Leadership

Kim Mikes, MBA, BSN

Chief Executive Officer

Kim Mikes, MBA, BSN, RN, CNOR is a veteran healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience across the spectrum of hospital, ambulatory and clinic settings. She has a deep understanding and experience in the hospital and ambulatory surgical business from both clinical and financial perspectives, while also delivering on operational excellence, exceptional patient experiences and outcomes.

An engaging leader, communicator and relationship builder, Mikes has expertise in planning, organizing, directing and controlling of all administrative and clinical activities for a nationally ranked for-profit, joint venture physician-owned Orthopedic & Spine specialty hospital and ASC network.

Prior to becoming the Chief Executive Officer at Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), Mikes had been the Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at HOI since 2016. Before joining HOI, she served in a variety of roles at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, including Executive Nursing and Operations Director for the Women’s Health Institute and Nursing Director for the Short Stay Surgery Unit and GI Lab. Prior to her arrival in Southern California, Mikes held a number of top leadership positions at major medical centers throughout the United States.

Mikes is a registered nurse, with a special certification in perioperative care (CNOR), and holds a certification in Leadership for Healthcare Transformation from the University of California, Irvine, where she also earned her Master of Business Administration. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at University of Wyoming, Laramie and is currently a member of numerous professional organizations including the Association of Perioperative Nurses (AORN) and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society.

Steven Barnett, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Steven Barnett is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with fellowship training specializing in Adult Reconstructive Surgery. He is a general partner of Orthopedic Specialty Institute in Orange County. His practice is limited to joint replacement and arthritis surgery of the hip and knee and he performs over 600 joint replacement surgeries per year. He is an attending physician at both Hoag Orthopedic Institute and currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Hoag Orthopedic Institute. Dr. Barnett holds membership in the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons as well as the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

He received his undergraduate degree in Physiology at the University of California, Berkeley. Subsequent to this, he attended Boston University School of Medicine for his medical degree. At Boston University, Dr. Barnett graduated Cum Laude and was selected as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He then went on to complete both his surgical internship and orthopedic residency training at the University of California, Irvine. Following residency, he completed an additional fellowship year in joint replacement and adult reconstructive surgery at the Institute for Bone and Joint Disorders in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. Barnett has been actively involved in FDA Investigational Device studies as well as implant design pertaining to hip and knee implants and bearing surfaces. He has published numerous articles in the orthopedic literature featuring clinical outcomes in hip and knee replacement surgery and has presented on these topics at both national and international conferences. He is also actively engaged in local surgeon education and has performed many live surgical and cadaveric demonstrations for the physician community.

Christine Wages, Esq.

Chief Legal Officer

Christine Wages is the Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Hoag Orthopedic Institute. In this role, Wages oversees the legal function of HOI and its subsidiaries. She works closely with HOI leadership and the Board of Managers to support all transactional, regulatory, and corporate matters affecting HOI. She is also responsible for coordinating litigation management and strategy, and oversight of all outside counsel.

Wages is a seasoned healthcare attorney with more than a decade of experience serving as in-house counsel for health systems, hospitals, and medical groups. Prior to joining HOI, she served as Sr. Associate General Counsel for Optum’s Home & Community division. Wages earned her undergraduate degree from Westmont College and her JD with honors from Emory University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in California.

Nader Nassif, MD

Division Chief of Joint Replacement

Dr. Nader Nassif is a well-known and respected, board certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in total joint replacements. He is fellowship trained in total joint replacements at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He focuses on the surgical treatment of hip osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis and post traumatic arthritis. Dr. Nassif also specializes in the care of failed total hip replacements and failed total knee joint replacements that require revisions (Re-dos). As Division Chief of Joint Replacement, Dr. Nassif aims to improve public education and community outreach related to joint replacements, as well as create and proactively maintain open communication with other physicians to bring awareness to the program. Other responsibilities include creating and maintaining ongoing positive communications with, and dissemination of, information to members of the joint replacement program team and outside vendors related ongoing activities. Read more about Dr. Nassif here.

David Gazzaniga, MD

Division Chief of Sports Medicine

David Gazzaniga, MD is a renowned orthopedic surgeon with specialized training in sports medicine, and injuries of the shoulder, elbow, knee, and hip. Dr. Gazzaniga serves as a consulting physician for the Los Angeles Chargers while serving as the Division Chief of Sports Medicine for Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Orange County, CA. Dr. Gazzaniga’s goal is to improve access to orthopedic care with a commitment to research, education, and the latest advancements in sports medicine. Over the years, Dr. Gazzaniga has also served as the head team physician for professional and Olympic sports teams, including the New York Jets, New York Islanders and USA Women’s Water Polo. He also has personal experience as a collegiate football player at Dartmouth College before completing his residency at Harvard University and several fellowships: Trauma Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Foot & Ankle Fellowship at Bringham & Womens Hospital & Sports Medicine Fellowship at Steadman-Hawkins in Colorado.

Jeremy Smith, MD

Division Chief of Spine Surgery

Dr. Smith is a well-respected, fellowship trained surgeon specializing in Orthopaedic Spine Surgery as well as cutting edge treatment of degenerative spinal conditions. Dr. Smith also has significant interest in the treatment of spinal trauma, particularly spinal cord injury and has made significant laboratory and clinical contributions that have advanced the field. In Dr. Smith’s role as Division Chief of Surgical Spine, he aims to improve public education and community outreach related to spine surgery, as well as create and proactively maintain open communication with other physicians to bring awareness to the program. Other responsibilities include creating and maintaining ongoing positive communications with, and dissemination of, information to members of the joint replacement program team and outside vendors related ongoing activities. Learn more about Dr. Smith here.