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When Corey Zalewski, 29, first injured his ACL, he planned to try to “tough through it.”
A massage therapist, he didn't have health insurance to cover the cost of surgery.
Then, earlier this year, he fell snowboarding and tore the tendon completely. The injury was painful and forced him to take some time off work, but what bothered Zalewski most was that it slowed him down.
“I love being active,” he said. “It has just hindered my ability to perform at the level that I know I'm able to.”
Then he met an anesthesiologist who was involved with free surgery day.
Now in its second year, the event gives uninsured patients of the Summit Community Care Clinic, like Zalewski, an opportunity to get needed outpatient operations free of charge.
Through the work of countless volunteers, seven surgeons were able to perform 20 operations for free on a day when the Peak One Surgery Center at St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center might have sat empty.
“This has been truly life altering for a number of people,” Summit Medical Center director Sarah Vaine said of the project. “It's been the difference between being completely disabled and being able to walk.”
The driving force behind free surgery day is Dr. Peter Janes, a surgeon with Vail Summit Orthopedics. He was inspired by a similar project launched by a doctor in Pueblo, whom he met while helping with medical care following the earthquake in Haiti
Free surgery day isn't something you can just sign up for, and it's not just one day. The patients are carefully selected from the community care clinic's approximately 5,000 uninsured local clients. Free operations go to the ones health care providers identify as being at the greatest risk if they do not have the surgery, and are then dependent on the proper surgeon being available. The process can take up to nine months.
Once selected, patients will have the cost of pre- and post-operation appointments, medication and even physical therapy completely covered.
The project requires the combined effort of countless volunteers, from the surgeons, to technicians to the cleaning staff at the surgery center. Even the building rent for the day is covered by the hospital.
“It's far reaching how many people donate,” Janes said. “It's pretty involved. There are a lot of tentacles to take care of somebody surgically.”
Organizers say free surgery day “brings the private sector to bear,” on the inability of the uninsured in the Summit County community to have important surgical procedures done.
“Many people perceive an inability to get health care as some type of character flaw,” Vaine said, noting that many businesses cannot afford to provide employees with health care benefits. “Any one of us could be in that situation. Uninsured people are at great risk through no fault of their own. Most of them are hard working, industrious people who had some unfortunate circumstances.”
For Zalewski, who had his knee surgery Saturday, the event is a turning point.
“It's such a great opportunity,” he said. “I just want to thank the doctors and everybody who made it possible for this to happen.”
A massage therapist, he didn't have health insurance to cover the cost of surgery.
Then, earlier this year, he fell snowboarding and tore the tendon completely. The injury was painful and forced him to take some time off work, but what bothered Zalewski most was that it slowed him down.
“I love being active,” he said. “It has just hindered my ability to perform at the level that I know I'm able to.”
Then he met an anesthesiologist who was involved with free surgery day.
Now in its second year, the event gives uninsured patients of the Summit Community Care Clinic, like Zalewski, an opportunity to get needed outpatient operations free of charge.
Through the work of countless volunteers, seven surgeons were able to perform 20 operations for free on a day when the Peak One Surgery Center at St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center might have sat empty.
“This has been truly life altering for a number of people,” Summit Medical Center director Sarah Vaine said of the project. “It's been the difference between being completely disabled and being able to walk.”
The driving force behind free surgery day is Dr. Peter Janes, a surgeon with Vail Summit Orthopedics. He was inspired by a similar project launched by a doctor in Pueblo, whom he met while helping with medical care following the earthquake in Haiti
Free surgery day isn't something you can just sign up for, and it's not just one day. The patients are carefully selected from the community care clinic's approximately 5,000 uninsured local clients. Free operations go to the ones health care providers identify as being at the greatest risk if they do not have the surgery, and are then dependent on the proper surgeon being available. The process can take up to nine months.
Once selected, patients will have the cost of pre- and post-operation appointments, medication and even physical therapy completely covered.
The project requires the combined effort of countless volunteers, from the surgeons, to technicians to the cleaning staff at the surgery center. Even the building rent for the day is covered by the hospital.
“It's far reaching how many people donate,” Janes said. “It's pretty involved. There are a lot of tentacles to take care of somebody surgically.”
Organizers say free surgery day “brings the private sector to bear,” on the inability of the uninsured in the Summit County community to have important surgical procedures done.
“Many people perceive an inability to get health care as some type of character flaw,” Vaine said, noting that many businesses cannot afford to provide employees with health care benefits. “Any one of us could be in that situation. Uninsured people are at great risk through no fault of their own. Most of them are hard working, industrious people who had some unfortunate circumstances.”
For Zalewski, who had his knee surgery Saturday, the event is a turning point.
“It's such a great opportunity,” he said. “I just want to thank the doctors and everybody who made it possible for this to happen.”
