Operation Walk Virginia provides free joint surgeries to patients in need

Giving Back

From December 1-6, the fourth annual Operation Walk Virginia event provided 10 underprivileged patients with free surgery for debilitating knee and joint problems or arthritis.

Since 2006, when the program started, Julia Warner, Patient Care Director for Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, estimates that Operation Walk Virginia has provided about 300 free surgeries overseas and about 40 free surgeries in the United States. “It’s a very positive situation [for everyone],” she says. “The criteria are that the patients have to be below the poverty line, they can’t have insurance, and they must be legal residents of the United States. They’re doing the right thing [in getting healthy] and we’re doing the right thing for people in need, so it’s a win-win.”

Patients not only receive the surgeries; the doctors who do the surgery also donate all follow-up care. In addition, a short amount of home care is usually donated, as well as durable medical equipment.

Operation Walk Virginia was established in 2006 by Inova physician Gerard Engh, MD. One of several U.S. chapters, it is based on Operation Walk, which provides free joint replacement surgeries to people in developing countries.

Warner emphasizes that people who want to get involved in Operation Walk Virginia should consider donating to the cause or volunteering for any of the various Inova fundraising events. “This program is life-changing for the people it affects, and for us,” she says.

Learn more

To learn more about Operation Walk Virginia or to make a donation, visit opwalkvirginia.org. Also, see photos from past trips on Facebook by searching Operation Walk – Virginia.