Description
The Practice: Established and well-known practice/ building with plenty of offices and patient rooms for a second orthopedic surgeon. The office is open 8 AM - 4:30 PM with an hour break for lunch. The surgeon would have a 4-day work week; 2 days in the clinic and 2 days in the OR and 1 day off. The OR days would be blocked time.
The surgeon will be provided with an orthopedic Physician's Assistant. We do not use NPs in the clinic or in the surgery department.
The clinic's EMR is Athena. We use Meditech in the hospital.
On average, our orthopedic surgeons see 25-30 patients during clinic hours. In the operating room, the surgeons usually schedule 4 cases per day, sometimes 5. The cases include scopes, knees, hips, totals, shoulders, feet, ankle and hand.
We do have a large Hispanic population in Delta County. Spanish fluency would be a benefit, but it is not required for this position.
Referral Base: We have a busy orthopedic population in Delta County. Delta Health owns and operates three family practice clinics in Delta County which include two employed internal medicine physicians, eight employed family medicine physicians, four affiliated physicians, and seven employed NPs and PAs. There are also about 10 physicians in the community that are not credentialed at Delta Health but who regularly refer their patients to our orthopedic providers, so the referral base is high. Pediatric patients are referred to Grand Junction or Denver.
Community: The majority of Delta County's residents are seniors, with over 50% of the County is over the age of 50. We have a high Medicare / Medicaid population, and a mix of privately insured and self-pay. We are a rural community, with five municipalities. Our residents are very active and enjoy the many opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as biking, mountain biking, rafting, hunting, hiking, skiing, rock climbing, etc.
Physical Therapy: The hospital has a robust physical and occupational therapy department on campus with all employed therapists. The PT/OT clinic is across the street from the hospital but we also have inpatient PT on the Med/Surg floor. The physician therapy department is a critical support to our orthopedic program.
Nursing: We have an excellent nursing staff with nurse supervisor coverage 24/7. We have well trained PACU and OR nurses and a nurse that runs our pre-surgery total joint classes so patients can learn what to expect and how best to recover from total join surgery.
Other Support:

• 6 CRNAs who are on call 24/7.
• We have a strong radiology team with StatRad reading at night.
• 9 ER physicians, with a State-acclaimed trauma program.
• 24/7 Hospitalist coverage on Med/Surg and in the ICU.
• Triple boarded Pulmonologist as our ICU director.
• Very strong support and consultation available at the hospital.

Call: Orthopedic surgery base compensation includes eight (8) days of call per month for the hospital. Additional call is paid at a per day rate. The hospital will transfer orthopedic emergencies to Grand Junction when there is no orthopedic coverage. Our ED will hold low acuity orthopedic patients overnight for surgery the next day by admitting patients to the hospitalist before the orthopedic surgeon takes over the next morning. While on call, we would like our orthopedic surgeon to be within 30 minutes from the hospital for quick ER response time.
Imaging: Physicians have x-ray capabilities in their offices. The hospital has a GE 450 Wide Bore MRI and is close to both orthopedic clinics. The hospital has 2 C-Arms. We also have the Zimmer ROSA operating robot.
Requirements
Successful Candidates:

• D., D.O.
• American Residency
• We will consider 2024 Residents
• Friendly, good bed-side manner
• Well-rounded skill set, fellowship not required but is perferred
• Works well with nursing staff, medical peers and hospital employees
• Keen to be an active member of the surgery department and medical staff
• Willing to work hard and build their practice quickly

Interview process:
The initial interview will be conducted by the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Clinic Operations. If both parties are excited to move forward, a second call interview will be scheduled and will include the CEO, Chief of Staff and orthopedic surgeons.
We will invite finalist candidates to come to Delta County to see the area, see the hospital and clinic, and meet the medical staff and Administration. An example of our employment contract will be provided during that visit and finalists will be reimbursed for travel expenses.
A visit to Delta is usually three days long, giving the finalist candidate and spouse time to fly in to Grand Junction or Montrose, drive to Delta for a full day of touring the hospital and clinic, and time to explore the area before returning home. The hospital and clinics are closed on the weekends, so the best time to visit and interview would be during the week. Another favorite itinerary is to fly in on a Thursday, tour and interview on Friday and then have the weekend to tour before flying home.
Summary

• Surgeon would be employed by the hospital
• 2 year salary guarantee and wRVU bonus incentives starting in year 3
• Group Health and Dental Insurance
• Life & Disability, Vision, 403(b) Retirement plan
• Paid malpractice insurance through COPIC, including paid tail insurance
• Student loan repayment is negotiable. We offer $850/month x 3 years if candidate has active student loans.
• Stipend offered to fellow or residents who sign prior to graduation
• 30 days' vacation, which includes the hospital's 6 holidays; New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day
• Annual CME reimbursement of $5,000