Care Like Family: Dr. Charley Marshall and Will Marshall

At Lone Peak Hospital, we strive to care for our patients as if they were our own family member and often use the tagline “Care Like Family.” For orthopedic surgeon Dr. Charley Marshall of Peak Orthopedics, this phrase has become literal! His 20-year-old son, Will Marshall, spent his summer working as an ER tech and orderly at Lone Peak Hospital, sometimes right alongside his dad in the operating room.

Will is midway through his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia, where he is studying history and pre-med. He also volunteers 20 to 30 hours each week as a firefighter and EMT. This summer he is gaining hands-on experience in two very different but equally exciting hospital settings: the fast-paced Emergency Room and the precise, controlled environment of the OR.

“It’s been a great experience for him,” Dr. Marshall says. “In the field, EMTs see a lot, but you see even more in the hospital. It’s been a fun experience for him and for me.”

A father-son team in the OR

For Dr. Marshall, it is a special experience to watch Will work beside him as an orderly. “I get to see the whole experience through his eyes. It reminds me of where I started. I began as an orderly myself. The experience helps you decide what you want to do, who you want to be, and what culture you want to be part of.”

An orderly’s work is essential to keeping the OR moving smoothly. They push beds, clean and prep rooms between cases, and make sure surgical teams have exactly what they need. For example, a knee operation like the ones Dr. Marshall regularly performs can require about 200 different items. Dr. Marshall likened it to a scavenger hunt that keeps the entire team on track.

Both father and son share an appreciation for the OR’s calm precision. “There is a lot of life that is chaotic, but when you come here, everything is so controlled and has to be a certain way. That is very appealing to me, and it is appealing to him too,” Dr. Marshall explained.

Will’s perspective

Will says working with his dad has been “super fun” and has given him a whole new understanding of what goes into surgery. “It is serious work, but we also get to chat and listen to music. It is a nice work environment,” said Will. “Outside of the OR, I have had a great experience in the ER too, getting to do even more than I did with my EMT training.”

As for the future, Will is keeping his options open but says, “I think it would be pretty cool to continue the family business.”

If Will does pursue medicine, he would be the third generation of Dr. Marshalls to do so. Charley’s father was also an orthopedic surgeon. His wife is an internist, his sisters are both doctors married to doctors, and his father-in-law was an OB/GYN in Korea. Even Dr. Marshall’s daughter is gaining medical experience, working as a scribe while helping her dad.

Life beyond the hospital

Outside of work, the Marshalls are just as close. They ski, mountain bike, and play golf together. “It is great because he is my after-work buddy too,” Dr. Marshall said.

For both father and son, this summer has been more than just work. It has been a chance to share skills, learn from each other, and carry forward a family tradition rooted in helping people.