Staff Physician (Orthopedic Surgery)

Summary The VA St. Louis Health Care System is seeking two full-time, Board Certified or Board Eligible Orthopedic Surgeons 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. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in general orthopedic operative care. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package. VHA Physician Total Rewards. Recruitment / Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : May be offered to highly qualified applicants. 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 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. Ensure timely triage and scheduling of clinic appointments to meet access standards. 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. Participate in the general orthopedic call schedule Care Coordination : Collaborate other services to achieve quality care results. 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. Provide structured feedback and contribute to resident evaluations and academic development. Support the development of an academic training environment in collaboration with affiliate institutions. 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. Provide direct supervision of residents in both clinical and operative settings, ensuring appropriate levels of autonomy based on training level and competence. Conduct regular evaluations of resident performance, provide structured feedback, and contribute to milestone assessments and academic development. Ensure that the VA site maintains compliance with all ACGME and institutional policies. Participate in curriculum development, academic conferences, and faculty development activities in collaboration with the academic affiliate. Foster a positive learning environment that emphasizes professionalism, patient safety, and continuous improvement. Collaborate with other VA and university faculty. Administrative Responsibilities Participate in Surgical Service meetings, peer review, and quality improvement initiatives. Ensure timely and accurate documentation in the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Assist with clinical scheduling, access to care, and coordination of surgical services as needed. Participate in internal audits, external reviews, and quality assurance activities related to documentation and clinical care. 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. Provide clinical oversight, guidance, and support to ensure safe, effective, and independent PA practice within their scope. Oversee clinical care for Nurse Practitioners, RNs, and Medical Support Technicians. Research and Development (as applicable) Work Schedule : Monday-Friday; 8am-4 : 30pm. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background / security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider : - your performance and conduct; - the needs and interests of the agency; - whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and - whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Qualifications 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 an established academic affiliate partner of VA St Louis Health Care System. Preferred Experience : Board Certification or Eligibility for certification. Responsible for delivering high-quality, Veteran-centered orthopedic surgical care. Experienced in general orthopedic surgery, fellowship trained in subspecialties such as : Shoulder & Elbow, Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Trauma, or Adult Hip & Knee. Proficiency demonstrated in general orthopedic operative care. Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements : More details can be found using the VA Handbook 5017. Education 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 : Schools of medicine accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) for the year in which the degree was granted, or 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. 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. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.