Shaden Marzouk, MD, Spire Orthopedic Partners’ new CEO, is bringing a physician-first mindset to the management services organization.
Dr. Marzouk, a neurosurgeon, shared her strategy to further expand Spire’s network and where AI will fit into its future.
Note: These responses were lightly edited.
Question: What are your top three goals in this role?
Dr. Shaden Marzouk: The first is continuing to grow Spire as a network of clinical excellence across all orthopedic specialties. We serve communities throughout the Northeast and I’d like to keep expanding. Physicians and surgeons at Spire Orthopedic Partners do a stellar job treating patients of all ages and conditions, and we’d like to bring that standard of excellence to an even larger catchment.
The second is making Spire the place that orthopedic surgeons and musculoskeletal providers want to build their careers. We already have an exceptional physician community, and I want every physician in our subspecialties considering their next move to see Spire as the obvious answer. That means being a place where physicians thrive clinically and personally, including physicians starting out their careers.
The third is straightforward: being the No. 1 choice for patients in our markets for all their orthopedic needs. Everything else we do — the growth, the innovation, the culture we build — has to augment the experience of our patients. That’s the measure that matters most.
Q: What does Spire’s expansion playbook look like under your leadership? Are you prioritizing geographic density, new specialties, or accelerating de novo growth versus acquisitions?
SM: All of it. We want to deepen our presence in the communities where we already have practices, continue adding specialists where there’s a real clinical need, and pursue growth through both de novo development and acquisitions when the right opportunities exist.
We become part of the fabric of our communities. Our physicians, advanced practice providers, physical therapists, surgical techs – all our clinical providers – are a visible and important part of all the neighborhoods we are in. Not only do our clinics, surgery centers, imaging centers and physical therapy sites treat patients, but we support local schools, youth sports programs, and organizations that matter to the families in our markets. Orthopedic care is deeply local and we take that seriously. The playbook isn’t just about adding locations. It’s about being genuinely invested in the places where we operate.
Q: Where do you see the most immediate opportunity to apply your expertise in AI inside Spire’s operations or patient experience?
SM: A few areas stand out right away. We’re planning to bring AI capabilities into our call center and patient intake process. The goal is to make it easier and faster for patients to access great care, with less friction at every step. That matters a great deal in orthopedics, because a patient in pain wants answers quickly, athletes need answers quickly, and a patient who is having mobility issues also needs answers quickly. On the revenue cycle side, there’s meaningful opportunity to use AI to improve accuracy, reduce denials, and take administrative burden off our clinical teams so they can devote more focus to patients.
AI should make the human parts of care better, not replace them. I’m interested in the applications that free up our physicians and staff to do what they do best. We want to be careful to use AI that is well tested and delivers a seamless service, not something that we have to redo. As AI evolves, we’ll evolve.
Q: How are you thinking about Spire’s contracting and value-based care strategy, and where do you see the biggest leverage?
SM: We come to contracting conversations from a position of genuine strength, and I think that’s important to say clearly. The caliber of our surgeons, the breadth of specialties across our network, the access we provide — same-day appointments, multiple locations, urgent orthopedic care — and the outcomes our physicians consistently deliver: those are real differentiators that payers recognize.
Our outpatient sites of care are a significant part of this story as well. Patients want to recover at home, and we’ve invested in making that possible with excellent outcomes and the benefits of outpatient care. That’s value in the truest sense with a better experience, better outcomes and lower cost of care.
Q: Private equity-backed orthopedic platforms are increasingly competitive. How does Spire differentiate itself to attract top surgeons and maintain its edge?
SM: Spire was founded by physicians and remains physician-led; I’m a surgeon and I’m excited to be joined by other surgeon leaders as we drive this company forward. Surgeons who join Spire are joining a peer group of exceptional clinicians, at practices that have built strong reputations over many years. That combination of collegial culture, clinical credibility, and entrepreneurial physicians is special.
We attract surgeons who want to be on the leading edge of what’s possible in orthopedic care. Our physicians are performing innovative procedures including robotic spinal fusions and robotic total joint replacements, motion-preserving artificial spinal disc replacements, and regenerative medicine across joints, tendons and the spine. Also, our team at Middlesex Orthopedic & Spine Associates performed the region’s first thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint replacement. We continue to actively cultivate a culture of innovation.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
SM: I’m still early in my tenure and I’ve been spending as much time as possible visiting our practices and meeting our teams in person. Every site I visit, I’ve come away genuinely moved by the level of dedication I see and not just from our physicians and clinicians, but from every person I meet, including our front desk staff, MAs, and administrators. Everyone’s mission and focus is outstanding patient care, every day.
I feel both excited and humbled to lead this organization. I’m excited because the foundation is strong and the opportunity ahead is great. I’m humbled because the people who built the practices that make up Spire Orthopedic Partners, and the patients who trust us, deserve leadership that recognizes them. I’m committed to earning their trust every day.
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