About Us
Learn More About Operation Walk New York,
Our Work and Who We Are
Operation Walk New York: Our Work
Joint replacement surgery can change someone’s life entirely. The pain and mobility limitations of arthritis can not only be severely disabling but life-altering. Imagine living in a place where there are not enough skilled medical professionals to help you, or the cost of treatment is too high. Sadly, millions of people around the world live without the hope of getting better. The orthopedic resources so commonly available in the United States unfortunately are unavailable in much of the world.
For these very reasons, we have created Operation Walk New York. Our first mission trip, led by Drs. Seth Greenky and Brett Greenky, was to Kathmandu, Nepal in 2011. Nepal, a country with only one physician per 20,000 people, is in great need of specialized medical care. The fifty person team to Nepal included surgeons, medical doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, and physical therapists. The team traveled with full supplies and medical equipment to Nepal, the supplies included implants, medications, surgical and post operative supplies. All of this was provided at no cost to the needy individuals.
Operation Walk New York built four of their own operating rooms in Nepal so all the surgeons could operate all day for the entire 8 day trip.
Medical education was an important component of the November 2011 mission. Nepalese doctors observed and assisted in the surgery so that they could gain exposure to the latest orthopedic surgery techniques and technologies. The Operation Walk team also included physical therapists who trained local practitioners to appropriately care for the patients after the teams departure.
New York Organization
Operation Walk New York, the 13th branch of the organization, opened its doors in November 2010.
Co-directors Dr. Brett Greenky and Dr. Seth Greenky are renowned joint replacement surgeons located in Syracuse, NY. The two brothers rank among the highest in New York State in volume of joint-replacement surgeries, together completing an estimated 15,000 joint replacements to date. They launched Operation Walk New York to satisfy their longstanding desire to pursue global humanitarian work.
National Organization
Operation Walk was started in 1995 by Lawrence D. Dorr, M.D. in Los Angeles, CA. Dr. Dorr is one of the leading joint replacement surgeons in the United States. On a teaching trip to Russia, Dr. Dorr surmised that one of the best ways to teach physicians was to actually demonstrate the surgery. Dr. Dorr put together a team of surgeons, internal medicine doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, and physical therapists and planned his first Operation Walk trip to Havana, Cuba. Since that time, Operation Walk has expanded to 13 centers across the United States and has been responsible for thousands of free joint replacements across the globe.
General Cost Statistics:
Hospital charges for one surgical replacement:
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Hip: $117,500
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Knee: $119,000
Average cost for 30 replacements of either hip or knee (per mission trip):
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Would be greater than $3 million
Volunteer time donated
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One medical team’s time donated per mission trip would equal $115,320
Physician’s time donated per trip:
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$300,000
Actual Cost for Travel and Delivery of supplies to Nepal in 2011:
In November 2011, a complete medical team from Syracuse with full equipment and supplies to perform surgical procedures for over 70 patients.
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Total expenditures required for the Nepal Program: $300,000
Why We’re Committed
· Intense, unrelenting pain and mobility limitations make experiencing a normal, productive life nearly impossible. The most basic of activities are a challenge and their inability to walk often leaves them unable to provide for themselves or their families.
· We’re excited to lead, organize, and participate in an initiative that will not only restore the ability to walk, but will dramatically impact the lives of those less fortunate.
· The opportunity to provide in-country education to surgeons and health care professionals has a longer standing impact and promotes self-healing and independence.
How Can You Help?
Financial Gifts:
The 50+ professionals who go on these one week mission trips donate their time. Your contribution will assist in funding the more than $200,000 that is required for team transportation, supply shipping, food, lodging, non-donated supplies & necessary repairs to the host hospital’s equipment.
Donated Medical Supplies:
Most supplies are donated by implant & pharmaceutical companies. It is costly to ship the supplies due to the volume and weight of the implants and instrumentation.
Volunteer Staff Persons:
Each trip requires skilled medical personnel and staff persons both here in Syracuse as well as on the actual trip. Please submit application letters to Kim Murray at Operation Walk New York,
5824 Widewaters Parkway, East Syracuse, NY 13057.
Our Process
Local physicians and healthcare providers play a critical role in the process. Many months prior to the trip, these individuals screen, evaluate and take x-rays of potential surgical candidates. The Operation Walk Syracuse team will receive this information months before the scheduled trip. This enables us to plan and assemble the necessary supplies, including the specific joint implants used during surgery.
Intense logistical planning ensues which includes team confirmation, schedule coordination, surgical supply assembly, and transportation of the equipment and supplies to the recipient country. Six to eight tons of supplies will be shipped in advance to our host hospital for each trip.
After arrival in the host country, our surgical teams will assemble and meet the local medical team. Surgeries will be performed with the local team present to provide a hands-on educational experience. Education will continue in the postoperative and rehabilitative phases of care so that the local team will be well prepared to continue the healing process
Operation Walk Trips
Nepal: 2011
Panama: 2012, 2013
Guatemala: 2015, 2016
Ghana: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
Syracuse: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Our Board Members
Board of Directors
President: Seth S. Greenky, MD
Vice President: Brett B. Greenky, MD
Secretary: Kimberley Murray
Treasurer: Michael Humphrey
At Large: Gregory Kenien, MD, Tricia Fullerton, Keven Kleis, Stephen Bogosian, William O’Connor
Dr. Brett Greenky, Co-Executive Director and founder of Operation Walk Syracuse
Dr. Brett Greenky is the Co-Executive Director and founder of Operation Walk Syracuse. He is a prominent orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement procedures. As a Co-Executive Director, he and his brother provide vision, leadership, and a commitment to assisting individuals around the globe who suffer from advanced arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases. It is estimated that the two brothers have performed upwards of 15,000 joint replacements here in the United States. They look forward to sharing their talent and expertise with those patients who would otherwise not have access to life altering joint replacement surgery.
Dr. Greenky is a partner at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, a 24 member surgeon group who have a broad base of specialists treating all components of the musculoskeletal system. Dr. Greenky, along with his brother, Dr. Seth Greenky, serves as the co-director of the joint replacement program at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center.
In addition to his hospital and practice responsibilities, he is an assistant professor at the SUNY Upstate Medical College in Syracuse and supervises the total joint orthopedic resident rotation at the hospital. Dr. Greenky is involved in several research initiatives related to joint replacement.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Greenky attended an undergraduate program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse and completed his orthopedic surgery residency there as well. He completed a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery at New England Baptist Hospital. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
Appointments:
Co-Director, Joint Replacement Program, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
Assistant Professor, SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse; Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Societies:
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
American Medical Association
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
Onondaga County Medical Society
Arthritis Foundation
Dr. Seth Greenky, Co-Executive Director and founder of Operation Walk Syracuse
Dr. Seth Greenky is the Co-Executive Director and founder of Operation Walk Syracuse. He is a prominent orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement procedures. As a Co-Executive Director, he and his brother provide vision, leadership, and a commitment to assisting individuals around the globe who suffer from advanced arthritis and other degenerative joint diseases. It is estimated that the two brothers have performed upwards of 15,000 joint replacements here in the United States. They look forward to sharing their talent and expertise with those patients who would otherwise not have access to life altering joint replacement surgery.
Dr. Greenky is a partner at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, a 24 member surgeon group who have a broad base of specialists treating all components of the musculoskeletal system. Dr. Greenky serves as the medical director for the orthopedic service line at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center as well as the section chair for orthopedics. Along with his brother, Dr. Brett Greenky, he serves as the co-director of the joint replacement program at the hospital.
In addition to his hospital and practice responsibilities, he is an assistant professor at the SUNY Upstate Medical College in Syracuse and supervises the total joint orthopedic resident rotation at the hospital. Dr. Greenky is involved in several research initiatives related to joint replacement.
Born in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Greenky attended an undergraduate program at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse and completed his orthopedic surgery residency there as well. He completed a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
Appointments:
Co-Director, Orthopedic Service Line, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
Section Chairman, Orthopedics, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
Co-Director, Joint Replacement Program, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
Assistant Professor, SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse; Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Societies:
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
American Medical Association
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
New York State Medical Society
Onondaga County Medical Society
Arthritis Foundation
Eastern Orthopedic Association
American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
Knocker Society, SUNY Health Science Center
Kimberley Murray, Clinical Director for Operation Walk Syracuse
Kimberley Murray is the Clinical Director for Operation Walk Syracuse and the Chief Clinical Officer at Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. She works closely with the Executive Directors, Dr. Brett Greenky and Dr. Seth Greenky, to support their efforts to build the local chapter of the organization. A graduate of St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, she was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Utica-Rome, and a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University. Kim is certified by the Association of Operating Room Nurses and is a member of several other professional organizations including Sigma Theta Tau Omicron Chapter, Association of Perianesthesia Nurses, National Association of Orthopedic Nurses, and the New York Organization of Nurse Executives. As the clinical director, she will oversee the operations team which is tasked with planning and implementing all elements of the mission trips.
Contact Us For More Information
Location
Operation Walk New York
5824 Widewaters Parkway
East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 883-5875