Photo story by Donn Jones
More than 60 Vanderbilt Health employees volunteered six hours of their time on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Vanderbilt Orthopaedic Outreach Day, so that 15 uninsured patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cyst and other hand disorders, as well as knee and shoulder issues, could receive surgical treatment.
Eight orthopaedic surgeons, nine resident surgeons and seven anesthesiologists/nurse anesthetists participated in the surgeries at Vanderbilt Surgery Center in Franklin. “This is a great program that helps those in need in Middle Tennessee,” said Donald Lee, MD, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship director, who organizes the event that began in 2017.
Patients underwent surgery for debilitating conditions that frequently fall within a medical care gap that is typically not surgically managed in the free clinic or in the emergency department setting. Patient referrals from five community clinics are coordinated through Shade Tree Clinic, Vanderbilt’s student-run free clinic.
