Orthopedic surgery is one of the least diverse medical specialties with regards to women, people of color and LGBTQ+ surgeons. Organizations such as Pride Ortho are working to change that.
"I think we've been engaged in orthopedics in general in this struggle to increase our diversity. We have consistently ranked at the bottom of any diversity scale you want to check, whether it's involvement of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and in some categories, we don't even know the numbers," Qusai Hammouri, MD, an LGBTQ+ spine surgeon at New York City-based NYU Langone Health and Pride Ortho board member, told Becker's. "Up until three years ago, LGBTQ was not a category you talked about. There were no gay or LGBTQ orthopedists, let alone spine surgeons."
Editor's note: This is not a list of top surgeons but a list highlighting professional accomplishments. Becker's does not endorse surgeons featured on this list. To nominate a surgeon for future lists, please contact Claire Wallace at cwallace@beckershealthcare.com.
Here are five practicing LGBTQ+ orthopedic surgeons to know (all five are members of Pride Ortho):
Jaime Bellamy, DO, is a lieutenant colonel in the Army and an adult reconstruction surgeon at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, N.C. She was deployed twice as an orthopedic surgeon and serves on the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons diversity advisory board and the editorial boards for the Journal of Arthroplasty and Arthroplasty Today.
David Fralinger, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Advocate Children's Medical Group in Oak Lawn, Ill. He specializes in pediatric spinal deformity and the care of children with cerebral palsy and neuromuscular disorders. He is also a member of Advocate Physician Partners.
Joseph Letzelter, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon in the Washington, D.C., area practicing at Children's National Medical Center, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and Pediatric Specialists of Virginia. He specializes in adult and pediatric hand and upper extremity surgery. He also teaches orthopedic residents from Georgetown University, George Washington University, Howard University and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Ayesha Rahman, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Queens in New York City who specializes in the care of complex injuries and conditions of the hand, wrist and elbow. She has special interests in elbow instability, post-traumatic reconstructive surgery, arthroscopic minimally invasive surgery and pediatric surgery. She is an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, an assistant clinical professor at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, an adjunct faculty and team physician for St. John's University Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and teaching attending for the Hospital for Special Surgery orthopedic residency program in the city.
Andrew Usoro, MD, is a sports medicine specialist at Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta. While living in California, Dr. Usoro served as a team physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers.