence, reinforcing core principles and providing opportunities for growth are among the common themes of how these CEOs of orthopedic organizations have built and strengthened their cultures.
Additionally, having consistent communication, straightforward leadership and accountability are key drivers of culture growth.
The CEOs of these three orthopedic groups recently connected with Becker’s to share their strategies for fostering culture at their companies.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What have been successful strategies at your organization/practice to build and create a strong culture?
Brian Bizub. CEO of Raleigh (N.C.) Orthopaedic Clinic: Building a strong culture within an orthopedic practice requires intentional leadership, consistent communication and a deep commitment to shared values. Our organization has prioritized patient-centered care, fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and created an environment where every team member feels valued, supported and empowered to contribute to our mission.
We have clearly defined our core values and expectations, and we invest in staff development through meaningful recognition and open, ongoing communication. Daily huddles before the start of each day promote collaboration and transparency across all departments. In addition, our monthly Town Hall meetings provide an opportunity for leadership to share important organizational updates while giving staff and providers a platform to voice concerns, ask questions and celebrate successes.
To further strengthen our culture, we have implemented a staff recognition program that allows team members to give “shout outs” for colleagues who go above and beyond. These acknowledgments are often tied to monetary rewards and have been highly effective in boosting morale and reinforcing positive behaviors.
We believe that culture is fostered through engaged leadership and open dialogue. Our semi-annual one-on-one meetings allow leaders to highlight individual strengths, offer constructive feedback and support professional growth. These consistent efforts help us maintain a culture rooted in trust, accountability and shared purpose, which ultimately enhances the care we provide and the experience of everyone on our team.
Allison Farmer. CEO of EmergeOrtho (Durham, N.C.): At EmergeOrtho, our expansive footprint spans across North Carolina, with some locations more than seven hours apart. Yet, what sets us apart is not just our scale — it’s our culture of collaboration that bridges this distance daily, even hourly. As CEO, I am dedicated to fostering alliances among our regional leaders, working in lockstep with them, supported by structures that reinforce unity: an annual physician retreat, service line retreats, physician leadership mentoring program, statewide celebrations like our annual Emerge-aversary and recurring team huddles. These touchpoints foster shared purpose and transparency, ensuring that our statewide practice operates as one cohesive team while honoring the individuality of each region.
We leverage real-time BI reporting to prompt action and accountability, and our strong physician leadership drives innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Open communication, financial transparency, high standards of care and operational excellence create a culture of partnership and teamwork that allows us to respond quickly to any challenge.
Lori Pagan. CEO of Orthopaedics NorthEast (Fort Wayne, Ind.): At Ortho NorthEast, we’ve learned that culture doesn’t just happen — you have to build it with intention. We’ve focused on creating clear service standards, investing in leadership at every level and making sure physicians have a real voice in shaping the organization. We celebrate wins, recognize people often and hold ourselves accountable to the behaviors we say matter. A big part of this is ExperienceONE, our cultural foundation and rallying point. It’s more than a program — it’s a shared commitment to delivering excellence in every encounter, inspiring our teams to lead with purpose, empathy and pride in the work we do.
