Operation Walk USA 2013 Restoring mobility. Giving hope.
Issued
April 1, 2014 A NN UA L I MPACT RE PORT
The mission of Operation Walk USA is to encourage and enable
joint replacement surgeons to restore mobility and improve
quality of life for those uninsured and underinsured patients in
the United States who currently suffer from disabling arthritis of
the hip or knee.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[1]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FROM THE PRESIDENT ............................................................................................................................ 2
OUR STRENGTH IS IN YOU ...................................................................................................................... 3
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ............................................................................................................................. 3
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES ............................................................................................................................... 3
REGISTERED SURGEONS ........................................................................................................................... 3
2013 MILESTONES ................................................................................................................................. 4
FROM ARKANSAS TO ALASKA ................................................................................................................. 5
ENHANCED VOLUNTEER SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT ......................................................................... 6
SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS OF 2013 TASK FORCES ................................................................... 6
The 2013 Guideline ................................................................................................................................. 6
Orientation Webinars ............................................................................................................................... 6
ONE OF TOP 10 ISSUES IN 2013 ............................................................................................................... 7
MEDIA FOOTPRINT ...................................................................................................................................... 7
POST, TWEET, REPEAT ................................................................................................................................ 8
RESTORING MOBILITY, GIVING HOPE: 2013 SUCCESS STORIES ........................................................... 9
BRAD DAVIS ................................................................................................................................................. 9
SUSAN MURRAY ........................................................................................................................................10
JOEL KENT MATTHEWS.............................................................................................................................11
JANET SITZMANN: A YEAR LATER ............................................................................................................11
THE 2013 FINANCIALS .......................................................................................................................... 12
REVENUE ...................................................................................................................................................12
EXPENSES .................................................................................................................................................12
EXCESS OF REVENUE / EXPENSES ..........................................................................................................12
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PATIENT CARE FUND .................................................................................... 13
IN-KIND SUPPORT ................................................................................................................................. 14
CONTRIBUTIONS ................................................................................................................................... 15
FOUNDERS LEVEL ($25,000 or more) .....................................................................................................15
PARTNER LEVEL ($5,000 - $9,999) ........................................................................................................15
AMBASSADOR LEVEL ($2,500 - $4,999) ................................................................................................15
SUPPORTER LEVEL ($1,000 - $2,499) ....................................................................................................15
CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL ($500 - $999).......................................................................................................15
“PLAYING FORWARD” ............................................................................................................................ 16
EVENT SPONSORS ....................................................................................................................................17
SURVEY SAYS ........................................................................................................................................ 19
LOOKING AHEAD: 2014 ....................................................................................................................... 21
SUPPORT ...................................................................................................................................................21
VOLUNTEER ...............................................................................................................................................21
HELP ..........................................................................................................................................................21
BEHIND THE SCENES ............................................................................................................................ 22
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[2]
“For the first time in a
decade, my pain is at 1 or
less. Without this
program, my quality of
life would have continued
to deteriorate. Thanks to
the exceptional care…I
can once again live a
life…” – From a 2013
patient (via letter)
“It is no secret that the
urge to improve quality of
life for others is why most
of us chose to enter
healthcare. I am beyond
grateful to have had this
experience and even more
grateful for the
opportunity to return a
sense of freedom and joy
to those who truly needed
my help.” – Gavan Duffy,
MD (Jacksonville, FL)
“…it means having my
life back....a pain free life
that allows me to enjoy
the little things like
walking up my stairs
instead of crawling...” –
From a 2013 patient (via
Facebook)
“Operation Walk USA
reaffirms the oath which I
took when becoming a
physician: I will
remember that I remain a
member of society, with
special obligations to all
my fellow human beings
..." – Scott M. Sporer,
MD (Winfield, IL)
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Volunteers, Supporters, Partners, Friends:
One of the joys of preparing an annual report is that it gives us the opportunity to look
back and be thankful for all that has been accomplished. The past twelve months were
filled with extraordinary opportunities and many challenges. 2013 was the third year
Operation Walk USA conducted a nationwide effort of providing free care to uninsured
and underinsured patients in the United States, and although our history is relatively
short, we would like to take a moment to reflect on where the organization began and
where it is today.
Many of you will remember the first weekend of December 2011: sixty of us joined
together and did something that has never before been done in orthopaedics, on quite
this scale1. Over the course of December 2-3, 2011 we helped 83 patients get better,
get moving again, and get back to more fulfilling and more productive lives. We called
this event Operation Walk USA, to honor the two decades of remarkably successful
international missions many of our a colleagues have completed since the mid-90s, and
also to recognize the need in this country – and the desire among the adult
reconstruction community to give back right here at home. From the inception,
Operation Walk USA was very special, and it meant a great deal to so many, that we
realized it must continue. And it is with the long-range success in mind that Operation
Walk USA was incorporated in March of 2012 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
By the end of 2013, we nearly doubled in size, having attracted many more volunteers,
“from Arkansas to Alaska”, that in turn enabled us to treat more patients; some of them
– like Salena Haselip (surgeon: Jonathan Keeve, MD), who lives in the panhandle part of
Idaho, and Pat Weissert (surgeon: Tim Kavanaugh, MD) from Anchorage, Alaska – had
been waiting for over a year for Operation Walk USA to “come” to their hometowns. We
are honored that we were able to help them and many other deserving individuals. As
we celebrate our many achievements, and the spirit of unity and giving within our
profession, we are poised for continued growth while strengthening this organization and
adapting it to the challenges and changes within the healthcare environment in the
United States.
For Operation Walk USA to continue with its mission, we need to partner with individuals,
donors, corporations and foundations who are willing to contribute their time, talents
and resources to our cause. Our strength and sustainability is in our dedicated medical
volunteers, our generous donors and supporters, and in the trust of our patients and
their families.
Heartfelt thanks to all of you for your belief in this organization, for your generosity of
spirit, and your passion. We look forward to many successful years of restoring mobility
and giving hope.
Sincerely,
Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD, FACS
President, Operation Walk USA
1 The first coordinated effort to provide pro bono hip and knee replacement surgeries in the US took place in 2010; more information is
provided on p. 5 of this report.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[3]
OUR STRENGTH IS IN YOU
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jeffrey Salin, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Robert Bruce, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Scott Abraham, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Scott Luallin, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Thomas Samuelson, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Janak Talwalkar, MD (Danville, KY)
Jeremy Tarter, MD (Danville, KY)
Joseph Lukins, MD (Danville, KY)
Shelby White, MD (Danville, KY)
Joseph Mccarthy, MD (Boston, MA)
Rinelda Horton, MD (Bethesda, MD)
Ralph Salvagno, MD (Hagerstown, MD)
Brian Wittenberg, MD (Petoskey, MI)
Colleen Linehan, MD (Saginaw, MI)
Joseph McGraw, MD (Traverse City, MI)
Robin Graham, MD (Traverse City, MI)
Scott Anseth, MD (Minneapolis, MN)
E. Jeff Kennedy, MD (Flowood, MS)
Matthew Futvoye, MD (Flowood, MS)
Dean Sukin, MD (Billings, MT)
John Wilson, MD (Billings, MT)
Zach Scheer, MD (Billings, MT)
William Schaefer, Sr, MD (Fayetteville, NC)
Robert Coles, MD (Morehead City, NC)
Robyn Hakanson, MD (Mount Airy, NC)
Beau Konigsberg, MD (Omaha, NE)
Curtis Hartman, MD (Omaha, NE)
Kevin Garvin, MD (Omaha, NE)
Mark Schottenfeld, MD (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Michael Kelly, MD (Hackensack, NJ)
David Chalnick, MD (Long Branch, NJ)
Krishna Tripuraneni, MD (Albuquerque, NM)
Michael Archibeck, MD (Albuquerque, NM)
Jan Bear, MD (Santa Fe, NM)
John Repicci, MD (Buffalo, NY)
Brett Greenky, MD (Fayetteville, NY)
Giles Scuderi, MD (Garden City, NY)
Douglas Padgett, MD (New York, NY)
Herbert Cooper, MD (New York, NY)
Jose Rodriguez, MD (New York, NY)
Matthew Hepinstall, MD (New York, NY)
Seth Jerabek, MD (New York, NY)
Daniel Funk, MD (Cincinnati, OH)
Edward Lim, MD (Cincinnati, OH)
Marc Schneider, MD (Cincinnati, OH)
Michael Swank, MD (Cincinnati, OH)
Patrick Kirk, MD (Cincinnati, OH)
Robert Molloy, MD (Cleveland, OH)
Adolph Lombardi, MD (New Albany, OH)
Keith Berend, MD (New Albany, OH)
Kurt Unverferth, MD (Upper Arlington, OH)
Michael McShane, MD (Upper Arlington, OH)
Paul Melaragno, MD (Upper Arlington, OH)
Vivek Sahai, MD (Upper Arlington, OH)
Marcy Clements, MD (Tulsa, OK)
Gregory Holt, MD (Tulsa, OK)
Paul Peterson, MD (Tulsa, OK)
Rod Plaster, MD (Tulsa, OK)
Yogesh Mittal, MD (Tulsa, OK)
Paul Duwelius, MD (Portland, OR)
Thomas Muzzonigro, MD (Butler, PA)
Javad Parvizi, MD (Philadelphia, PA)
Anthony DiGioia, III, MD (Pittsburgh, PA)
Anton Plakseychcuk, MD (Pittsburgh, PA)
Brian Hamlin, MD (Pittsburgh, PA)
Michael Bradley, MD (Wakefield, RI)
Robert Marchand, MD (Wakefield, RI)
Eric Stem, MD (North Charleston, SC)
Kurt Rathjen, MD (Dallas, TX)
J. David Evanich, MD (Flower Mound, TX)
Amanda Marshall, MD (San Antonio, TX)
Aaron Hofmann, MD (Salt Lake City, UT)
Trevor Magee, MD (Salt Lake City, UT)
Jeremy McCandless, MD (Salt Lake City, UT)
William Hamilton, MD (Alexandria, VA)
Kevin Fricka, MD (Arlington, VA)
Nitin Goyal, MD (Arlington, VA)
David Halsey, MD (South Burlington, VT)
Alexis Falicov, MD (Seattle, WA)
Fred Lee, MD (Seattle, WA)
James Crutcher, Jr, MD (Seattle, WA)
James Pritchett, MD (Seattle, WA)
Jason King, MD (Seattle, WA)
Lawrence Holland, MD (Seattle, WA)
Scott Hormel, MD (Seattle, WA)
Sean Toomey, MD (Seattle, WA)
William Wilson, MD (Seattle, WA)
Jonathan Keeve, MD (Spokane, WA)
John Bargren, MD (Tacoma, WA)
Christopher Evanich, MD (Franklin, WI)
Ali Oliashirazi, MD (Huntington, WV)
Kyle Hegg, MD (Huntington, WV)
Steven Lochow, MD (Huntington, WV)
Vivek Neginhal, MD (Huntington, WV)
Adam Klein, MD (Morgantown, WV)
Benjamin Frye, MD (Morgantown, WV)
Brock Lindsey, MD (Morgantown, WV)
David Waxman, MD (Morgantown, WV)
Edward McDonough, MD (Morgantown, WV)
Matthew Dietz, MD (Morgantown, WV)
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD, FACS
Douglas A. Dennis, MD
Lawrence D. Dorr, MD
Carlos J. Lavernia, MD
Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD
Giles R. Scuderi, MD
REGISTERED SURGEONS
Tim Kavanaugh, MD (Anchorage, AK)
Gordon Newbern, MD (Little Rock, AR)
Paul Edwards, MD (Little Rock, AR)
Bertrand Kaper, MD (Prescott, AZ)
Andrew Mahoney, MD (Tucson, AZ)
John Wild, III, MD (Tucson, AZ)
Lawrence Housman, MD (Tucson, AZ)
Russ Cohen, MD (Tucson, AZ)
Thomas Donaldson, MD (Colton, CA)
Aaron Salyapongse, MD (Dublin, CA)
Daniel Oakes, MD (Los Angeles, CA)
Donald Longjohn, MD (Los Angeles, CA)
Jay Lieberman, MD (Los Angeles, CA)
Lawrence Dorr, MD (Los Angeles, CA)
Alan Beyer, MD (Newport Beach, CA)
Steven Gausewitz, MD (Newport Beach, CA)
Robert Gorab, MD (Orange, CA)
Steven Barnett, MD (Orange, CA)
Paul K. Gilbert, MD, APC (Pasadena, CA)
Scott Ball, MD (San Diego, CA)
Robert Sproul, MD (San Ramon, CA)
Brian Haas, MD (Denver, CO)
Charlie Yang, MD (Denver, CO)
Douglas Dennis, MD (Denver, CO)
Raymond Kim, MD (Denver, CO)
Todd Miner, MD (Denver, CO)
Jeffrey Nakano, MD (Grand Junction, CO)
Steven Heil, MD (Grand Junction, CO)
Derek Johnson, MD (Parker, CO)
Andrew Gelman, MD (Newark, DE)
Gavan Duffy, MD (Jacksonville, FL)
Max Lincoln, MD (Jacksonville, FL)
Richard Heekin, MD (Jacksonville, FL)
David Dore, MD (Celebration, FL)
Matthew Johnston, DO (Celebration, FL)
Carlos Lavernia, MD (South Miami, FL)
Jennifer Cook, MD (Trinity, FL)
Todd Schmidt, MD (Stockbridge, GA)
Raju Ghate, MD (Chicago, IL)
Ravi Bashyal, MD (Chicago, IL)
Anand Srinivasan, MD (Skokie, IL)
D. Gordon Allan, MD (Springfield, IL)
Leo Ludwig, MD (Springfield, IL)
Ronald Romanelli, MD (Springfield, IL)
Scott Sporer, MD (Winfield, IL)
David Fisher, MD (Indianapolis, IN)
Michael Berend, MD (Mooresville, IN)
David Clymer, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Gerald McNamara, MD (Overland Park, KS)
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[4]
THE 2013 MILESTONES
Arthritic disease is the most common cause of
disability in the United States and it now affects 46
million Americans, or more than 21 percent of the
adult population. The debilitating pain of end-stage
hip or knee degenerative disease makes even the
most simple of daily tasks excruciatingly painful. Hip
and knee replacement surgeries are the most cost-
effective and successful of all orthopaedic
procedures in eliminating pain and restoring
patients to active, productive lives. Although more
than 1 million hip and knee replacements are
performed in the United States each year, thousands
of uninsured or underinsured men and women continue to live with severe arthritic pain and immobility
because they have no access to joint replacement surgery.
Operation Walk USA is an independent medical humanitarian organization that provides free hip or knee
replacement surgeries to patients in the US. Operation Walk USA benefits US citizens and permanent
residents who do not qualify for government assistance programs and cannot afford surgery on their own.
Operation Walk USA is committed to helping those in need by restoring their mobility, self-dignity and
productivity, thus helping them return to work and their social activities. Currently, Operation Walk USA takes
place once a year, during the first week December.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.OPWALKUSA.COM
This past year we achieved incredible milestones, including the following…
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[5]
FROM ARKANSAS TO ALASKA
Our numbers are on an upswing, and our geographic coverage is expanding. In 2013, through the efforts of
our volunteers, we were able to offer surgeries in a number of “new” states, including Alaska, Kentucky,
Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Vermont.
Operation Walk USA – December 2-7, 2013
[Map courtesy of Joanne B. Adams, BFA, CMI, Joint Implant Surgeons, Inc. – New Albany, OH]
STATES HOSPITALS SURGEONS PATIENTS VALUE
20102 9 9 15 44 $1.2M
2011 18 25 65 85 $2.3M
2012 29 44 85 160 $4.3M
2013 32 70 140 203 $5.5M
Since 2010, Operation Walk USA has given back to our communities $13,284,0003
in pro bono medical care services and helped 492 patients.
2 The Coordinators’ Committee of Operation Walk (International) mobilized the initial US program, and the original 9 surgeons who overcame the logistics and malpractice concerns were: Drs. Boiardo, Dennis, Digioa, Dorr, G. Engh, Khanuja, Lombardi, Ritter, and D. Stulberg. The current organization evolved from that original courageous effort. 3 Estimate is based on an average cost of TKA and THA in the United States (excluding the cost of donated implants); procedure costs vary greatly and are influenced by many factors.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[6]
ENHANCED VOLUNTEER SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT
A rapidly growing organization relying on the enthusiasm, passion and generosity of volunteer medical
professionals and hospitals requires that additional support systems be put into place to make Operation
Walk USA experience efficient, gratifying and fulfilling for everyone involved. The following programs were
added in 2013 to assist our volunteer participants and hospitals:
Updated 2013 comprehensive participation guidelines
Two orientation webinars held in May
Online physician registration system and documentation upload
Dedicated public and media relations consultant
SPECIAL THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS OF 2013 TASK FORCES
The 2013 Guideline
Jim Boyle and Cohan Zarnoch - Denver, CO
Diane Doucette and Dawn Buck - New Albany, OH
Gina Seabaugh - Little Rock, AR
Mike Stephenson and Jennifer Leonard - Overland
Park, KS
Jeri Ward – Los Angeles, CA
Julia Warner - Alexandria, VA
Orientation Webinars
Jim Boyle – Denver, CO
Diane Doucette – New Albany, OH
Mary (Peggy) Kettler – Denver, CO
Gina Seabaugh – Little Rock, AR
Orientation webinars were sponsored through a
generous contribution from the staff of Joint
Implant Surgeons, Inc. – New Albany, OH.
This is an amazing program! I have had the opportunity to coordinate for the past 3 years. It feels so good to give
the gift of mobility to 22 patients this year!! These patients are so grateful and appreciative!
Gina L. Seabaugh, RN, BSN (Little Rock, AR)
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[7]
ONE OF THE TOP 10 ISSUES IN 2013
AAOS Now, the official member newsmagazine of the
AAOS, named Operation Walk USA as one of Top 10 Issues
in orthopaedics in 2013.
“This endeavor may not be as applicable to all orthopaedic
surgeons as the first three issues, but it is related to the
role orthopaedic surgeons have in society and the
community. Operation Walk USA is in its third year, and
each year the number of patients who benefit from these
pro bono hip and knee replacement surgeries continues to
grow.”
S. Terry Canale, MD, Editor-in-Chief, AAOS Now
FOR MORE INFORMATION: HTTP://WWW.AAOS.ORG/NEWS/AAOSNOW/DEC13/COVER1.ASP
Operation Walk USA also was recognized during the Opening Ceremony of the AAOS 2013 Annual Meeting in
Chicago, IL, by John R. Tongue, MD, then President of AAOS.
MEDIA FOOTPRINT
Additional funds donated to Operation Walk USA by participating physicians enabled the organization to
retain the services of Robin Waxenberg & Associates, a professional public and media relations agency, to
manage our media outreach this year and to highlight our growing recognition and success. Robin worked
closely with staff, select physicians, patients, other hospital representatives and media to generate great
enthusiasm, interest and coverage. Results include:
National outreach to select print and broadcast media
Worked closely with nearly 10 case history patients to put a “face” on the program
Liaised with numerous local hospital PR staff to discuss program strategy and provide insight and
assistance
Conducted waves of media outreach to generate initial and sustained interest
Generated significant media results: Nearly 250 stories were generated including Associated Press,
ABC, Yahoo Health, MSN.com, HealthDay (a news distribution service) and countless other national
and local outlets that ran news of Operation Walk USA and its case histories.
Sample placements include:
HTTP://HEALTH.YAHOO.NET/NEWS/S/HSN/SURGEONS-GROUP-GIVES-GIFT-OF-NEW-HIPS-KNEES-
TO-UNINSURED
HTTP://ABCNEWSRADIOONLINE.COM/HEALTH-NEWS/MEDICAL-CHARITY-HELPS-NJ-WOMAN-GET-
KNEE-REPLACEMENT-SURGERY.HTML
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[8]
HTTP://GMA.YAHOO.COM/WELCOME-HELP-NEEDY-KNEES-040520550--ABC-NEWS-
TOPSTORIES.HTML
Total audience reach of nearly 70 million and growing with post-program stories still in the works!
POST, TWEET, REPEAT
Operation Walk USA continues to be active on Facebook. This year we added Twitter to our social media
presence. During the week of surgeries (December 2-7, 2013), our Facebook page became a portal for real-
time reporting and interactions between participants, patients, and general public. We used
#RESTORINGMOBILITY for our updates and tweets that week, and so did those who tweeted and posted
updates about their Operation Walk USA experience.
Our goal of “500 Likes” on Facebook was reached in the morning of Monday, December 2, 2013, thanks to
a patient who engaged his family to help us achieve that milestone. Currently, Operation Walk USA is
followed by 620+ on Facebook and @OpWalkUSA has 40+ followers on Twitter.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OPERATIONWALKUSA AND
WWW.TWITTER.COM/OPWALKUSA
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[9]
RESTORING MOBILITY, GIVING HOPE: 2013 SUCCESS STORIES
BRAD DAVIS
Brad Davis, 46, of Kyle, Texas, has always been a patriotic American.
He’s served twice in the Army – first in the Gulf War and more recently in
2005 on active duty in Fort Knox, Kentucky. During that latter service he
experienced a number of significant injuries to his spine, both feet and
knees. He later worked for the Veteran’s Administration in Austin as a
medical clerk but even walking the halls and up and down stairs proved
grueling and painful particularly on his left knee. He has had a few spine
surgeries and had the left knee scoped only to find he had little cartilage
or meniscus remaining and mostly “bone on bone” as he says. Eventually
though, the pain was too much and though he tried to work part-time he
ultimately had to resign. The combination of his many years of post-
traumatic arthritis and the aftereffects of his injuries proved too much.
As a result, he became unemployed.
He and his wife, a nursing
student, and their two sons
eventually had to move
from their two story house
to a one story home due to his limited mobility. “I live with pain
every day and am always on painkillers,” said Brad who had
no relief in sight until now. While doing research on joint
replacement options, Brad read about Operation Walk USA
and on December 6 he will undergo a total left knee
replacement at St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital in San Antonio
under the care of Amanda Marshall, MD, an assistant
professor of orthopaedics at the UT Health Science Center San
Antonio and a physician with UT Medicine San Antonio, the
clinical practice of the university’s School of Medicine. Having
once enjoyed his own business – which required heavy installation work – and a physically active lifestyle,
Brad can’t wait to return to the daily routine he enjoyed. “I can finally get back to work, out of the house and
be free of some of the pain I’ve lived with for years.” He should be able to return to that working life soon.
In a follow-up interview (7 weeks post-op), Brad stated:
“Operation Walk USA has completely changed my life and now I can do just about anything I want. I am
doing great and feel so much better. I can pretty much go anywhere I want and anytime I want. I don’t
have the aches and pains I had. I am a lot happier and not depressed like I was as I just couldn’t walk and
enjoy time with my wife and two kids. I can’t wait to get back into shape and return to work soon.”
Co-sponsored by The Hip Society and The Knee Society, Mr. Davis and Dr. Marshall will be traveling to
Washington, DC in April of 2014, to participate in AAOS’ Research Capitol Hill Days.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[10]
SUSAN MURRAY
When it comes to traditional or virtual networking, there is nothing as powerful as the family and girlfriend
connection.
Susan Murray, 51, of Freehold, NJ, learned that first-hand. She is a single
mom of three grown children, who since her early 20s has suffered with an
unspecified connective tissue disease, Susan has experienced a steady
decline in her mobility and has been in desperate need of total knee joint
replacement surgery. She used to enjoy of so many of life’s experiences –
from sports to everyday physical activity -- and even the simple tasks of
getting around an office, a grocery aisle or traveling on business. She now
uses a cane or walker and pulls herself up the stairs backwards. As a result, she has undergone arthroscopic surgery to clean up one of her
two ailing knees but the pain and debilitation have continued. A former
account and customer service representative who was often required to be
on the road a few days each week, Susan has been unemployed for the
past year. And so, without her knowing it, her eldest daughter Kelly and her own
circle of current and childhood
friends started writing to
programs that provided free
orthopaedic care. When Operation Walk USA (OWUSA) learned of
Susan’s story she was soon introduced to OWUSA’s Executive
Committee member, Giles R. Scuderi, MD, orthopaedic surgeon
specializing in knee arthroplasty, and vice president of the
orthopaedic service line at North Shore LIJ in New York. She
qualified for surgery and will undergo a double knee replacement on
Tuesday, December 3 at Lenox Hill Hospital. “It is a miracle and he is my angel,” she said, still very much
speechless about the news and after this decades-long challenge
that has not subdued her spirit and humor. With a birthday on
December 8 and the holidays around the corner, she can’t imagine
a better gift than one that will return her to a quality of life. Her daughter, Kelly, who started the chain of communication, is
getting married in early 2015 and has always hoped her Mom could
dance at her wedding. Susan should be able to do just that.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[11]
JOEL KENT MATTHEWS
Joel Kent Matthews (Kent), 50, of Smithville, Ark., is a farmer, truck driver and
former construction worker who was involved in a head-on car collision in 1990. He
was 27 years old. His left knee hit the dashboard and forced his hip right through
the socket. He had surgery and was in traction for 42 days. When he left the
hospital he couldn’t bend at the waist and was out of work for over a year. It took
him a year to walk again, with a significant limp. At the time of the accident he was
27 and his sons were two and three years old. “I
never got to run with them or play basketball or
baseball or do anything that required real
physical activity. We made up for that with a ski
boat and time on the water”, he says. Kent lives
with pain every day which he describes as often
intolerable and where he can barely walk. He just
suffers through it.
He heard about Operation Walk USA through his
niece, a former St. Vincent Health Care System (Little Rock, Ark.) nurse
whom he calls his guardian angel. “If this program hadn’t come along I
don’t know what I would have done. No one wants to hire me with my
limp.” Having turned 50 in October, Kent’s ultimate birthday wish came
true – he will undergo a total hip replacement on December 7 at St.
Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock.
“I can hardly wait to be able to stand up with both feet on the floor,” he
says. Kent will be able to do much more than that.
JANET SITZMANN: A YEAR LATER
Kansas City Bone & Joint Clinic in Overland Park, KS is a classic
case study in harnessing the power of social media to showcase
success. KCBJC kindly shared with us a follow-up story – one year
later – on the 2012 patient, Janet Sitzmann (surgeon: Jeffrey
Salin, DO). Janet’s transformation is truly remarkable and it clearly
demonstrates how this program brings positive changes to our
patients’ lives by restoring their mobility and hope.
JANET’S STORY:
HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=6ZPCUZQEAFC
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[12]
THE 2013 FINANCIAL DASHBOARD
REVENUE
1. Contributions $ 29,370 8%
2. Fundraising Event “Playing Forward” 302,211 86%
3. Registration 21,700 6%
TOTAL REVENUE $ 353,281
EXPENSES
1. Management and Administration $ 65,512 47%
2. Board and Committees 1,502 1%
3. Fundraising Event “Playing Forward” 62,974 45%
4. Public and Media Relations 9,023 7%
TOTAL EXPENSES $ 139,011
EXCESS OF REVENUE / EXPENSES
$ 214,270
Revenue
Contributions
Playing Forward
Registration
Expenses
Mgmt/Admin
Board/Cmtes
Playing Forward
PR/Mktg
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[13]
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PATIENT CARE FUND
Over the course of its existence, Operation Walk USA has faced multiple
situations when patients required additional pre-op screening or
prophylactic care, post-op physical therapy, manipulations, braces,
extended prescription medicine, other treatments and/or aides that are
considered to be over and above the typical scope of care Operation
Walk USA offers. To date, due to its limited resources, Operation Walk
USA has been unable to support these extraneous costs, thus placing
additional burden on participating sites (hospitals and volunteer
surgeons) who already give so much. With the establishment of the
Patient Care Fund, Operation Walk USA hopes to be able to help offset
these additional costs.
The number of participating sites, as well as patients being treated
through Operation Walk USA, is on the upward curve, and there is every
indication that this trend will continue. While embracing this growth,
Operation Walk USA wishes to ensure that its patients’ care needs are
fully met, and that these patients receive exactly what Operation Walk
USA promises – restored mobility and hope.
Likewise, as more participating sites are joining the program, the scope and level of support services
needed, and expected, from Operation Walk USA will continue to expand.
Operation Walk USA’s financial goal is to preserve its viability for years to come by maintaining a responsive
and effective national organization and to have the ability to respond to unmet needs with the Patient Care
Fund.
Following the success of its first fundraising event, “Playing Forward”, the Executive Committee of Operation
Walk USA has designated $50,000 to establish the Patient Care Fund in 2014.
This Fund will be dedicated to covering over and above equipment and supplies costs to provide the best
possible quality of care to Operation Walk USA patients. More information on the Patient Care Fund will be
available later in 2014.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[14]
IN-KIND SUPPORT
Operation Walk USA’s surgeries would not be possible without donated implant devices and services. The
following orthopaedic companies help us restore mobility and give hope to our patients:
COMPANY NAME 2013 DONATION FAIR MARKET VALUE*
BIOMET 27 implants $405,000
DEPUY / JNJ 42 implants $669,565
SMITH+NEPHEW 14 implants $219,000
STRYKER 48 implants $486,300
TJO 5 implants $59,300
ZIMMER 67 implants $1,044,459
ORTECH DATA, INC. orthopaedic registry $49,650
AJRR patient data management N/A
T O T A L I N - K I N D S U P P O R T $2,933,274 NOTE:
* Estimated FMV is provided by each company upon request; calculation principles may vary.
On behalf of our patients, their families, and our volunteer healthcare professionals, we thank
our corporate partners for their continued generosity and support of our mission.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[15]
CONTRIBUTIONS
We thank our participating physicians and other healthcare professionals for their gift of time and their
service to our patients. We also thank those who financially contributed to Operation Walk USA.
FOUNDERS LEVEL ($25,000 or more) Douglas A. Dennis, MD
Lawrence D. Dorr, MD
Carlos J. Lavernia, MD
Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD
Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD
Giles R. Scuderi, MD
PARTNER LEVEL ($5,000 - $9,999) Mr. and Mrs. Irving B. Kerbel
H. Dell Schutte, Jr., MD
Joint Implant Surgery & Research Foundation (JISRF)
AMBASSADOR LEVEL ($2,500 - $4,999) David D. Dore, MD
Bertrand Kaper, MD
SUPPORTER LEVEL ($1,000 - $2,499) Keith R. Berend, MD – in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD
Gavan P. Duffy, MD
Seth Jerabek, MD
E. Jeff Kennedy, MD
Adam E. Klein, MD
Ali Oliashirazi, MD
Michael Swank, MD
Adult Joint Reconstruction at HSS
CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL ($500 - $999) Michael Archibeck, MD
Christopher Evanich, MD
David Fisher, MD
Paul Gilbert, MD
Jonathan P. Keeve, MD
Patrick Kirk, MD
Max Lincoln, MD
Brock Lindsey, MD
Joseph McGraw, MD
David Power, MD
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[16]
“PLAYING FORWARD”
Held at the 2013 AAHKS Annual Meeting,
on Saturday, November 9, in Dallas, TX,
under the slogan “When Surgeons Play,
Patients Win”, our first fundraising event
was a remarkable success.
We thank everyone who attended and
enjoyed electrifying gaming opportunities,
great food and unparalleled
entertainment by Dr. Buz and the
Medicated Trio, as well as our many
sponsors who contributed to the event at
various sponsorship levels.
Operation Walk USA is especially grateful to our event partner, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Pacira's remarkable generosity allowed us to direct all proceeds from the "Playing Forward"
event to Operation Walk USA and our Patient Care Fund.
Operation Walk USA also would like to thank the
American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
(AAHKS) for allowing us to host the event during their
Annual Meeting. We are grateful to many members
of AAHKS who volunteer their time and support our
mission. All of us should be proud of our
subspecialty – the only orthopaedic subspecialty to
date that gives back annually on a national scale.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[17]
EVENT SPONSORS
MONTE CARLO LEVEL $30,000 ATLANTIC CITY LEVEL $15,000 RENO LEVEL $10,000
Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., MD
Douglas A. Dennis, MD
Lawrence D. Dorr, MD
Carlos J. Lavernia, MD
Chitranjan S. Ranawat, MD
Giles R. Scuderi, MD
BLACK HAWK LEVEL $3,000
Aesculap
Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute and Clinic
Athens Orthopaedic Clinic
Blue Belt Technologies
Colorado Joint Replacement
Dr. and Mrs. J. David Blaha
DeClaire Knee and Orthopaedic Institute
Duke University Medical Center Dept. of Orthopaedics
Joint Implant Surgeons of Florida
Joint Replacement Group at Rush University Medical Center
International Congress for Joint Replacement
Insall Scott Kelly Institute
Massachusetts General Hospital Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery
Medtronic Advanced Energy
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
Ohio State University, Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery
Operation Walk Maryland
OrthoIndy
Orthopaedic Associates of Meadville
Riccione Orthopedics
Rothman Institute
Rubin Institute
Select Orthopedics
St. Vincent Health / Operation Walk Arkansas
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[18]
Stanford University Joint Replacement Center
Texas Center for Joint Replacement
University of Utah Orthopaedic Center
Washington University Orthopaedics
BUY-A-ROUND
Biomet
Joint Replacement Surgeons of Indiana Research Foundation Center for Hip and Knee Surgery Mooresville, IN
Current Concepts for Joint Replacement
Innomed (2 rounds)
Joint Implant Surgeons, Inc.
Operation Walk Chicago
OrthoCarolina
St. Vincent Infirmary
"JUST GIVE"
Dirk T. Prius, MD
Lance Perry
Derek Fox / Aaron Gatten
Thomas Hoffman
Richard E. Grant, MD
The leadership of Operation Walk USA plans to hold “Playing Forward” again in 2014, also in conjunction
with the 2014 AAHKS Annual Meeting (November 7-9, 2014), in Dallas, TX.
We hope to see many of you there!
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[19]
SURVEY SAYS
At the conclusion of our week of surgeries in 2013, we conducted the final survey to evaluate the program,
the organizational and administrative support we provide to our volunteers, and to solicit your thoughts on
how Operation Walk USA should continue to evolve.
We are happy to share some results of this survey, based on 32 respondents.
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[20]
100% of respondents are interested in participating again – in 2014 and/or beyond.
5 = highest rating
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[21]
100% of respondents are interested in participating again – in 2014 and/or beyond.
LOOKING AHEAD: 2014
As a growing organization, Operation Walk USA has numerous opportunities for those who are passionate
about our mission to get involved in the organization. This could be through serving on various task forces,
such as fundraising, mentoring, quality control, patient services, social media and communications.
Our journey is just beginning. You could be charting our future course.
HELP VOLUNTEER SUPPORT
Talk about us on social media
Invite a colleague
Engage local media sources
Serve on task forces
Share your thoughts and ideas
Participate in surveys
Volunteer your time
Contribute
Identify potential partners,
sponsors and donors
Operation Walk USA – 2013
[22]
BEHIND THE SCENES
Currently, Operation Walk USA is under a management services contract with the American Academy of
Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). AAOS provides comprehensive management solutions to more than 25
orthopaedic and affiliated organizations through its Department of Society Relations.
Operation Walk USA is an independent, self-governed 501 (c)(3) organization.
Our management team includes:
Olga Foley Lynett Wilson
Executive Director Assistant
T: 847.384.4245 T: 847.384.4248
E: [email protected] E: [email protected]
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: WWW.OPWALKUSA.COM
“Walking better than ever, thanks to you folks! It was so
invigorating to see people over the Holidays who hadn't seen
me in while, and have them tell me how much happier I looked
and how much better I was walking. Funny thing is, I never
realized how far I had sunken and how noticeable it was. You
think you can bury the pain and suffering, but those who know
you can see the difference. But that is all behind me now!
Thank you Operation Walk USA and all the doctors and staff
who participate in this wonderful program that gives people
their lives back. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
- From a 2013 patient (via Facebook)
Operation Walk USA 6300 North River Road, Suite 727
Rosemont, IL 60018
E: [email protected] | T: 847.698.1640 |F: 847.823.0532 | www.opwalkusa.com
Stay connected: #restoringmobility
[Photographs used throughout this report
are courtesy of Operation Walk USA, our
patients and volunteers.]