Southwest Medical Center to Add Spine Surgeon to Orthopedic Care Team in 2026

Southwest Medical Center in Liberal is set to expand its orthopedic capabilities with the addition of Zak Ibrahim, MD, a board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon joining the Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Care Center in late March 2026.

Ibrahim's arrival marks a notable step for SWMC, which has worked to grow specialist services available to patients in Liberal and the surrounding region. Spine care has historically required many southwest Kansas residents to travel significant distances to access fellowship-trained surgical expertise, making the addition of a dedicated spine surgeon locally a meaningful shift in what care is available close to home.

Ibrahim brings both board certification and fellowship training to the role, credentials that reflect advanced, specialized preparation in spine surgery beyond standard orthopedic residency. Fellowship-trained spine surgeons typically focus on conditions ranging from herniated discs and spinal stenosis to complex deformities and trauma, offering a depth of expertise that broadens the scope of what SWMC's Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Care Center can address.

The appointment builds on the center's existing orthopedic and sports medicine services, adding a subspecialty that handles some of the most debilitating and functionally limiting conditions that bring patients to orthopedic care. Spine-related pain and disability represent one of the leading reasons adults seek specialist medical attention, and the availability of a surgeon of Ibrahim's training level in Liberal reduces the burden on patients who might otherwise delay care or forgo it entirely due to travel demands.

Ibrahim is expected to begin seeing patients at the Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Care Center in late March.