At 51 years old, Dr. Dennis Beck has accomplished a lot as an orthopedic surgeon and hospital leader. By 2022, he had already helped lead a busy and successful private practice for nearly 20 years, then transitioned into hospital administration and worked his way up to Chief Surgical Officer for a major hospital system.

But something was missing—the opportunity to use his clinical skills. Thankfully, he found it again as a Surgicalist with Synergy Health Partners.

“I was learning so much about hospital administration in that Chief Surgical Officer role, but missed doing what I loved, which was surgery,” says Dr. Beck. “I’m fairly young, so I was not ready to hang it up yet. However, my wife and I are empty-nesters who love to travel, and we’re also caring for aging parents. I wanted a fulfilling career that would let me live life and have time for my family.”

Dr. Beck already knew of Synergy Health Partners through his hospital system administration work. When a Surgicalist position opened up at one of the local hospitals, the team at Synergy Health Partners helped Dr. Beck make the leap into becoming a 

Surgicalist, where he could retain his clinical skills while having more control over his schedule. 

He still maintains his Chief Surgical Officer role, except now he gets the best of both worlds professionally: a hospital leadership position that allows him to have a say in major decisions affecting staff and patients, and at the same time an opportunity to practice the type of medicine he’s passionate about without burning out.

A “Transformative, Transformational” Step

As a Surgicalist, Dr. Beck is putting his administrative and surgical skills to good use in a newly affiliated critical access hospital that is providing care to patients in rural southern Illinois. The facility is able to leverage Synergy Surgicalists and a full time advanced practice provider to provide comprehensive coverage to allow patients to keep their care local and avoid burdensome long travel to get orthopedic surgical care. 

“As a Surgicalist, I’m not a locums,” says Dr. Beck. “I’m helping to build a sustainable practice, building relationships, and playing a real role in expanding the capabilities of a rural hospital. Before, people in this area would have to drive at least two hours to see the nearest orthopedic surgeon. Now, they have access to care in a way they’ve never had before, from a medical team that can truly give their cases the attention they deserve.” 

Dr. Beck says that for him, the main benefits of being a Surgicalist are “freedom, flexibility, and autonomy.” 

“When I helped lead my practice, I used to do 9 to 10 joint surgeries a day, and then take care of administrative paperwork— and then take call on top of that. If you’re doing medicine to make a ton of money, that’s the way to go. For me, though, over time it became physically and mentally draining,” said Dr. Beck. “Being a Surgicalist offers a whole new level of freedom that most orthopedic surgeons aren’t accustomed to. You don’t have to worry about payors, you don’t have to worry about how many cases you need to do to keep financially afloat.”

Time for Personal Pursuits

Being a Surgicalist also allows Dr. Beck to take more international trips with his wife, who is an artist. Their favorite places to travel are Geneva Switzerland and France, where he has an opportunity to practice his French, as well as Iceland (“it’s like nowhere else in the world!”). It also gives him the flexibility to care for his aging parents, particularly his father, who has Parkinson’s Disease. Because his schedule is fixed, he knows he can take a few days off to visit them and take care of things around their house. 

When asked what tips he has for doctors considering a career as a Surgicalist, Dr. Beck says to be patient, open-minded, confident, and “hyper-communicative” with the hospital’s clinical team. Above all, he says, “Don’t be afraid to do it!” 

“Becoming a Surgicalist is a transformative, transformational step, whether you’re an early, mid-, or late-career surgeon. This is a career path that allowed me to practice medicine genuinely again. I highly recommend it.”