As the medical director of OrthoAtlanta, Michael Behr, MD, has made annual trips to Haiti since a deadly earthquake devastated the country in 2010, according to Digital Journal. Here are seven things to know about Dr. Behr and the weeklong volunteer program:
1. Atlanta-area orthopedic surgeons started the program more than 28 years ago. Teams of two to three orthopedic surgeons work alongside other medical professionals to provide services at the Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Deschapelles, Haiti.
2. Dr. Behr is a practicing, board-certified orthopedic surgeon with a focus on sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery and hip and knee replacement. In Haiti, he provided his expertise in musculoskeletal conditions.
3. During the first part of the trip, medical professionals examine patients, provide immediate treatment and identify patients in need of surgery. Surgeries take place later in the week.
5. General surgeons and orthopedic surgeons at HAS perform examinations after the surgeries. Additional follow-up examinations may be performed by the U.S. orthopedic team three to four months later, as needed.
6. Some patients walk several miles and wait in line for days for a chance to see the volunteer physicians. "Haiti is less than three hours and 1,285 miles from the U.S., yet the impoverishment is real and need for quality medical care ongoing," Dr. Behr said.
7. OrthoAtlanta has 39 physicians in 13 offices. The practice provides outpatient surgical procedures at its Austell and Fayetteville surgery centers.