Meet your surgeon
Stephen Engstrom,
M.D., M.B.A.
A board-certified orthopedic surgeon devoted to helping patients move through life with less pain and more confidence.
Dr. Stephen Engstrom, M.D., M.B.A.
Dr. Stephen Engstrom is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement, joint preservation, and joint resurfacing. He is dedicated to helping patients move through life with less pain and more confidence.
Dr. Engstrom earned his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine before completing his orthopedic surgery residency at the renowned Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Institute in Nashville. He then pursued advanced fellowship training in joint preservation, resurfacing, and replacement at Washington University in St. Louis, one of the nation's leading programs for hip and knee care. He also holds an M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee, giving him a unique perspective on delivering efficient, patient-centered care.
For years, Dr. Engstrom served as Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, training the next generation of surgeons while caring for patients himself. He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), where he has held numerous national leadership roles, including Vice Chairman of the AAHKS Advocacy Committee.
An active researcher, Dr. Engstrom has published extensively on advances in hip and knee arthroplasty and regularly speaks at national medical conferences. He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys connecting with patients on a personal level.
Dr. Engstrom founded his independent practice to bring patients something increasingly rare in medicine today: unhurried, personalized care from a surgeon they know and trust every step of the way.
My Journey to Concierge
During my residency, I ultimately chose to pursue a career in joint replacement surgery after seeing the profound impact that these procedures had on the lives of arthritis patients. Unlike many of the specialties I was exposed to, joint replacement requires a long-term bond between the patient and surgeon. Upon completing my fellowship in joint preservation, reconstruction and replacement, I chose to return to Vanderbilt because it afforded me the best opportunity to care for a diverse array of patients of all different backgrounds, activity levels, and complexity. Over the past eight years, I have come to realize that the United States Healthcare system is failing all of us. It is a system that punishes efficiency and rewards volume. Year over year, Medicare and Commercial Insurers pay surgeons less and hospitals more. Surgeons are forced to do more cases each year just to cover the costs of their staff and inflation. By the end of my tenure at Vanderbilt, I was quite simply burned-out. I felt as though I had lost sight of what I loved about joint replacement surgery—forming a lasting relationship with my patients, personally guiding them through their surgical journey, and sharing with them the joy of restored mobility. Over the last two years, I developed the vision for a new kind of practice. One that breaks free from the constraints of the modern system, and one that returns to an era when doctors were simply allowed to do what they do best: care for patients.
My Approach to Total Joint Replacement
Having spent the last eight years of my practice in academic medicine, I have had the opportunity to advance the field of orthopaedics through teaching, research, and innovation. I have worked with our partners in implant manufacturing to design new instruments and modernize knee replacement techniques. I have helped to train the next generation of orthopaedic surgeons and I have published studies related to streamlining outpatient joint replacement. These experiences, combined with my extensive physician and patient advocacy experience help me to bring a unique perspective to concierge care. At Wilco Arthritis Institute, we won’t try to sway you with fancy advertising slogans or catchy marketing techniques, but we will earn your trust with our deep dedication to patient care, our focus on building relationships, and by capitalizing on surgical techniques that actually work to improve patient outcomes!
Awards and Accolades and Appointments
- Kathy Kramer Award for Best Resident Research Paper
- VUMC top Educator x 2
- VUMC Patient Experience Award x 3
- VUMC Surgical Site Infection Task Force Chairman
- VUMC Clinical Documentation and Coding Excellence Physician Advisor
- AAOS Coding Coverage and Reimbursement Committee Member
- AAHKS Surgical Techniques and Technologies Award
- AAHKS Health Policy Fellow
- AAHKS Young Arthroplasty Group Committee Member
- AAHKS Advocacy Committee Member
- AAHKS Advocacy Committee Vice Chair
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