Smith+Nephew Launches Effort to Foster Diversity in Orthopedics

Smith+Nephew has formed a global Advisory Board—within the framework of its new Orthopaedics for All initiative—to boost diversity in the industry.

The board will strive to build equity, break biases, and inspire inclusion for individuals wishing to pursue careers in orthopedic surgery.

There is a significant disparity of women in orthopedic surgery compared to men. According to multiple studies, only 15% of all orthopadic residents were women and just 7.4% were practicing orthopedic surgeons in the United States during 2022. Several factors may contribute to this inequity including greater vulnerability to work-family conflict, less supportive references than their male counterparts, and less national research funding compared to men. Smith+Nephew aims to address these long-standing challenges headfirst and help set new standards in patient-centric care.  

“Orthopaedics for All, to me, means giving everybody a voice in our field and direction on where we’re going in the future,” stated board member Jessica Hooper, M.D., clinical assistant professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford Health Care.

The Smith+Nephew Orthopaedics for All global advisory board is comprised of approximately 20 leading female key opinion leaders, hip and knee orthopedic surgeons, and representatives from all corners of the globe. Board member requirements include a minimum of two years post-fellowship experience in reconstructive surgery, a mix of both academic and private practice experience, and an interest in gender diversity and inclusion initiatives. Orthopaedics for All will drive awareness in the greater orthopedic surgeon community around the technical skills and competence female orthopedic surgeons possess.

“There is meaningful data that supports the case for increased diversity within medicine and more broadly the medical device industry. Diversifying our work force is not just critical to improving employee engagement and retention, which directly impacts business growth and profitability, but diversity in medicine can also help reduce health care disparity and improve patient outcomes,” Smith+Nephew Chief Human Resource Officer Elga Lohler said. “Our Orthopaedics for All global advisory board has been established to truly understand the needs of a more diverse customer group, so that we can build sustainable strategies that address rapidly evolving customer needs.”

“I’m really excited to be a part of Orthopaedics for All. I think Smith+Nephew has gone a step further than the other companies in terms of actually being proactive to improve engagement with women in arthroplasty, which is really refreshing to see,” board member  Chloe Scott, M.D., consultant orthopedic surgeon at Edinburgh Orthopaedic Specialists, U.K., explained. 

Smith+Nephew recently partnered with the Perry Initiative, which hosted 40 female high school students at Wake Forest School of Medicine to explore hands-on surgery modules and receive mentorship from women surgeons and engineers. The Perry Initiative inspires young women to be leaders in orthopedic surgery and engineering by partnering with U.S. medical centers, universities, and high schools.

“The Smith+Nephew Orthopaedics for All advisory board gives women in arthroplasty a voice and a wonderful chance to contribute to the field of arthroplasty, much like the Perry Initiative gives opportunities to individuals interested in engineering and orthopaedics,” commented Antonia F. Chen, M.D., chief of Arthroplasty and Joint Reconstruction, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School.

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. Its 18,000 employees help develop, manufacture, and market new technologies across three global business units—Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management. Founded in Hull, U.K., in 1856, the company now operates in more than 100 countries, and generated $5.5 billion in 2023 sales. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100.