Local nonprofit seeks qualified patients to receive medically necessary surgery at no cost
Dr. Kevin Petersen, and Kelly Petersen, co-founders of Helping Hands Surgical Care (HHSC), a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to fund and facilitate surgeries for uninsured Nevadans without the means to pay for medically necessary surgeries, announce the second annual Charity Surgery Day, Nov. 13, 2012. HHSC doctors will provide 10 free surgeries that day to uninsured Nevadans without the means to pay and who do not qualify for government assistance through plans such as Medicare.
Dr. Petersen, a board certified general surgeon who has practiced for more than 26 years, along with his wife, Kelly, HHSC’s unpaid executive director, launched HHSC last year to end chronic pain and suffering for Nevadans with no other options. Since the organization’s inaugural Charity Surgery Day on Nov. 15 last year, HHSC has performed 24 free surgeries for uninsured Nevadans.
HHSC is seeking patients who may qualify to receive medically necessary surgery at no cost on Charity Surgery Day. Applicants must qualify both financially and medically and are screened via an advisory panel comprised of medical professionals.
Qualified patients must have a stable, chronic, non-emergency condition that requires surgery to restore a disabled patient to normal function or to remove a potentially life threatening condition, such as hernia repair, gall bladder removal, select gynecological surgeries, select back surgeries and cataract removal. Candidates must reside in Nevada, lack medical insurance and the resources to pay for surgery. They must also be acceptable surgical candidates. To review patient eligibility requirements and apply for surgery, visit www.HelpingHandsSurgicalCare.com and click on the How to Apply link.
In addition to Petersen, doctors working with HHSC include Allan Stahl, M.D., cardiology, Michael Verni, M.D., urology; Cameron Earl, M.D., plastic surgery; Jeannie Khavkin, M.D., otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery; Yevgeniy Khavkin, M.D., spine surgery; Ronette Cyka, M.D., gynecology; and George McMickle, M.D., ophthalmology and eye surgery. Medical District Surgery Center, has once again committed to donating the use of operating rooms on Charity Surgery Day.
“This past year has been one of the most gratifying in my entire career,” said Dr. Petersen, who has personally performed several of the organization’s free surgeries over the past year. “Helping people to get back their lives, to go back to work, to restore their ability to provide for their families and to start enjoying life again, is incredibly rewarding and reminds me of the reason I practice medicine,” said Petersen. “The spirit of HHSC has caught on in the medical community, and we are grateful for the other doctors who have willingly joined our program. It is truly a team effort that takes members of the entire medical community working together to make a difference.”
While all participating doctors waive their fees, surgery isn’t free. Costs such as lab fees, anesthesia, prescription, nurses and surgical techs must still be paid.
To volunteer to provide medical services, to make a donation that covers hard costs of surgery, or to inquire about patient qualifications to receive charity surgery, call 702-242-5393 or visit www.HelpingHandsSurgicalCare.com.
About Helping Hands Surgical Care
Helping Hands Surgical Care is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose mission is to fund and facilitate surgeries for uninsured and underinsured individuals without the means to pay for medically necessary, quality of life surgeries. Founded by Dr. Kevin Petersen of Las Vegas, Nevada based No Insurance Surgery, Helping Hands Surgical Care values the health and well-being of each individual regardless of their ability to pay. The organization is guided by its focus on the physician-patient relationship and its dedication to transforming and improving the lives of those it serves. For more information, visit www.HelpingHandsSurgicalCare.com or call 702-242-5393.