Orthopaedic surgery trainees, from left, Ryan Halvorson, MD; Syed Ali, MD; Vibhu Banala, MD; and Ahmad Zedan, BS, took charge last week of receiving fitness equipment to set up the Mount Zion staff wellness center at the UCSF Mount Zion campus. (Courtesy photo)
May 5, 2026 — San Francisco — At the University of California, San Francisco’s Mount Zion Hospital campus, a new kind of clinical infrastructure is quietly taking shape — not a surgical suite or diagnostic lab, but a wellness center designed for the people who keep the operating rooms running.
Located in Room B128, the newly completed Mount Zion staff wellness center will soon open its doors to surgeons, residents, nurses, and operating room personnel, offering a dedicated space for physical recovery and mental decompression amid demanding surgical schedules.
The Mount Zion staff wellness center is shown fully equipped with fitness equipment, including a treadmill, rowing machine, Peloton bike, free weights, and a yoga area, following its recent setup for use by operating room staff. (Courtesy photo)
The center, equipped with a yoga area, treadmill, rowing machine, Peloton bike, barbell rack, and free weights, reflects a growing institutional emphasis on staff well-being within high-intensity clinical environments. Access will be available to all OR staff via a shared entry code.
“Very excited for this — it’s been a long time coming,” said Dr. Saam Morshed, a UCSF orthopedic surgeon, in an email announcing the project. “Many have worked hard to bring this vision to reality, and we are especially grateful to the Mount Zion Health Fund for its support in making this space possible.”
While modest in scale, the project has drawn enthusiasm from across the department, and it is expected to formally open in the coming weeks.
“The wellness center is part of a broader effort within the UCSF Health System to support clinicians working under sustained pressure in surgical environments,” said Dr. C. Benjamin Ma, chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Its location within the hospital underscores a shift in how academic medical centers are thinking about staff support — not as an external benefit, but as something embedded directly within clinical infrastructure.”
Plans are underway for a formal grand opening celebration, timed to coincide with full operational readiness of the space and attendance by staff and trainees.
“I would like to thank all of my colleagues who helped contribute to the design and construction of this space for the betterment of the community,” said orthopaedic surgery resident Ryan Halvorson, MD. “As residents, we are very excited to have this space available to us while caring for our patients.”
The department would like to thank the Mount Zion Health Fund (MZHF) for its support of this project, which will be a lasting resource for OR staff and trainees for years to come.
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