On Saturday, November 9th, 2019 the third annual Hand2Hand event in association with the American Society for Surgery of the Hand’s “Touching Hand Project” was hosted by Georgia Hand, Shoulder, and Elbow. This day of charitable surgery was held at the Georgia Surgical Center on Peachtree.

Many from the local community lent their hands to perform surgery on deserving patients who either have no insurance or are underinsured. Those who volunteered their services during this charitable day of surgery were the surgeons and staff of Georgia Surgical Center on Peachtree, volunteers from Mednax Anesthesiology, and volunteers from the local community who are occupational therapists, nurses, and OR Techs. The kind-hearted staff performed 13 surgeries out of two operating rooms. The surgery, follow-up care, and therapy services were provided to these patients at no cost to them.

This charitable feat was inspired by many of the surgeons and volunteers who have flown to other countries to provide medical care. Many of these same healthcare practitioners have noticed that there are many patients who could benefit from charitable surgical services right in their own community.

The beneficiaries of these charitable surgical services would be hardworking individuals who cannot afford health insurance or the deductibles that would be required to get the medical help they need. By working with health centers such as “Good Samaritan” these patients have been identified.

We are proud to have influenced 9 other hand centers that have joined this cause by hosting their own events. Some of these institutions that participated include the San Francisco Surgery Center, the Vanderbilt Orthopedic Institute, and the Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center.