Giving the Gift of Mobility: Inova Mount Vernon and Operation Walk USA

Laura Daleski (left), with Inova Mount Vernon registration officer Greta Lane, as she arrives at the hospital on December 2, 2015 to receive her bilateral hip replacement from surgeon, Kevin Fricka, MD.

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, Alexandria, VA – Each December, surgeons within the Inova Joint Replacement Center (IJRC) give honor to their commitment to our community through their participation in a national program called “Operation WalkUSA.”

In this program, several Inova Mount Vernon Hospital orthopedic surgeons annually provide free hip and knee replacements to local residents who otherwise would not be able to afford them. 

This year, IJRC physicians Kevin Fricka, MD; Nitin Goyal, MD; and William Hamilton, MD donated their world-class surgical skills to benefit five local residents, giving each them the gift of mobility and an increased quality of life.

The Operation Walk USA program is held at hospitals nationwide during the first week of December. Participating hospitals provide all aspects of treatment (surgery, hospitalization, and pre- and post-operative care) at no cost to selected patients who do not qualify for health coverage, do not have insurance, or who cannot afford surgery on their own.

This year, one such patient was Laura Daleski of Annandale. Laura received her bilateral hip replacement at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital on December 2, benefiting from the hospital’s nationally ranked surgical and rehabilitation program.

“Operation Walk USA has literally changed my life,” Daleski says. “When I came to the clinic last summer, I was out of options. I only came to the center to ask if anyone knew of anyone who might be able to help me. Instead, what I got was Dr. Kevin Fricka saying to me ‘I will do this for you.’  I still get emotional when I think of this man’s compassion, and the commitment of Inova Mount Vernon to help. This generosity blows me away. I will forever be grateful to Dr. Fricka and his team, and to the hospital. This was an answer to my prayers.” 

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