Brian Thomas Zafonte MD PhD FAAOS CAQ-Hand

Summary

• Brian Zafonte, MD, PhD, MBA, FAAOS, is a double board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in General Orthopedic Surgery and Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, with extensive experience in the surgical and non-surgical management of disorders of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, including shoulder replacement surgery.
  
  He completed Fellowship training in Orthopedic Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at the University of California Davis Health System and his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
  
  Dr. Zafonte currently serves as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Samaritan Medical Center and Chief of Orthopedic Surgery for Samaritan Physicians in Watertown, New York. In these leadership roles, he oversees strategic growth, physician engagement, quality initiatives, operational performance, and service-line development across a multidisciplinary surgical department.
  
  In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Zafonte recently earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) through the Kelley School of Business Physician MBA Program at Indiana University. His professional interests include healthcare strategy, physician leadership, orthopedic service-line development, healthcare operations, quality improvement, and value-based care delivery.
  
  Throughout his career, Dr. Zafonte has played a key role in developing and expanding orthopedic programs, improving access to specialty care, optimizing operating room efficiency, and advancing patient-centered surgical services. He has successfully led initiatives focused on practice growth, physician recruitment, operational excellence, and regional orthopedic program development.
  
  Dr. Zafonte has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and is deeply committed to education and mentorship. He actively mentors medical students, PA and NP students, as well as high school and college students exploring careers in healthcare.