Why I'm Joining Commons Clinic

Last Friday, I announced I’m stepping away from clinical practice to take a full-time executive role in healthcare innovation. The response has been overwhelming. I’m deeply grateful for the encouragement, thoughtful messages, and support from across the healthcare community.

I suspect this announcement resonated deeply with many clinicians who have contemplated a similar career pivot. What comes next when you’ve built a successful, stable, safe clinical career but still feel called to do more?

This edition of The Surgeon’s Record explores why I made the decision to leave surgery, how I found my calling with Commons Clinic, and what this next chapter looks like — building and scaling a better model of care.

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A Turning Point

For the first 12 years of my career, I followed a familiar path in private practice Orthopedics: see patients, operate, take call, go home. My goal was always to do my best for patients and practice the “right” way. This approach worked well — both professionally and financially. Being a surgeon was never easy, but I began to wonder if there was something more.

Over time, I felt the urge to address the systemic level problems I encountered every day. The issues are well documented — but fixes remain elusive. Change is difficult from within the system. Inertia and entrenchment are hard to overcome. Progress is slow and protectionism reigns. Fixing the system from within seemed almost impossible.

Not sure how to get started, I began writing, investing, advising, and building a network. I developed a vision for what a better system could look like — Arthritis Centers of Excellence (ACE), the convergence of technology, high-quality MSK care, and patient engagement. That vision gave me direction, but I had to find a way to make it real.

I reached a crossroads: continue replacing joints or help redesign the system. I chose the latter.

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Finding Commons

Somewhere along the way, I met Nick Aubin, co-founder and CEO of Commons Clinic. From our very first conversation, it was clear that Commons was building exactly what I had envisioned—only better. The company was gaining traction through purpose, precision, and deep clinical roots.

I made a small investment in Commons’ Seed Round, and Nick and I stayed connected— sharing updates and riffing on MSK strategy. Last year, Nick invited me to bring my blog under the Commons banner and take on the role of Senior Clinical Fellow. That blog became The Surgeon’s Record, and since then, I’ve had the chance to collaborate with many Commons team members.

Over the course of a year, I went from being a collaborator to feeling like part of the team — a natural progression of the relationship. Eventually it became clear — building a next generation care model with Commons Clinic was my next act.

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My New Role

Starting this fall, I’ll be joining Commons Clinic full-time as SVP of Care Services & Strategy.

The role combines 17 years of clinical experience with a passion for strategy, innovation, and thoughtful execution. My focus will be:

• Building scalable service lines

• Designing better care pathways

• Supporting clinical operations

• Leading conversations on value and transformation

• Shaping the future of specialty care

This isn’t a departure from medicine—it’s a purposeful evolution. I’m not walking away from the frontlines, I’m walking toward a once-in-a-career opportunity to transform how care is delivered.

Being a surgeon never defined me, my mindset did — drive, growth, purpose, and precision. That part of me isn’t going away, it’s being refocused.

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Why Commons? Why Now?

Why would an experienced, successful Orthopedic Surgeon leave practice mid-career to join a startup?

Because Commons Clinic isn’t chasing hype, it’s doing something truly transformative.

It isn’t a virtual care company nibbling at the edges, a vague promise of “value-based care,” or an unfulfilled vision. Commons is a team of builders, operators, and clinicians designing a next-generation care model that works in the real world:

• Tech-enabled, but rooted in real clinics and ASCs

• Physician-led, but business-savvy

• Value-driven, but operationally sound

The Commons Clinic approach isn’t theoretical — it’s validated. Commons already has 17 top-tier Orthopedic Surgeons, a high-performing Total Joint and Spine ASC, and risk-bearing contracts with payers and conveners like Blue Shield, Aetna, and Carrum Health. This is the future of specialty care — and it’s just the beginning.

I recently wrote about the “Hub-and-Spoke” model of care — a bold vision to reimagine multi-specialty care. By joining Commons Clinic now, I’ll help lead that evolution. I believe deeply in Commons’ mission and am honored to shape the company’s next chapter. (More on that coming soon!)

The bigger picture is that this move is about more than a new title or a new job. It’s a statement that experienced clinicians like me are committed to system redesign. That the most credible transformation will come from people who’ve experienced the old model and are determined to build something better. The future of healthcare will be decided by people willing to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work.

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Final Thoughts

I didn’t plan every step of this journey, but I’ve been thoughtful and intentional. Small steps compounded and a path emerged. I never lost sight of where I’d been or where I wanted to go.

Leaving clinical practice is hard — it should be. But it's a lot easier when you’re stepping toward a mission that aligns with your values. As a surgeon, I've helped thousands of patients. In this next chapter, I hope to help hundreds of thousands by helping build a system that delivers better care to more people.

To everyone who’s helped me along the way, including my practice partners, clinical staff, patients, hospital employees, and my greater network — thank you. To those cheering me on now — your encouragement is deeply appreciated. Your wisdom and support are appreciated, and you’ll be even more critical as I take on this new challenge. Let’s keep in touch (or connect if we haven’t already).

Systemic level change takes a village. The more, the merrier.

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Ben Schwartz, MD, MBA

Editor-in-Chief, The Surgeon’s Record

Commons Clinic Senior Clinical Fellow

SVP, Care Services & Strategy

ben@commonsclinic.com