I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Brett Rocos has been appointed Duke Orthopaedics' new Access Champion!
Patient access is a cornerstone of our department’s mission—improving clinical outcomes, reducing emergency visits, strengthening patient-provider relationships, and advancing health equity while minimizing stress and wait times. In his new role, Dr. Rocos will be instrumental in helping us deliver on this mission and further enhance our competitiveness and patient-centered care.
As Access Champion, Dr. Rocos will work closely with partners across DHIP, DHAS, and DUHS to evaluate access metrics, identify and remove barriers to care, and lead initiatives that streamline scheduling and improve clinical outcomes. He will collaborate with the clinical leadership team—including Clinical Vice Chair, Dr. Alison Toth, Clinical Operations Lead, Ray Malaguti, PA-C, MPAS, Associate Vice Chair Clinical, Dr. Tyler Pidgeon, and Medical Director for Access at Duke, Alice Cooper, OGNP, RNC—to ensure we continue providing timely, equitable, and high-quality care to all patients.
We are also implementing an access committee to support Brett and facilitate the exchange of ideas from our entire enterprise to foster better patient access. If you wish to participate, reach out to Brett or our other clinical leaders.
Brett brings a wealth of experience to this role. He joined Duke University Health from London, UK, where he served as a Consultant Adult and Pediatric Spine Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust and Honorary Consultant Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. His surgical training spans the UK and the University of Toronto, and he holds fellowships in adult spine surgery, pediatric spine surgery, orthopaedic trauma surgery, research, and healthcare management.
His passion for patient-centered care is evident in his commitment to supporting patients throughout their journey—from diagnosis and treatment decisions to recovery. His research focuses on spinal deformity and the development of effective, innovative treatments, with leadership roles in global research forums including the AO Knowledge Forum for Deformity and the Scoliosis Research Society’s Research Grants Committee.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Marc Richard for his invaluable service as Access Champion. His dedication and leadership have laid a strong foundation, and I look forward to building upon his work under Dr. Brett Rocos’s guidance.
Additionally, I would like to extend my appreciation to the search committee members—Alice Cooper, Ray Malaguti, Tyler Pigeon, Dara Purvis, and Alison Toth—for their hard work and commitment throughout the selection process.
Please join me in congratulating and supporting Dr. Rocos in his new role.
All the best,
Ben