July 15, 2025

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Dr. William Hadden, a pediatric orthopedic spine surgeon at Sanford Orthopedics.

Name: William Hadden

Hometown: Vancouver Island, British Columbia

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

An amazing team at Sanford Orthopedics, who were searching for a pediatric spine surgeon.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

The great family life of a beautiful small city located in a state that is thriving. Connection to the outdoors. A great team to work with that’s excited to build and expand.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Orthopedics in general allows a doctor to definitively fix a tangible problem, with long-term benefit to the patient and, usually, complete return of function. For a doctor, this is the most rewarding scenario possible, and orthopedic surgeons get to do this every day. Beyond orthopedics in general, that impact is magnified across decades in pediatric orthopedics specifically. This is incredibly rewarding.

How did you get connected to your industry?

Like anyone who finds the niche they are meant for, I really just worked hard, listened to people smarter than me and ended up here. I was fortunate enough to meet several wonderful orthopedic mentors along my road through medicine: Baxter Willis in Ottawa, Chris Reilly in Vancouver and the team led by Dan Sucato in Dallas. The realization that they were giants within the profession didn’t really sink in until long after I’d met them because to me they were just exceptional human beings worth emulating.

Describe your workplace in three words.

Competent, honest, conscientious.

What is something someone might be surprised to learn about you?

I grew up on an oyster farm on the west coast of Canada and worked there throughout my teenage years.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

I look forward to coaching my sons’ baseball team — after they learn to walk.