Staff Physician/Orthopedic Surgery

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Learn more.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn15edrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting

The VA St. Louis Health Care System is seeking a Board Certified or Board Eligible Orthopedic Surgeon to join our Surgical Service. The selected candidates will deliver high-quality, Veteran-centered orthopedic surgical care and must be experienced general orthopedic surgeons with fellowship training in a subspecialty such as Shoulder & Elbow, Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Trauma, or Adult Hip & Knee.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Outpatient Care:
  • Conduct comprehensive orthopedic evaluations, including new consultations, pre-operative assessments, and post-operative follow-ups.
  • Develop individualized treatment plans in collaboration with patients and referring providers.
• Inpatient Care:
  • Provide inpatient consultations and manage orthopedic admissions, including pre- and post-operative care.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary rounds and coordinate care with hospitalists, rehabilitation, nursing, and ancillary services.
  • Ensure continuity of care during transitions between inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Operative Care:
  • Perform a full range of orthopedic surgical procedures within the scope of the surgeon's subspecialty (e.g., joint reconstruction, shoulder/elbow repair, trauma stabilization).
  • Maintain proficiency in advanced surgical techniques, including minimally invasive, image-guided, and robotic-assisted procedures.
  • Participate in the development and implementation of robotic surgery protocols and ensure safe, effective integration of robotic technology into orthopedic surgical care.
• Care Coordination:
  • Collaborate with primary care, physical therapy, prosthetics, pain management, and other specialties to ensure integrated, Veteran-centered care.
  • Participate in multidisciplinary case conferences and surgical planning meetings.
  • Facilitate timely communication with referring providers and ensure appropriate handoffs.

Educational Responsibilities

• Supervise and mentor orthopedic surgery residents and medical students in both clinical and operative settings.
• Ensure compliance with ACGME and affiliate training program requirements.

Resident Supervision and Site Director Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary liaison between the VA Orthopedic Surgery Section and the Washington University Orthopedic Residency Program.
• Coordinate resident schedules, clinical rotations, and operative assignments to ensure a robust and educational experience aligned with ACGME requirements.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Participate in Surgical Service meetings, peer review, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with nursing leadership, OR managers, and APP supervisors to improve workflows and patient outcomes.
• Ensure timely and accurate documentation in the Electronic Health Record (EHR).

Collaborating Physician and Clinical Oversight

• Serve as the designated collaborating physician for Physician Assistants (PAs) assigned to the Orthopedic Surgery Section.
• Review and co-sign PA documentation as required by VA policy and state licensure regulations.

Research and Development (as applicable)

• Support or participate in clinical research initiatives aligned with orthopedic innovation and Veteran care.
• Promote scholarly activity, including publications, presentations, and quality improvement projects.

Dimensions of Practice

• Veteran-Centered Care: Prioritizes the needs, preferences, and values of Veterans in all aspects of care delivery.
• Clinical Competence: Demonstrates mastery in orthopedic surgical techniques and evidence-based practice within the chosen subspecialty.
• Educational Competence: Provides high-quality teaching and mentorship; contributes to academic program development.

Work Schedule: Full-Time tour of duty, actual tour to be negotiated upon selection.

To qualify for this position, you must meet the basic requirements as well as any additional requirements (if applicable) listed in the job announcement. Applicants pending the completion of training or license requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Currently employed physician(s) in VA who met the requirements for appointment under the previous qualification standard at the time of their initial appointment are deemed to have met the basic requirements of the occupation.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed.
• Current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Residency Training: Physicians must have completed residency training, approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in an accredited core specialty training program leading to eligibility for board certification. (NOTE: VA physicians involved in academic training programs may be required to be board certified for faculty status.) Approved residencies are: (1) Those approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), b) OR
  [(2) Those approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),OR
  (3) Other residencies (non-US residency training programs followed by a minimum of five years of verified practice in the United States), which the local Medical Staff Executive Committee deems to have provided the applicant with appropriate professional training and believes has exposed the physician to an appropriate range of patient care experiences.
  Residents currently enrolled in ACGME/AOA accredited residency training programs and who would otherwise meet the basic requirements for appointment are eligible to be appointed as "Physician Resident Providers" (PRPs). PRPs must be fully licensed physicians (i.e., not a training license) and may only be appointed on an intermittent or fee-basis. PRPs are not considered independent practitioners and will not be privileged; rather, they are to have a "scope of practice" that allows them to perform certain restricted duties under supervision. Additionally, surgery residents in gap years may also be appointed as PRPs.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Additional Requirement:

• Must be eligible for faculty appointment with Washington University, the established academic affiliate partner of the VA St. Louis Health Care System.

Preferred Experience: Board Certified or Board Eligible in Orthopedic Surgery.
Fellowship training in a recognized subspecialty (e.g., Shoulder & Elbow, Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Trauma, Adult Hip & Knee).
Consistent operative experience within the past three (3) years, including proficiency in:

• General orthopedic surgical procedures.
• Advanced techniques such as minimally invasive and image-guided procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to manage comprehensive orthopedic care across outpatient, inpatient, and operative settings.
• Experience in multidisciplinary care coordination, including collaboration with primary care, rehabilitation, and ancillary services.

Prior involvement in resident and medical student education, with familiarity with ACGME requirements.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: More information can be found in VA Handbook 5019.

Degree of Doctor of Medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in allopathic medicine or osteopathic medicine. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are:

1. Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or
2. Schools of osteopathic medicine approved by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation of the American Osteopathic Association for the year in which the degree was granted.
3. For foreign medical graduates not covered in (1) or (2) above, facility officials must verify with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) that the applicant has met requirements for certification, and must obtain a copy of the ECFMG certificate, if claimed by the applicant. [If the applicant does not claim an ECFMG certificate, facility officials must still confirm that the medical school meets (or met) ECFMG eligibility requirements for the year the candidate graduated.]

NOTE: The Under Secretary of Health or designee in the VHA Central Office may approve the appointment under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 of a physician graduate of a school of medicine not covered above if the candidate is to be assigned to a research, academic, or administrative position with no patient care responsibilities. The appointment will be made only in exceptional circumstances where the candidate's credentials clearly demonstrate high professional attainment or expertise in the specialty area.