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A happy patient heads home after a hip replacement, with Operation Walk's Dominican physicians and medical students cheering him on.
As the sun rises in Santo Domingo and sets on our time here in the Dominican Republic, it is impossible to feel anything but grateful for the opportunity we have had over the past week to visit this beautiful country and be involved in the care of its extraordinary citizens.
These reflections can be found on the BWH-led Operation Walk Boston team's blog, which documented each day of the team's recent seventh mission to the Dominican Republic to perform joint replacements on those in need. The one-week journey was a huge success, with the team performing 54 total joint replacements on 39 patients.
Under the leadership of Thomas Thornhill, MD, chief of Orthopedic Surgery at BWH, Operation Walk Boston began in 2007 with a simple goal: to help patients with arthritis and joint disease in the Dominican Republic get back on their feet through knee and hip replacement surgeries. To date, the team has helped more than 300 patients.
More than 50 volunteers, mostly from BWH, were part of this year's team, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, orthopedic residents, nurses, operating room staff, a pharmacist and physical therapists. Additionally, 57 volunteer medical students from the Dominican Republic were part of the mission.
"Operation Walk Boston is a self-sustaining team," said BWH's Roya Ghazinouri, PT, DPT, MS, chief operating officer for the team. "We have been able to fully integrate with our host institution in Santo Domingo. We collaborate with our colleagues for all aspects of patient care and with medical students for education and research. The education component is priceless; the students learn while they provide care. For them and for us, it's an amazing experience."
Ghazinouri says this year's highlights include follow-up clinics for patients who received joint replacements in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the mentorship between nurse volunteers and the Dominican nursing staff. Another highlight was the seamless handoff process put in place to pass information from the Boston team to the Dominican team for overnight coverage of patients.
"Among the nurses, there is a daily exchange of information and a collaborative approach to patient care," she said. "Our physical therapists work seamlessly with our nurses, medical students and local therapists to provide inpatient care and set up plans for outpatient follow-up. Also, orthopedic residents held an education conference for Dominican medical students. It was a great educational effort."
For each trip, approximately 10,000 pounds of cargo are shipped, with patient care supplies and devices donated by the hospital. BWH Pharmacy works closely with the team, sending a pharmacist each year and supplying the medication needed for each mission.
The BWH Operation Walk volunteers returned home last week. The Dominican team will continue to follow patients in the weeks and months to come, as they return for post-operative checks and physical therapy.
Read the blog and view more photos at operationwalkboston.blogspot.com.