Cardiothoracic Surgeon | $1.175M+ Guaranteed | 2 Hours from St. Louis

Ctsnet, Inc.; East St. Louis (IL); On-site; USD 1,000,000 - 1,060,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Six weeks PTO

Sign-on bonus $50,000

Debt forgiveness up to $150,000

Paid malpractice

Professional expense reimbursement

Job summary

Ctsnet, Inc. seeks a skilled Cardiothoracic Surgeon to join an established program in Illinois as a second surgeon. The ideal candidate will handle thoracic and vascular cases, including VATS lobectomies and TEVAR procedures, while helping grow the practice.

Five+ years of CT surgery experience is preferred; exceptional fellows completing training in 2027 will also be considered. The role includes a 1:3 on-call rotation and a strategic transition plan with leadership support.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of cardiothoracic surgery experience.
• Experience in thoracic and vascular surgery.
• Desirable EVAR/TEVAR and peripheral interventions.
• Experience with TAVR/TAVI is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Join an established cardiothoracic surgery program as a second surgeon.
• Perform thoracic and vascular procedures and contribute to lung and mediastinal cases.
• Collaborate with the team to grow the program and manage perioperative care.
• Assist with call coverage at a 1:3 cadence and participate in transition planning.

Skills

Thoracic surgery

Endovascular procedures

TAVR/TAVI

VATS

Education

Cardiothoracic Surgery fellowship

Job description

The Opportunity

Join an established cardiothoracic surgery program at a 347-bed acute care tertiary facility. The hospital is seeking a second cardiothoracic surgeon to help sustain and grow the program.

The current surgeon plans to retire and has expressed interest in helping the right physician transition into the program and preserve its strengths. The timing and pace of that transition will depend on the physicians’ mutual plan and the needs of the practice; no fixed retirement or case-transfer timeline has been established.

The program currently performs approximately 175 cardiac cases annually, including about 100 TAVR procedures. With a second surgeon, there is potential to grow overall program volume to approximately 225 cardiac cases. This is a program growth opportunity, and actual volume and case distribution will depend on patient demand, the new surgeon’s interests and experience, and the transition plan.

Program Highlights

• Established cardiothoracic surgery program with an experienced surgeon in place
• Newer hybrid operating room
• Opportunity to contribute to the continued development of the program
• Minimum call responsibility of 1:3, with the option to take additional call
• Current surgeon interested in supporting a thoughtful transition and the program’s continued growth
• Clinical Scope

The ideal candidate will have experience, skills, or a strong interest in thoracic and vascular surgery. Desirable experience includes:

• Thoracic surgery, including EBUS and VATS
• Endovascular procedures, including EVAR, TEVAR, and peripheral interventions
• TAVR/TAVI
• The program’s thoracic services include lung biopsies and VATS procedures such as lobectomy, mediastinal mass removal, and resection of lung metastases, as well as pneumonectomy.

Candidate Profile

The hospital prefers a surgeon with five or more years of experience and will also consider an exceptional fellow completing training in 2027. The ideal candidate will bring the clinical skills to contribute to the current program while helping shape its future direction.

A Note on the Transition

This role is being recruited as an additional surgeon for an established program. The current surgeon’s planned retirement creates the opportunity for a future transition, but candidates should not be promised a specific retirement date, case volume, or transfer of the current surgeon’s practice. Those details will be discussed transparently during the interview process and developed with the physicians and hospital.

Lung and Chest Surgeries

Our surgical team is highly skilled at performing a wide array of thoracic surgeries, including:

• Lung biopsies: Your doctor removes a sample of lung tissue to biopsy for abnormal cells.
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS): Your doctor inserts a tiny camera called a thoracoscope into a small incision in your chest. Using the camera as a guide, your doctor inserts instruments through other small incisions in your chest to perform surgery. VATS procedures include:
• Lobectomy: Removing portions of a diseased lung
• Removal of mediastinal masses: Removing cancerous and noncancerous tumors found in the mediastinum, the central part of the thoracic cavity
• Resection of lung metastasis: Removing a cancerous lung tumor
• Pneumonectomy: Your doctor removes a diseased lung.

About Employer:

• 70+ member group of employed physicians, advanced practitioner and allied health providers offering services in 17 different specialties.
• The largest provider of medical care in the 300,000 population Tri-State Area composed of West Central Illinois, Northeast Missouri, and Southeast Iowa.
• The System also operates a 307-bed regional referral center in Quincy, and Illini Community Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Pittsfield, Illinois, (population 4,300).
• As a not-for-profit system, we accept all patients regardless of their economic condition or insurance coverage.
• The System was named one of the \"100 Best Places to Work in Health Care\" by Modern Healthcare magazine, and it ranks among the Country's top 8% of hospitals in its level of Information Technology development.
• Grade A hospital: This hospital has earned its second consecutive grade A for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group. This organization analyzes safety data from hospitals across the country and compares outcomes.

Compensation:

• Ultra-competitive guaranteed salary: $1,000,000 to $1,060,000
• Additional call pay: $1,400/ day (additional $175,000) for taking call 1:3
• Total Guarantee $1,175,000 to $1,235,000
• $50K sign-on bonus
• Educational debt forgiveness up to $150,000 (if applicable)
• Total Cash Guarantee: $1,250,000 - $1,310,000
• Six weeks PTO
• One week for Professional Time
• $5,000 professional expense reimbursement allowance
• Paid malpractice
• Comprehensive benefit package