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Dr. Alejandro Badia: Entrepreneurship Born from Necessity
Wealth Stream Newsletter had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Alejandro Badia, a renowned hand and upper limb surgeon, author, and healthcare innovator. Dr. Badia shared his inspiring journey from Cuba to becoming a disruptor in the healthcare industry, offering invaluable insights into the intersection of medicine, entrepreneurship, and the Latino community.
Dr. Badia’s story begins in Havana, Cuba, where he was born before emigrating to Madrid and eventually settling in New Jersey. He credits his early experiences—particularly witnessing his grandmother struggle with rheumatoid arthritis—for sparking his dream to become a physician at the age of eight. “I was very close to her because, as typical immigrants, my parents worked,” he recalls. This connection fueled his ambition to pursue medicine and ultimately specialize in hand surgery.
After graduating from Cornell University, Dr. Badia moved to Miami—what he affectionately calls “Latino Mecca”—where he has practiced for 30 years. Reflecting on this milestone, he says, “I’ve done several things people might consider entrepreneurial, but for me, it was more about necessity than ambition”.
Dr. Badia’s entrepreneurial journey is deeply intertwined with his medical practice. As a hand and upper limb surgeon specializing in conditions affecting the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, he recognized inefficiencies in healthcare delivery early on. “Healthcare and building wealth feel like an oxymoron lately,” he notes. “Reimbursements have been cut every year for 20 years, which preys upon our altruism as physicians”.
To address these challenges, Dr. Badia founded OrthoNOW® —a walk-in orthopedic care center designed to streamline musculoskeletal treatment. The center integrates diagnostics, surgery, and rehabilitation under one roof to reduce costs and improve accessibility. “Our data shows that about 70% of visits are for assessing/treating musculoskeletal pain - knee pain, lumbar back pain, rather than acute injuries,” he explains.
Despite initial success with franchising OrthoNOW® centers, Dr. Badia faced challenges unique to healthcare entrepreneurship. “Healthcare doesn’t lend itself well to franchising; it’s not like running a gym or burger joint,” he admits. Moving forward, he envisions corporate-owned centers with regional joint ventures to ensure sustainable growth.
Dr. Badia is deeply committed to improving healthcare access for Latinos—a community that often faces systemic barriers despite its diversity and size. He highlights how insurance hurdles disproportionately affect Latinos: “Even people with insurance often don’t know how to access care due to the games insurance companies play”. I talk about the challenges of the healthcare system in my book Healthcare from the Trenches.
Located in Doral—a predominantly Hispanic area—Dr. Badia’s practice serves as a model for addressing these disparities. He remarks proudly on its impact: “We’re fixing a large component of healthcare as the population ages and arthritis becomes more prevalent”.
When asked about advice for young Latinos entering medicine or entrepreneurship, Dr. Badia emphasizes financial literacy and risk-taking:
He also encourages thinking outside the box: “To win, you have to play—identify needs within your industry and take calculated risks”.
Dr. Badia hopes his legacy will reflect both his dedication to patient care and his efforts to improve healthcare delivery on a broader scale: “I want people to say I was a compassionate physician who cared enough about the community—especially the Latino community—to make healthcare more cost-effective and accessible”.
As someone who has weathered the storm of systemic challenges while remaining committed to innovation and service, Dr. Badia exemplifies resilience and vision in both medicine and entrepreneurship. “I am hopeful that we can tackle healthcare costs and inefficiencies as it now devours 20% of our GDP and is not sustainable in an already stressed economy, as I discuss in my podcast.
Dr. Alejandro Badia’s story is a powerful reminder that passion coupled with perseverance can drive meaningful change—not only in individual lives but across entire communities.
For more information about DR. Badia’s orthopedic practice visit https://drbadia.com/ and OrthoNOW® https://drbadia.com/orthonow/.
Disclosure: Please note that the information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.
Dr. Badia’s story begins in Havana, Cuba, where he was born before emigrating to Madrid and eventually settling in New Jersey. He credits his early experiences—particularly witnessing his grandmother struggle with rheumatoid arthritis—for sparking his dream to become a physician at the age of eight. “I was very close to her because, as typical immigrants, my parents worked,” he recalls. This connection fueled his ambition to pursue medicine and ultimately specialize in hand surgery.
After graduating from Cornell University, Dr. Badia moved to Miami—what he affectionately calls “Latino Mecca”—where he has practiced for 30 years. Reflecting on this milestone, he says, “I’ve done several things people might consider entrepreneurial, but for me, it was more about necessity than ambition”.
Dr. Badia’s entrepreneurial journey is deeply intertwined with his medical practice. As a hand and upper limb surgeon specializing in conditions affecting the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, he recognized inefficiencies in healthcare delivery early on. “Healthcare and building wealth feel like an oxymoron lately,” he notes. “Reimbursements have been cut every year for 20 years, which preys upon our altruism as physicians”.
To address these challenges, Dr. Badia founded OrthoNOW® —a walk-in orthopedic care center designed to streamline musculoskeletal treatment. The center integrates diagnostics, surgery, and rehabilitation under one roof to reduce costs and improve accessibility. “Our data shows that about 70% of visits are for assessing/treating musculoskeletal pain - knee pain, lumbar back pain, rather than acute injuries,” he explains.
Despite initial success with franchising OrthoNOW® centers, Dr. Badia faced challenges unique to healthcare entrepreneurship. “Healthcare doesn’t lend itself well to franchising; it’s not like running a gym or burger joint,” he admits. Moving forward, he envisions corporate-owned centers with regional joint ventures to ensure sustainable growth.
Dr. Badia is deeply committed to improving healthcare access for Latinos—a community that often faces systemic barriers despite its diversity and size. He highlights how insurance hurdles disproportionately affect Latinos: “Even people with insurance often don’t know how to access care due to the games insurance companies play”. I talk about the challenges of the healthcare system in my book Healthcare from the Trenches.
Located in Doral—a predominantly Hispanic area—Dr. Badia’s practice serves as a model for addressing these disparities. He remarks proudly on its impact: “We’re fixing a large component of healthcare as the population ages and arthritis becomes more prevalent”.
When asked about advice for young Latinos entering medicine or entrepreneurship, Dr. Badia emphasizes financial literacy and risk-taking:
- “The power of compounding interest is key—save early in your career.
- “Own your real estate if you’re spending significant time there; it’s one of the best investments you can make.”
He also encourages thinking outside the box: “To win, you have to play—identify needs within your industry and take calculated risks”.
Dr. Badia hopes his legacy will reflect both his dedication to patient care and his efforts to improve healthcare delivery on a broader scale: “I want people to say I was a compassionate physician who cared enough about the community—especially the Latino community—to make healthcare more cost-effective and accessible”.
As someone who has weathered the storm of systemic challenges while remaining committed to innovation and service, Dr. Badia exemplifies resilience and vision in both medicine and entrepreneurship. “I am hopeful that we can tackle healthcare costs and inefficiencies as it now devours 20% of our GDP and is not sustainable in an already stressed economy, as I discuss in my podcast.
Dr. Alejandro Badia’s story is a powerful reminder that passion coupled with perseverance can drive meaningful change—not only in individual lives but across entire communities.
For more information about DR. Badia’s orthopedic practice visit https://drbadia.com/ and OrthoNOW® https://drbadia.com/orthonow/.
Disclosure: Please note that the information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.
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