From advancing complex surgical care and pioneering new orthopedic technologies to assuming executive leadership and academic roles, moves by orthopedic leaders are shaping the future of musculoskeletal care.
Here are five orthopedic leaders who made headlines this month:
- Joshua Pahys, MD, named chief of staff at Shriners Children’s Erie (Pa.): Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Joshua Pahys, MD, was appointed chief of staff at Shriners Children’s Erie.
Dr. Pahys specializes in complex spinal surgery and has been part of the Shriners system for more than a decade; in the role, he will continue seeing patients while leading clinical strategy and supporting the hospital’s orthopedic mission.
- Dan Cooper, MD, performed ACL surgery on Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin: Dr. Cooper operated on Mr. Seguin on Dec. 16 to repair a tear in his right ACL after the injury occurred during a Dec. 1 game against the New York Rangers.
Mr. Seguin’s return will be reevaluated after the Olympic break. Dr. Cooper also performed surgery on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Dec. 15.
- Stephen Kates, MD, named interim dean of VCU School of Medicine: Dr. Kates will serve as interim dean of the Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and interim executive vice president of medical affairs for VCU Health System, effective Dec. 24.
Dr. Kates, chair of orthopedic surgery at VCU, is a national expert in geriatric fracture care and founder of the International Geriatric Fracture Society; he succeeds Arturo Saavedra, MD, PhD, who was named interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
- David Ruch, MD, and Marc Richard, MD, performed first wrist fixation using Acu-Loc NEXT system: The orthopedic surgeons completed the first wrist fixation surgery using Acumed’s Acu-Loc NEXT system, which received FDA clearance in August.
The system features a redesigned screw platform and streamlined instrumentation to advance wrist fracture fixation. Dr. Ruch and Dr. Richard are professors of orthopedic surgery at Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C.
- Matthew Lavery, MD, named CEO of OrthoIndy: Dr. Lavery was appointed CEO of Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy and OrthoIndy Hospital after serving as president of the organization’s board of directors since January 2024.
In the role, Dr. Lavery will lead efforts to enhance the patient experience, strengthen operations and support physicians and staff while continuing his clinical practice. He succeeds John Ryan, now chief strategy officer at Indiana University Health.
