Ray Raven, MD, MBA, MHCIHand & Upper Limb Specialist
Dr. Ray Raven is an Orthopaedic Surgeon with subspecialty training in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery and Sports Medicine. He is distinguished as belonging to a small group of surgeons in the country who is triple board certified in Orthopedic Surgery, with Certificates of Added Qualification in Surgery of the Hand and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. Dr. Raven has helped thousands of patients with fractures, sports-related injuries, and arthritis recover function and return to their active lifestyles. Dr. Raven has a special interest in upper extremity conditions affecting musicians, artists, and sculptors. He is well regarded for his expertise in the reconstruction of the hand, wrist, and elbow and received advanced training at the institution where the standard of care for treating thumb arthritis was established.
Born and raised in East Side San Jose, Dr. Raven is a product of California public schools. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at UC Irvine, he received his medical degree from UC San Francisco, where he also trained in vascular surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, and reconstructive limb surgery during internship and residency. His post-graduate training took him around the globe, spending time as a volunteer surgeon in Umtata, South Africa, the birthplace of Nelson Mandela, and Barcelona, Spain, to study complex wrist conditions at Institut Kaplan. Dr. Raven also trained in Pediatric Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery at Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Dallas and completed his fellowship training in Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital-Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Raven is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists, a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center for musculoskeletal conditions in Los Angeles County. As the CEO and managing partner, Dr. Raven has the privilege and challenge of overseeing the quality of health care delivery for more than 60,000 patient encounters each year in the group’s clinic, rehabilitation center, and ambulatory surgical centers. Dr. Raven is passionate about health equity and collaborates with other health care providers to help eliminate disparities in treatment outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. He and his partners founded the OSS Health Network Foundation to help patients and families without insurance obtain health care for musculoskeletal conditions. Dr. Raven is a member of the Medical Reserve Corps and serves as a volunteer physician on missions to third-world countries. Dr. Raven and his wife are passionate about educating children, especially those who got their start below the poverty line. Since 2015, he has served on the Board of Directors for Rocketship Education, a non-profit network of public elementary charter schools that thrive in economically depressed and poor-performing districts.
Dr. Raven is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), serving on the Board of Councilors. He is an active member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) and co-founded Hand-e, the Society’s preeminent educational web portal. He also served as the first Deputy Editor for Social Media for the Journal of Hand Surgery, a subsidiary of the ASSH. Dr. Raven’s commitment to leadership in orthopaedic practice has earned him the prestigious designation of Fellow of the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), achieved by fewer than 10% of practicing orthopaedic surgeons. Dr. Raven is on the board of directors for the California Orthopaedic Association (COA), and he was recently elected to the presidential line by his peers. He will be president of the largest state orthopaedic association in 2025.
In addition to Dr. Raven’s national recognition as a surgeon, he is also a visionary and a strong business leader. Since receiving a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from UC Irvine in 2013, Dr. Raven has grown the practice by more than 20% growth on average per year. While completing a Master’s in Health Care Innovation (MHCI) from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Raven began transforming the group's delivery model into a scalable and sustainable physician-led Clinically Integrated Network (CIN). The OSS Health Network CIN, which consists of exceptional health care providers, incentives high-quality health care outcomes. In 2016, Dr. Raven began centralizing the business functions for OSS Health Network providers within California MSK MSO, a management services organization. As Chairman and Chief Visionary Officer, Dr. Raven and his team have financially integrated multiple medical groups and providers, who now benefit from optimized business operations.
Dr. Raven holds multiple patents for medical devices used worldwide to treat hand and upper extremity fractures. He is a serial entrepreneur with the ability to see the future of healthcare. Dr. Raven has not only been able to adapt to changes in the healthcare environment, but he has anticipated what consumers of health care will be looking for next. Dr. Raven has interests in digital health technology, augmented and virtual reality, and regenerative medicine therapeutics, and he sits on advisory boards for several health-tech companies. Dr. Raven enjoys chess, photography, mountain biking, backpacking, martial arts, and traveling with his wife.
EDUCATION
- 2019
Master of Health Care Innovation (MHCI)
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania - 2013
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine - 1997
Medical Degree (MD)
School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco - 1993
Bachelor of Science (BS), Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
School of Biology, University of California, Irvine
POST-GRADUATE MEDICAL TRAINING
- 08/2003 - 01/2005
Fellowship, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Columbia University - St. Luke’s - Roosevelt Hospital, New York, NY
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery - CV Starr Hand Surgery Center
Chief: Steven Glickel, M.D.
Pediatric Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Texas Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital, Dallas, TX
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Chief: Mary-Beth Ezakie, M.D.
Surgery of the Hand and Wrist
Institut Kaplan, Barcelona, Spain
Chairman: Marc Garcia-Elias, M.D. - 07/1998 - 06/2003
Residency, Orthopaedic Surgery
University of California, San Francisco
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Chairman: David Bradford, M.D. - 06/1997 - 05/1998
Internship, General Surgery
University of California, San Francisco
Department of Surgery
Chairman: Theodore Schrock, M.D.
LICENSURE
- State of Hawaii Medical License - 2016
- State of California Fluoroscopy X-Ray Supervisor and Operator - 2005
- State of California Medical License - 1998
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration License - 1998
BOARD CERTIFICATIONS
- Certificate of Added Qualifications in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, ABOS - 2010
- Certificate of Added Qualifications in Surgery of the Hand, ABOS - 2008
- Diplomate, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) - 2007
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER EXPERIENCE
- 2023 - present
Orthopaedic Hand & Upper Limb Specialist
SMaRT Health & Wellness, Aliso Viejo, CA - 2016 - present
Orthopaedic Hand & Upper Limb Specialist
Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists, Burbank CA - 2005 - Present
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Qualified Medical Evaluator
Raven Orthopaedics, Inc., Burbank, CA - 2004 - 2005
Physician
Kaiser Permanente, South San Francisco, CA
APPOINTMENTS
- 2018 - 2020
Division Chief, Orthopaedic Surgery
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center
Department of Surgery, Burbank, CA - 2008 - 2016
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Los Angeles, CA
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
- 2021 - present
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
SMaRT Health & Wellness, Aliso Viejo, CA - 2021 - present
Co-Founder, Managing Member
SMaRT Health & Wellness Management, Aliso Viejo, CA - 2021 - present
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Medical Director
East County Urgent Care, Inc El Cajon, CA - 2021 - present
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Medical Director
Burbank Urgent Care, Inc, Burbank, CA - 2021 - present
Founder, Chief Visionary Officer and Managing Member
California MSK MSO, LLC, Burbank, CA - 2018 - present
Board of Councilors - State Legislative & Regulatory Issues Committee
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Rosemont, IL - 2016 - present
Executive Medical Director and Managing Member
Glendale Surgery Center, Glendale, CA - 2016 - Present
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner
Orthopaedic Surgery Specialists, Burbank, CA - 2016 - 2020
Chief Medical Officer
AppliedVR, Los Angeles, CA - 2015 - 2021
Deputy Editor, Social Media
Journal of Hand Surgery, Chicago, IL - 2014 - present
Managing Member
Buena Vista Surgery Center, Burbank, CA
HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CARE FACILITY AFFILIATION
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA - 2021 - present
- Glendale Surgery Center, Glendale CA - 2016 - present
- Buena Vista Surgery Center, Burbank CA - 2015 - present
- Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Burbank CA - 2005 - present
ADDITIONAL TRAINING, EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 2023
- Qualified Medical Evaluator, California Division of Workers' Compensation - 2023
- Volume to Value: Preparing Your Practice for Healthcare Reform, AAOS - 2015
- Emerging Issues in Health Care, Harvard University Executive Education - 2014
- Health Care Forecast Conference, UCI Merage School of Business - 2014
- AOA Leadership Series, University of Chicago Booth School of Management - 2013
- Disaster Response Training, SOMOS/OTA/AAOS/POSNA, Chicago, IL - 2013
- Executive Leadership Residential, UCI Merage School of Business - 2013
- Federal Policy in Health Care, The Washington Campus, Washington D.C. - 2012
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
- American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), Fellow - 2021
- American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE), Member - 2012
- Wilderness Medicine Society (WMS), Member - 2010
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH), Member - 2009
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), Fellow - 2008
- American Association for Hand Surgery (ASSH), Member - 2008
- California Medical Association (CMA), Member - 2006
- Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), Member - 2001
- California Orthopaedic Association (COA), Member - 1999
- American Medical Association (AMA), Member - 1998
PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEES
- Vice President (Presidential Line), COA - 2021- present
- State Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee, AAOS/BOC - 2019 - present
- Program Chair, Annual Meeting of the COA, Laguna Niguel, CA - 2016
- Industry Guide Editorial Board, ASSH - 2016 - 2018
- Advisory Group, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - 2016 - 2020
- Social Media Advisory Board, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - 2016 - 2018
- Board of Directors, COA - 2014 - present
- Information Technology Committee, COA - 2014 - 2021
- Hand-e (Online-Education Platform) Advisory Board, ASSH - 2014 - 2020
- Committee on Evidence-Based Quality and Value, AAOS - 2013 - 2015
- Public Education Committee, ASSH - 2012 - 2017
- Co-Chair and Co-Founder, Hand-e Online Resource Network, ASSH - 2011 - 2014
- Commercial Support Committee, ASSH - 2010 - 2015
COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTEER SERVICE
- Board of Directors, Rocketship Public Schools (Non-profit), San Jose, CA - 2015
- Board of Directors, Manus Club, Inc (Non-profit), NY, NY - 2014 - present
- Emergency Services Department, Black Rock City, NV - 2013 - 2014
- Volunteer Surgeon, Hôpital Sacré Coeur, Milot, Haiti - 2011
- Medical Reserve Corps of Los Angeles, CA - 2009 - present
- Volunteer Clinical Faculty, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA - 2008 - 2014
- Volunteer Surgeon, Bedford Orthopedic Hospital, Umtata, South Africa - 2002
- Volunteer Health Screening Physician, Silver Creek High School, San Jose, CA - 1997 - present
HONORS AND AWARDS
- East Side Union High School District Hall of Fame, San Jose, CA - 2017
- Emerging Leaders Program, AOA - 2013
- Leadership Fellows Program, AAOS - 2013
- Young Leaders, ASSH - 2009
- S.O.F.C.O.T. International Traveling Fellowship - 2003
- Excellence in Teaching and Leadership, Department of Orthopaedics, UCSF - 2003
- Orthopaedics Overseas - OREF Traveling Fellowship - 2001
HEALTH-TECH START-UP EXPERIENCE
- 2019 - present
OutcomeMD
Advisor - 2018 - present
OpticSurg, New York, NY
Advisor - 2018 - 2022
Stasis Labs
Advisor - 2016 - 2020
CaseTabs, Santa Monica, CA
Advisor - 2018 - 2020
Former Chief Medical Officer
AppliedVR, Los Angeles, CA
Advisor
ORIGINAL INVENTIONS
- System for treating bone fractures: US Patent No 9295506B2 - 2016
- System for treating bone fractures: US Patent No 8603148B2 - 2014
- System for treating bone fractures: US Patent No 8591554B2 - 2013
- Clavicle bone plate: US Patent No 20120059424A1 - 2012
- “Raven” surgical retractor: US Patent No D642679S1 - 2011
- System for treating bone fractures: U.S. Patent No D622853S1 - 2010
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Other Publications
- Audio Digest: Dupuytren Contracture: Diagnosis and Treatment Options. August 2020
- White Paper: Practice Survival for an Orthopaedic Practice During COVID-19. California Orthopaedic Association. April 2020
- White Paper: Telehealth in Orthopedics: An Essential Technology. California Orthopaedic Association. December 2019
- Op-Ed: Embracing digital technology in the ASC. Physician Practice. March 2020.
- Educational Brochure: The Jammed Finger. American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Patient Education. 2015
Editor & Reviewer
- Information Technology Editor. American Society for Surgery of the Hand Textbook of Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery. 2013 - 2016
- Reviewer. Journal of Hand Surgery (American). 2014 - 2016
Books, Chapters, and Contributions
- Raven R, Kushner H, Nguyen D, Naam N, Curtin C. Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Treatment With Collagenase Clostridium histolyticum Among Subgroups of Patients With Dupuytren Contracture. Annals of Plastic Surgery: September 2014;73-3:286-290
- Zlotolow D, Raven R. Salvage procedures of the wrist. American Society for Surgery of the Hand Textbook of Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery. 2013
- Zlotolow D, Raven R. The ulnar side of the wrist. American Society for Surgery of the Hand Textbook of Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery. 2013
- Lifchez DS, McKee DM, Raven RB, Shafritz AB, Tueting JL: Guidelines for Ethical and Professional Use of Social Media in a Hand Surgery Practice. Journal of Hand Surgery 2012;37A:2636–2641.
- Zlotolow D, Raven R: Avoiding complications with volar plating of distal radial fractures. Current Orthopaedic Practice. 23(4):300-304, July/August 2012.
- Zlotolow DA, Raven RB 3rd. Treatment Options After Failed Distal Radial Fracture Treatment (Salvage Procedures). Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics. 2009 Apr;19(2):119-129.
- Greene D, Raven R, Carvalho G, Maas CS. Epidemiology of facial injury in blunt assault. Determinants of incidence and outcome in 802 patients. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1997 Sep;123(9):923-928.
- Azakie A, McElhinney DB, Thompson RW, Raven RB, Messina LM, Stoney RJ. Surgical management of subclavian-vein effort thrombosis as a result of thoracic outlet compression. J Vasc Surg. 1998 Nov;28(5):777-786
- Macdonald MR, Spiegel JH, Raven RB, Kabaker SS, Maas CS. An anatomical approach to glabellar rhytids. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1998 Dec;124(12):1315-1320.
- Hwang PH, Tami TA, Lee KC, Raven RB. Attitudes, knowledge, and practices of otolaryngologists treating patients infected with HIV. Otolaryngology Head Neck Surg. 1995 Dec;113(6):733-739.
Presentations and Posters at Society Meetings
- Program Moderator. Practice Management Day. California Orthopaedic Association; 2023 Annual Meeting, Monterey, CA
- Presenter. Management Services Organization: What is an MSO? Practice Management Section. California Orthopaedic Association; 2023 Annual Meeting, Monterey, CA
- Presenter. How to Leverage the Internet for Your Hand Surgery Practice. Instructional Course. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2020 Annual Meeting, Virtual.
- Presenter: Dupuytren’s Disease. Kaiser Permanente Dale Daniel Orthopaedic Symposium; 2020 Annual Meeting. Miramonte Indian Wells, CA
- Presenter. Distal Radius Fractures. The Volar Plate is Not the Panacea. California Orthopaedic Association; 2018 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
- Moderator/Presenter. The Internet and Social media – Marketing your practice and dealing with negative online reviews. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2017 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Lecturer/Instructor: Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Use of Ultrasound for the Elbow. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Lecturer: 8th Annual Los Angeles Orthopaedic Trauma Course: Hot Topics in Orthopaedic Trauma. Acute Traumatic Instability of the Elbow: Fixing Them Right the First Time.
- Lecturer/Instructor: Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Ultrasound: A Primer for Hand Surgeons. Diagnostic and Therapeutic Use of Ultrasound for the Elbow
- Moderator. Surgeons Get Graded: Your Report Card Online. Practice Management Section. California Orthopaedic Association; 2016 Annual Meeting, Laguna Niguel, CA
- Presenter. Web Presence Optimization: Making Yourself More Visible On the Internet. Practice Management Section. California Orthopaedic Association; 2016 Annual Meeting, Laguna Niguel, CA
- Presenter. Virtual Reality in Medicine and Healthcare. Bradford Eaton Memorial Lecture. Littler-Eaton Hand Society - Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University School of Medicine. 2016 Annual Meeting.
- Section Moderator. Finger-tip injury. Combined Meeting – Australian Hand Surgery Society & American Society for Surgery of the Hand; Sydney, Australia.
- Presenter. Hand-e: Navigating the educational platform of the ASSH. Instructional Course. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2014 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
- Moderator. Leveraging Information Technology to Organize Your Life Professionally and Personally. Instructional Course. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2015 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
- Course Chair. Practice Management in the 21st Century. Instructional Course. American Association for Hand Surgery; 2015 Annual Meeting, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
- Instructor. Social Media and Your Practice – Web Presence Optimization. Instructional Course. American Association for Hand Surgery; 2015 Annual Meeting, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
- Moderator. Leveraging Information Technology to Organize Your Life Professionally and Personally. Instructional Course. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2014 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
- Moderator. Effective Use of Social Media in Your Practice. Precourse. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2013 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Moderator: Engaging Patients Online. Symposium. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2013 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Presenter. Social Media and your Practice: How to Connect with and Inform your Patients and the Public. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2012 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Il.
- Presenter. Leveraging Social Networking in Orthopaedics. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2012 Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
- Presenter: Social Media and your Practice: How to Connect with and Inform your Patients and the Public. American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2011 Annual Meeting.
- Presenter: Botulinum Toxin: Treatment Option for Digital Ischemia in Raynaud’s Phenomena. Bradford Eaton Memorial Lecture. Littler-Eaton Hand Society - Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University School of Medicine. 2011 Annual Meeting.
- Poster: Treatment of Proximal Femur Fractures using an Extended-Short Nail. Poster session presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2011 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
- Poster: Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Treatment with Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum Among Subgroups of Patients with Dupuytren’s Contracture. Paper session presented at: American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2010 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
- Presenter: Hand Fracture Fixation Using a Novel Plating System. Presented at American Society for Surgery of the Hand; 2010 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.