DGTL Voices with Ed Marx

Episode: Leadership Evolution and Mentorship (ft. Justin Oppenheimer)

Date: November 25, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Ed Marx in conversation with Justin Oppenheimer, EVP of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). The discussion dives into leadership evolution, mentorship, personal growth, and the transformative role of digital technology in healthcare. Justin shares pivotal experiences shaping his life and career, offers leadership advice, and reflects on HSS's mission and adaptation to the digital age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Background and Influences

• Family and Upbringing

  • Justin was born and raised in Boston, with a strong family influence focused on hard work, humility, and service.

    “Family and the values that my parents raised me on… giving back to others, giving in service to others, that’s sort of the foundational background to who I am as a person.” (04:23)

• Athletics as a Defining Factor

  • Sports played a central role in Justin’s identity, teaching resilience and preventing reliance on a single self-definition.

    “It taught me how to not make one thing and one thing only your whole identity… and how to lead actually from behind.” (05:28)

  • Multiple orthopedic surgeries during high school forced him to adapt and grow.

• Catalyst for Healthcare Career

  • Inspired by his mother’s battle with, and survival from, a rare form of cancer.

    “Watching and observing the experience of what a family and a patient can go through… that really later in life pushed me to think about how do you give back?” (07:34)

2. Leadership Evolution

• Early Mentorship at HSS

  • Credited pivotal mentors like Lou Shapiro and Dr. Brian Kelly for trusting and challenging him.

    “I have to credit the people who have helped me grow and in an organization that’s willing to sort of take a risk on someone like that.” (08:42)

• Key Career Role

  • Early career work with medical service lines at HSS gave him direct exposure to front-line healthcare and the importance of supporting clinicians.

    “I was raised by the physicians at HSS. Kind of like Mowgli in the Jungle Book.” (10:29)

• Transitions in Leadership Style

  • Moving from “doer” to “leader,” and then to a model of “distributed leadership.”

    “As you evolve, you have to build teams and mentor people… then… move from telling people what needed to be done… to more of a distributed leadership model.” (12:20)

3. The Mission and Vision of HSS

• Focused Expertise

  • HSS is a 160-year-old institution focusing solely on musculoskeletal health, serving patients worldwide and known for treating elite athletes and public figures.

    “People come from over 100 countries and all 50 states… the medical staff… have stayed focused on one thing and one thing only, which I think makes it a little bit of a novelty in the healthcare space.” (14:10)

  • Expanding from surgery to the entire continuum—wellness, prevention, diagnostics, non-operative care, and long-term health.

• Vision for Healthspan

  • Musculoskeletal health as the foundation for longevity and active living, aiming to “make the world healthier by making sure that everyone moves better.” (16:26)

4. Digital Transformation & AI in Healthcare

• Operational Efficiencies and Patient Interaction

  • AI is improving administrative processes and enabling clinicians to spend more time with patients (e.g., via ambient listening technology).
  • Skepticism and excitement about AI in diagnostics and clinical decision-making, especially where access to quality care is limited.

    “AI and digital is changing healthcare…right now we’re in this period of great operational efficiency…enabling clinicians to spend more time with their patients rather than clicking into a computer.” (17:47) “It’s always a person and a machine that needs to be in healthcare.” (19:04)

• Tech Leadership

  • Acknowledged key tech leaders at HSS, like Dr. Sheesh Barad and Jamie Nelson.

5. Vulnerability, Service, and Work-Life Balance

• Vulnerability as Strength
  • Entered healthcare “not knowing a thing,” leveraged humility to build relationships and effectiveness.

    “I approached every one of those discussions with the complete humility that that’s where I was coming from… entering every conversation like that from the very beginning did me a lot of good…” (20:48)

• Service and Giving Back
  • Early experiences with service trips were formative, inspiring him to instill a sense of service in his own children.

    “Really seeing what the world is like for its goods and bads and seeing how you could help people, even one family… was really meaningful.” (22:03)

• Recharge and Wellness
  • Exercise and routine serve as his personal “medicine,” keeping him balanced with work and family.

    “Movement’s my medicine.” (23:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Triathlons and Health (01:12)

  “We serve in healthcare. We should be examples for other people. And so you’re out there.” — Ed Marx

• On Music for Motivation (02:07)

  “I have a lot of Ben Rector and, and like Eric Church… my tri playlist… Jay Z, Eminem, Linkin Park. Things that will convince you to work harder.” — Justin Oppenheimer

• On Mission and Purpose (03:30)

  “I believe in always evolving. Last year, my life message was I’m here to help people help people.” — Justin Oppenheimer

• On the Value of Team Sports (06:25)

  “You learn a lot from team sports in general for everyone. We push that on our kids as well, just for the life lessons.” — Justin Oppenheimer

• On Leadership Evolution (12:20)

  “The evolution of being the doer to being a leader… then to more of a distributed leadership model where you’re really just putting the right people in the right places and outlining the vision.” — Justin Oppenheimer

• On Service and Community (22:03)

  “Service for sure. Even one family in each trip was really meaningful.” — Justin Oppenheimer

• Encouragement for Listeners (24:36)

  “Everybody out there has a purpose and… can contribute in their own way… there is no right answer other than one finding for themselves… just giving people the faith and optimism that they're there for a reason and that they can find it and make it their own.” — Justin Oppenheimer

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|-----------| | Triathlons & Health as Example | 01:12 | | Personal Playlist & Music Motivation | 02:07 | | Life Mantras & Purpose | 03:30 | | Influences from Family | 04:23 | | Sports Injuries and Resilience | 05:28 | | Catalyst for Healthcare Career | 07:34 | | HSS Career Evolution & Mentorship | 08:42 | | Defining Role at HSS | 10:29 | | Leadership Evolution | 12:20 | | History, Mission, and Vision of HSS | 14:10 | | HSS’s Expanding Focus and "Healthspan" | 16:26 | | Digital/AI Impact on Healthcare | 17:47 | | Vulnerability and Humility | 20:48 | | Service Trips and Giving Back | 22:03 | | Routine for Personal Wellness | 23:31 | | Final Reflection on Purpose | 24:36 |

Overall Message and Takeaways

• Leadership is an evolving journey, accelerated by curiosity, openness to mentorship, and embracing vulnerability.
• Supporting and empowering others—whether clinicians or team members—is core to organizational and personal success.
• Digital transformation is inevitable and will redefine healthcare, but the human element remains paramount.
• Meaningful service, wellness, and reflection underpin a fulfilling and resilient career.
• Everyone has a unique purpose; finding and pursuing it with optimism is a universal pursuit.

Summary prepared for listeners who want to grasp the main ideas, leadership insights, and inspirational themes from this episode without missing the heart and humor of the conversation.