Orthopedic Spine Surgeon (Joliet, IL)

Spine surgery carries more weight than almost anything else in orthopedics. The patients who land in your clinic have often been through years of failed conservative care, multiple opinions, and a healthcare system that either rushed them to the OR or left them waiting indefinitely. They're in pain. They're scared. And the margin for error is about as thin as it gets. 

You know this. It's why you chose the specialty. 

What you may not have expected is how much of your career would be spent navigating systems that make it harder – not easier – to do the work well. Insurance fights. OR access. Referral pipelines built around the wrong incentives. A model that treats surgery as a first option instead of a last resort. 

Genesis was built as the antidote to all of that. And we're looking for a spine surgeon who's ready to practice inside a system designed around the patient – not the payer. 

The Opportunity 

We're a full-spectrum MSK platform – 16 clinics across Chicagoland, surgery through physical therapy, Medicaid to private pay – with a spine patient population that is high-volume, underserved, and waiting for someone who will take the time to treat them correctly. 

That last part matters here. Genesis was founded on the conviction that surgery is a last resort, not a revenue strategy. You'll have the clinical infrastructure to exhaust conservative care first –physical therapy, injections, imaging, pain management – and the surgical volume to back it up when the case actually calls for it. 

Day one, you'll have a full case load. You'll have 1–3 APPs supporting your practice. And you'll have a partnership-track role with real equity potential for a surgeon who wants to build, not just practice. 

What You'll Work On 

The full spine spectrum, including: 

• Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar degenerative disease 

• Disc herniation and radiculopathy 

• Spinal stenosis and decompression 

• Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) 

• Cervical and lumbar fusion – anterior, posterior, and lateral approaches 

• Complex spinal reconstruction and revision surgery 

• Deformity correction – scoliosis, kyphosis, sagittal imbalance 

• Trauma – vertebral fractures, instability, cord injury 

• Tumor and infection – evaluation and surgical management 

• Motion preservation and disc replacement 

Beyond the OR: access to Genesis's clinical trial infrastructure, product development opportunities, and the chance to contribute to research that actually moves spine surgery forward. 

Who We're Looking For 

BC/BE in orthopedic surgery with fellowship training in spine. Licensed in Illinois or eligible. But past the credential, here's what actually matters: 

You believe in conservative care first. Genesis was built around this. Patients with spine pathology deserve a thorough non-operative workup before anyone talks about surgery. You're the surgeon who agrees — and who operates with conviction when surgery is genuinely the answer. 

You're technically broad. Cervical to lumbar, decompression to complex reconstruction, primary to revision. The patient population here doesn't self-select for simple cases. You should be comfortable with the full spectrum. 

You think in systems. Spine patients require coordination — imaging, PT, pain management, surgical planning, post-op rehab. You understand that and you want to practice inside a platform built to support it. 

You're mission-aligned. Our patients include some of the most underserved in Chicagoland. Spine pathology doesn't discriminate by income. Neither does our care. 

You want equity, not just a salary. Partnership is the trajectory here for surgeons who invest in building something. 

The Stack 

• Competitive base salary + performance-based incentives 

• Partnership and equity pathway 

• Full benefits – health, dental, vision, retirement 

• Malpractice coverage 

• CME allowance 

• 1–3 dedicated APPs per surgeon 

• Shared call 

• EPIC EMR 

• Clinical research, product development, and academic opportunities 

About Genesis 

Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine is a full-spectrum MSK platform operating across 16 clinics throughout Chicagoland – surgery, physical therapy, and everything in between. We run clinical trials. We serve Medicaid patients at scale. We've built a care delivery model that proves accessible care and excellent care aren't in conflict – one standard, regardless of what's in a patient's wallet. 

Spine is one of the highest-need, highest-impact specialties in our patient population. We're investing in it accordingly. 

If you're a fellowship-trained spine surgeon who's ready to practice at full capacity – inside a system that was designed to support it – we want to hear from you.