Episode Summary: Leadership, Growth & Healthcare Transformation with Dr. Wael Barsoum

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Guest: Dr. Wael Barsoum, Professor of Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine; President and Chief Transformation Officer at HopCo
Host: Scott Becker
Date: January 6, 2026

Main Theme

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Dr. Wael Barsoum, exploring his unique career journey from the Cleveland Clinic to his current role at HopCo, the largest orthopedic specialty group in the U.S. The discussion covers healthcare leadership, entrepreneurship in medicine, value-based care, the evolution of musculoskeletal services, and candid leadership advice for aspiring leaders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Barsoum’s Career Path and Mentorship

• Cleveland Clinic Experience: Dr. Barsoum traces his clinical training and ongoing academic affiliation to the Cleveland Clinic. He credits mentorship from renowned leaders (Joe Ioannotti, Joe Hahn, Mark Harrison) for opening doors and shaping his leadership trajectory.

  “It makes me think of the importance of mentorship... I was mentored by some really amazing people.” (01:42 – A)

• Leadership at Cleveland Clinic Florida: Recounts being recruited on short notice to lead the Florida operations, emphasizing the rapid growth and talent he worked with there.

• Transition to HopCo: The move was inspired by a longstanding friendship with founder David Jakubowski and the vision to innovate musculoskeletal care. Barsoum frames his move as entrepreneurial—leaving the security of a ‘blue chip’ institution for a purpose-driven startup.

  “You’re really leaving a true blue chip organization in a place like Cleveland Clinic to go and do something that... was probably a large startup.” (06:42 – A)

HopCo’s Mission and Impact

• Value-Based Care Focus: HopCo’s mission is to standardize and improve outcomes across musculoskeletal care, aiming for high quality at lower costs.

  “We owe more to society than just being kind of money-making machines in healthcare. I think we need to be able to truly improve outcomes.” (08:17 – A)

• U.S. Healthcare System Critique: Barsoum is candid about America’s spending inefficiencies and poor population health indicators relative to other developed nations.

  “The United States is a great place to get really, really, really sick in... It is not a great place to be really, really healthy in.” (09:06 – A)

HopCo’s Growth and Operations (11:50)

• Growth Story: Started in 2005 with just three doctors and one employee; as of 2026, it manages over 1,000 providers directly and influences 6,000–7,000 providers via risk-sharing arrangements.
• National & International Footprint: Partnerships with health systems in over 25 states and eight countries (including the UK, Australia, France, and Germany).
• Partnerships: Collaborates with tech giants like Oracle and Microsoft for digital enablement.

Digital Transformation & Efficiency (14:53)

• Proprietary Digital Tools: Emphasizes the development and universal adoption of HopCo’s electronic medical record platform to monitor clinical and operational metrics, improving efficiency and resource allocation (“contribution margin per OR minute”).
  • Example: Running surgery centers on weekends to maximize expensive healthcare real estate.
• AI & Data Analytics: While AI is a buzzword, Barsoum stresses that meaningful operational improvement comes from actionable, clean data, not just technology for its own sake.

  “Do I think really exciting terms like artificial intelligence are going to massively reinvent healthcare over... the next five years? Absolutely not.” (17:21 – A)

Physician Leadership: Advice & Reflections (19:50)

• Purpose-Driven Leadership: Leaders should approach roles to make a true impact, not just for titles or ego.

  “If you want a leadership role because you believe that you can... make sure that patients get better care, then by all means, that’s what you ought to do.” (19:53 – A)

• Self-Assessment & Growth: Candidly shares his decision to step away from CEO roles in order to gain new skills, e.g., in finance, by taking the President/CTO position at HopCo.

  “Figure out what your weaknesses are and put yourself in a position to strengthen those areas instead of just focus on... your strengths.” (25:43 – A)

Career Growth & Lateral Moves (27:03)

• Challenging Conventional Wisdom: Debunks the idea that career growth must be a straight climb in title or salary. Reveals he took a pay cut for the opportunity to grow in new areas—emphasizing strategic, long-term thinking over immediate gains.

  “I took a major pay cut to come to Hopco... It may not be the right decision for somebody else, but is it the right decision for you?” (27:04 – A)

Organizational Strategy and Resource Allocation (32:05)

• Healthcare Delivery Efficiency: Discusses optimizing facilities and provider time (“top of licensure care”) for quality, cost-effective care.
  • Example: Utilizing advanced practice providers for independent care when appropriate.
• Learning from Startup Culture: Distinguishes growing a startup like HopCo—now a “unicorn”—from operating large, stable health systems, and emphasizes careful financial stewardship.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Healthcare’s Purpose:

  “We really need to bend the cost curve... We live in what most of us would agree is the greatest country in the world, but we spend... over twice what every other highly developed country spends per capita for healthcare. And our outcomes, sadly, are not the best.” — Dr. Barsoum (08:19)

• On Digital & Operational Change:

  “If we have ASCs that can be better managed... running them into weekends, like our surgical hospital that we own in Arizona operates on Saturdays. It’s the most expensive square footage in healthcare.” — Dr. Barsoum (15:33)

• On AI in Healthcare:

  “For [AI platforms] to improve operations, you have to have really clean data... and you have to figure out how to apply those answers in real time.” — Dr. Barsoum (17:55)

• On Leaders’ Self-Knowledge:

  “Put yourself in a position to strengthen those areas [where you’re weaker] instead of just focusing on all of your strengths... it’s not necessarily the easiest piece of advice to take.” — Dr. Barsoum (25:55)

• On Lateral Moves & Growth:

  “Maybe some folks would see this as a lateral move, but for me I actually see it as a massive promotion because I’m going to get to delve into something that I will never have the opportunity to do if I stay where I am.” — Dr. Barsoum (29:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:32 — Introduction & background
• 01:42 — Mentorship & Cleveland Clinic career
• 05:10 — Transition to HopCo: Motivation & risks
• 06:04 — Value-based care vision at HopCo
• 11:50 — HopCo’s growth, scale, and partnerships
• 14:53 — Digital transformation and operational efficiency
• 19:50 — Leadership advice for aspiring physician leaders
• 22:34 — Candid reflection on career moves and financial realities
• 27:03 — Lateral moves and alternative measures of success
• 32:05 — Learning from “unicorn” growth and startup rigor

Tone and Closing

Throughout the episode, Dr. Barsoum speaks with candor, humility, and deep strategic insight, expressing optimism about healthcare’s potential while acknowledging its urgent challenges. He underscores the importance of purpose-driven leadership, adaptability, and strategic self-assessment. The conversation closes with mutual appreciation between host and guest for advancing healthcare leadership and innovation.

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