Tennessee-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gregory Jeansonne has always loved tackling the most difficult cases. In fact, taking on challenging emergency surgeries for injuries during trauma call is his specialty–and now he gets to do this type of work exclusively while maintaining a balanced life as a Surgicalist.
Taking trauma call was where Dr. Jeansonne felt the most purpose as an orthopedic surgeon. His previous careers as an accountant and a mechanical engineer had ignited a passion for solving complex problems, which he also carried over into his successful medical practice.
“Because I’m open to taking on many different types of surgery, my colleagues would joke that I’m like Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials: ‘Give it to Greg, he’ll fix anything!” says Dr. Jeansonne.
However, running a busy specialty practice with six surgeons and six physician assistants on top of that was taking a toll on his family life. He was burned out, missing key moments in his children’s lives, and unable to spend as much quality time with his wife, a pediatrician running a practice of her own. Dr. Jeansonne did not want to choose between retiring from a career he loved or continuing an unsustainable pace at work—and was delighted to discover that he did not have to if he became a Surgicalist.
“Lagniappe” at Work and At Home
Dr. Jeansonne, who completed his medical training and residency in Louisiana, says that balancing your work, family, and spiritual life is the key to being “reasonably happy”—and then, having “lagniappe” on top of that. “Lagniappe” is a French-Cajun word meaning “a little something extra,” and Dr. Jeansonne strives to have it in all areas of his life.
Working as a Surgicalist with Synergy Health Partners has allowed him to bring his best, and then some, to his work at local hospitals. As a Surgicalist, Dr. Jeansonne works dedicated on-call shifts at the same hospital consistently, covering for staff surgeons so they can have actual time off. In turn, when he’s on shift, he can focus on nothing but patient care. He also serves on committees and works side-by-side with hospital administration to improve operations.
In fact, he has optimized and expanded the orthopedic surgery program at one of the hospitals where he works, which is currently in the process of applying to be a Level II Trauma Center. Dr. Jeansonne’s expanded mental bandwidth as a Surgicalist has allowed him to bring more efficiency and systematize processes to improve handoffs at the hospital, which will be crucial to earning this certification.
“During my career, I’ve learned what makes both good clinical sense and good business sense,” says Dr. Jeansonne. “I understand that what hospitals want the most from an operations side is consistency, but also that every surgeon’s needs are different. When I start working with a hospital, the first thing I ask the orthopedic surgeons I work with is ‘what do you want from someone taking call’? The most important thing for me is to listen, operate as a team, be flexible–and of course, work well with the PAs, because they are the rods that hold the orthopedic surgery department together.”
Outside of work at the hospital, Dr. Jeansonne lives on a 77-acre tree farm, which is dedicated to sustainable forestry, and he raises chickens and donkeys. His fixed schedule as a Surgicalist taking call in dedicated shifts has also allowed him to be more present for his family.
While it may sound like he has his hands full now with his work, family, and hobbies. Dr. Jeansonne is still active in maintaining certifications, reviewing clinical articles and keeping his knowledge up to date.
Dr. Jeansonne is putting his years of unique experience to good use as a Surgicalist, improving patient outcomes and practicing the type of medicine he’s passionate about without sacrificing his life outside of work.
“I could not have the life I am living now without Synergy Health Partners,” says Dr. Jeansonne. “The thing I enjoy the most about life as a Surgicalist is managing my own schedule. I can compartmentalize more and make the most of each area of my life. When I’m home, I am completely at home. I know I’m going to be able to make my daughter’s volleyball game. The other week, I was able to drop everything to take my mother-in-law to a doctor’s appointment, something I could never have done before. My wife can even plan to take fewer house calls in her pediatric practice when I’m off, so we can spend more time together.”
