Nate Folkert is the new Chief Executive Officer of Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, succeeding Jerry Jurkiewicz, who will continue with Orchid during a transition period.
Nate Folkert New CEO at Orchid Orthopedic Solutions

With 20 years of medical device experience, Folkert was most recently vice president & general manager for ConMed’s Orthopedics business. Prior to that role, he served as president of Zimmer’s Trauma Division, preceded by several other executive roles at Zimmer and Stryker. Before joining Stryker, Folkert was a helicopter pilot in the United States Army, and is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
“Nate joins with a proven track record of growth acceleration and a close understanding of the orthopedic end market. The Board is impressed by Nate’s understanding of how to create value for Orchid’s customers and build true partnerships,” said Gary Fischetti, chairman of the Board for Orchid.
“My agenda is to grow the business, and I am excited about solving complex problems to create value for our customers,” said Nate Folkert to OTW. “My immediate focus is getting to know the Orchid team and business through site visits and business reviews to understand what we are working on and why. I will be actively seeking input and encouraging employees to be transparent and share opportunities for improvement. It is a phenomenal time to be in this industry, and my role as a leader is to provide an opportunity for people to do their best and create a sustainable, winning organization.”

Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.