Position Overview

Understanding the Role

Orthopedic Surgeon – Cody Regional Health – Cody, Wyoming

You join an orthopedic service that anchors a wide rural region where access to care depends heavily on Cody Regional Health. Patients travel from Powell, Thermopolis, Worland, Basin, Lovell, and the surrounding ranching communities. When there is a shortage in surgeons in Cody, residents often drive to Billings for care, creating a service gap the hospital is determined to close. Your arrival gives the community a dependable general orthopedic surgeon who is present, engaged, and committed to the area.

• The position replaces a surgeon who recently completed his contract and departed
• Two senior community surgeons are nearing retirement
• Patients are actively leaving for Billings due to limited access
• Your role strengthens long-term stability for orthopedic care in the basin

You practice as a true generalist. You handle the full range of everyday orthopedic needs, fracture care, and total joints. Subspecialty niches like spine, pediatrics, or advanced pelvic trauma are not necessary here due to limited volumes. Surgeons who enjoy varied case mix and want a balanced lifestyle without the high-pressure throughput of larger markets will find this environment appealing.

• Broad orthopedic scope with the freedom to incorporate trauma or additional joints
• Lower acuity trauma compared to urban centers, but enough volume to stay engaged
• No expectation to build a narrow subspecialty practice

Outreach is built into the structure of the job. Every other week, you visit partner communities to see patients who depend on Cody for orthopedic services. These clinics help you build relationships, capture external referrals, and reestablish volume that drifted toward Billings after prior departures.

• Outreach locations include Powell, Thermopolis, Worland, Basin, and Lovell
• Visits focus on evaluations, follow-ups, and low-acuity procedures
• Complex cases come back to Cody for surgery
• Outreach helps drive steady growth in your panel

Your week includes clinic, operating time, call coverage, and outreach. The schedule maintains predictable structure with a 4.5-day workweek. Clinic volumes stay manageable, giving you time to connect with patients and maintain a healthy pace.

• Four-and-a-half-day schedule with Friday as a half day
• 2 days in OR
• 2-2.5 days in clinic
• Average clinic volume of 16 to 18 patients per day
• Eight to ten call days per month, including one to two weekends
• Shared weekday call rotation with employed and community surgeons

You practice within an independent, locally governed hospital that moves quickly and values physician voice. Leadership includes clinicians who understand the needs of surgeons and a Board of Trustees elected by the community. Decision making stays close to the bedside, and changes happen without the layers typical of large systems.

• Independent critical access hospital
• Fast operational decision making
• Leadership receptive to physician input
• System culture built on collaboration and approachability

This position fits a surgeon who chooses rural practice intentionally. Success comes from being visible, integrating into the community, and building trust across town lines. Physicians who value autonomy, lifestyle balance, and long-term relationships thrive in this environment.