Orthopedic surgeons are playing an increasingly influential role in shaping national healthcare policy as debates around physician reimbursement, value-based care, consolidation and access to musculoskeletal services intensify. From Capitol Hill to major medical societies, orthopedic leaders are helping guide policy decisions that affect physicians, hospitals and patients nationwide.
The following five orthopedic surgeons stand out for their leadership and influence in advancing healthcare and orthopedic policy at the national level.
Editor’s note: This is not a comprehensive or ranked list. Becker’s does not endorse any individual featured. To nominate a physician for a future list, contact seydis@beckershealthcare.com.
- John Barrasso, MD. U.S. Senate (Wyoming): Dr. Barrasso is an orthopedic surgeon and longtime U.S. senator from Wyoming who has played a prominent role in shaping national healthcare and public policy. Before entering politics, he practiced orthopedic surgery in Casper, Wyo., and served as chief of staff at Wyoming Medical Center. Since joining the Senate in 2007, Dr. Barrasso has held several senior Republican leadership positions, including Senate Republican whip and chair of the Republican Conference, while helping guide policy on healthcare, infrastructure, energy and environmental issues.
- Kevin Bozic, MD. Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin: Dr. Bozic is chair of the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at Dell Medical School and a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee reconstruction. A leader in value-based healthcare policy, he has played a major role in developing and evaluating payment and care-delivery models focused on quality and outcomes in musculoskeletal care. Dr. Bozic has held numerous national leadership positions, including first vice president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and chair of the American Joint Replacement Registry Steering Committee.
- Wilford Gibson, MD. Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists (Norfolk, Va.): Dr. Gibson is president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon specializing in robotic-assisted and minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery.
A longtime advocate for orthopedic policy and physician engagement, he previously chaired the AAOS Advocacy Council and served on the Orthopaedic Political Action Committee for nearly a decade. Dr. Gibson is widely respected for his leadership in organized orthopedics, military service in the U.S. Navy and commitment to advancing musculoskeletal care and physician advocacy nationwide.
- Mary O’Connor, MD. Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, Fla.): Dr. O’Connor is an orthopedic surgeon and nationally recognized leader in joint replacement, musculoskeletal oncology and healthcare equity research. Her work has focused extensively on improving outcomes in hip and knee replacement surgery, advancing limb salvage techniques and studying sex disparities in musculoskeletal disease and treatment outcomes.
Dr. O’Connor has also played a major role in national orthopedic policy and research initiatives through leadership positions with organizations including the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, helping drive conversations around value-based care, healthcare disparities and women’s health in orthopedics.
- Adam Bruggeman, MD. Texas Spine Care Center (San Antonio): Dr. Bruggeman is an orthopedic spine surgeon and one of the most prominent orthopedic voices currently shaping healthcare policy in Washington. He testified before Congress in 2024 on issues including the Change Healthcare cyberattack and healthcare consolidation, highlighting the financial impact of market concentration on orthopedic care costs.
Dr. Bruggeman formerly served as chair of the AAOS Council on Advocacy and is a former president of the Texas Orthopaedic Association. As an independent private-practice physician, he has become a leading advocate on Medicare reimbursement, prior authorization reform, consolidation and physician-owned hospitals.
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