---
title: "Sutter Health Welcomes Four Leading Spine Surgeons | Sutter Health"
description: "Sutter Health welcomes four spine surgeons from UCSF to open the Sutter Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Institute at CPMC in San Francisco for complex spine care."
url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-health-welcomes-four-leading-spine-surgeons-to-build-a-new-model-for-complex-spine-care"
---

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4.  Sutter Health Welcomes Four Leading Spine Surgeons to Build a New Model for Complex Spine Care

# Sutter Health Welcomes Four Leading Spine Surgeons to Build a New Model for Complex Spine Care

Drs. Sigurd Berven, Shane Burch, Aaron Clark and Alekos Theologis have joined Sutter West Bay Medical Group to build a coordinated, multidisciplinary home for complex spine care in San Francisco.

October 12, 2026

![Portraits of four spine surgeons labeled Dr. Sigurd Berven, Dr. Shane Burch, Dr. Aaron Clark and Dr. Alekos Theologis, on a teal background with curved lines](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/press-releases/Spine-Surgeons-Hero.jpg?h=788&iar=0&w=940)

SAN FRANCISCO – Sutter Health is reshaping how complex spine care is delivered in Northern California by bringing together nationally recognized surgeons, advanced technology and a coordinated multidisciplinary approach.

Drs. **Sigurd Berven, Shane Burch, Aaron Clark and Alekos Theologis**, four highly regarded spine surgeons most recently with UCSF, have joined [Sutter West Bay Medical Group](https://linkedin.com/company/swbmg "Sutter West Bay Medical Group"), part of Sutter Health, to establish the **Sutter Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Institute** at Sutter’s CPMC in San Francisco. Together, they bring deep expertise in complex spine surgery, adult spinal deformity, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, research, education and quality improvement.

“We’re very glad to welcome these physicians to Sutter,” said Meredith Hileman, chief executive officer of Sutter West Bay Medical Group. “They bring exceptional expertise, and just as important, they share our vision for building something that can serve patients with the most complex spine conditions. This is about bringing the right people and capabilities together so patients have access to advanced care in one place.”

![Two surgeons in scrubs and caps in an operating room, one holding a handheld instrument attached to a robotic arm, with a spine model and navigation screens nearby](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/press-releases/Dr-Aaron-Clark-Robot-Training.jpg "Dr. Aaron Clark at Sutter's CPMC Mission Bernal Campus hospital trains on the Medtronic Stealth AXiS™ with Autopilot, an FDA-cleared, AI-powered surgical robotic platform that combines pre-surgical planning, 360° optical/EM navigation, and a floor-mounted robotic arm for spine, cranial, and ENT procedures.")

The newly formed Institute is being developed to care for patients with complex spinal and neurological conditions. The program will integrate spine surgery with neurosurgery, orthopedics, neurology, rehabilitation and other specialties, creating a coordinated model for patients whose care often crosses multiple areas of medicine. The team will also work alongside Sutter’s existing neuroscience and orthopedic service lines while establishing a dedicated home for advanced spine care.

“Complex spine care is rarely about one procedure or one specialty,” said Dr. Shane Burch, who will serve as chief of spine surgery at the Institute. “It takes a team with the right blend of expertise working together around the patient and that’s what we’re building at Sutter. We have the opportunity to create a truly innovative program where clinical care, research, education and technology are all connected and inform one another. That’s how breakthrough care happens. It’s what will make this a program a place patients turn to when they need complex spine expertise and treatment they can’t find anywhere else.”

Together, the physicians bring expertise that spans the full spectrum of complex spine care:

-   [Dr. Berven](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-sigurd-h-berven-1046243460) specializes in complex spinal surgery and will help lead work in quality, research and physician education.
-   [Dr. Burch](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-shane-burch-2088381031) specializes in spinal deformity, complex cervical spine surgery and will lead the program as its chief of spine surgery.
-   [Dr. Clark](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-aaron-clark-2088381036) specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, including advanced robotic and image-guided techniques.
-   [Dr. Theologis](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/dr-alekos-a-theologis-2088381041) specializes in adult spinal deformity and complex reconstructive spine surgery.

The team is currently caring for patients at Sutter’s [Mission Bernal Care Center](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-location/facility/mission-bernal-care-center-2011972352) at 1580 Valencia St., 7th Floor, in San Francisco. Patients will benefit from a coordinated approach that spans diagnosis, treatment planning, surgery, rehabilitation and follow-up care. The program will also create opportunities for physicians and researchers to collaborate across specialties, advance spine research and train the next generation of surgeons.

![Architectural rendering of a multistory white and gray hospital building on a street corner under a blue sky](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/press-releases/Mission-Bernal-Neuroscience-Complex-Rendering.png "The Sutter Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Care Complex at Sutter's CPMC Mission Bernal Campus in San Francisco. The complex is slated to open in 2028.")

Looking ahead, the program’s long-term home will be Sutter’s state-of-the-art [Advanced Neuroscience & Spine Care Complex](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/mission-bernal-care-complex-updates/) at Sutter’s CPMC Mission Bernal Campus, a 129,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open in 2028. The nearly $500 million project will bring advanced neuroscience and spine services together under one roof, creating a dedicated hub for patient care, surgery, research, education and innovation.

“This is the beginning of something we believe can have a much broader impact on spine care and how it’s delivered,” said Dr. Rob Nordgren, chief medical officer for Sutter’s Greater San Francisco and East Bay Division. “We’re excited to welcome these surgeons and create a destination where patients with the most complex spinal conditions can access the specialized care they need.”

## Topics

[Back and spine health](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Back+and+spine+health%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles)

## Back and spine

A healthy back and spine are essential to your mobility and everyday comfort. If you're dealing with back pain or a spine condition, our specialists can provide diagnosis, treatment and relief to help you keep moving.

[Learn more about Back and spine](https://www.sutterhealth.org/services/back-spine)

## Related articles

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### [Cultivating Strength to Flow, Thrive After Spine Surgery](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/patient-stories/cultivating-strength-to-flow-and-thrive)

### [Sutter’s Novato Community Hospital Earns Advanced Spine Surgery Certification from The Joint Commission](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutters-novato-community-hospital-earns-advanced-spine-surgery-certification-from-the-joint)

### [Sutter Health Philanthropic Partner Powers Possibilities Across the Greater Central Valley](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-health-philanthropic-partner-powers-possibilities-across-the-greater-central-valley)

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