Last December, Resurgens St. Joseph’s Campus provided a total hip joint replacement at no cost for a member of the community through the non-profit organization, Operation Walk USA.
Operation Walk USA started in 2009 with a mission to encourage and enable joint replacement surgeons to restore mobility and improve the quality of life for uninsured and underinsured patients. Through the program, the team reviewed 17 applicants and selected a woman in need of a hip replacement who met the clinical criteria for the surgery to be performed in an outpatient setting. “We wanted to do all 17 cases that were provided to us; their stories are heartbreaking,” said Anne Liney, Administrator at Resurgens.
According to Operation Walk USA’s website, arthritic disease is the most common cause of disability in the United States, affecting 46 million Americans, or more than 21% of the adult population. The debilitating pain of end-state hip or knee degenerative disease makes even the most simple of daily tasks excruciatingly painful. Hip and knee replacement surgeries are successful methods to relieve the pain and restore patients to active, productive lives.
Many were involved in the execution of this amazing gift. Staff at Resurgens worked with the patient to learn about her specific needs and living environment, and Tootie Kelley, Joint Coordinator at Resurgens, supplied the patient with the items she needed to prepare for her surgery and for her post-op needs. Dr. Mark Hanna, a joint arthroplasty surgeon at the center, serves as Medical Advisor and as a Physician Champion of the USPI myJOINT Health Rapid Recovery Joint Replacement Program.
Dr. Hanna was the catalyst for participating in the Operation Walk USA program. He introduced Resurgens to the program and performed the surgery as well. He is Board-Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and Fellowship trained in Total Joint Arthroplasty and Biologic Reconstruction, specializing in reconstructive surgery of the hip and knee, quad-sparing total knee replacement, anterior-approach total hip replacement, partial knee replacement, and outpatient hip and knee replacement.
The Operation Walk USA patient has done well over the past 7 months, and Dr. Hanna and the Resurgens Team are looking forward to participating in Operation Walk USA in the future. “It was a truly heartwarming experience to help someone in need,” said Anne Liney.