Local doctors support causes that help the community

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Walk with a Doc

In the medical field, patient-doctor interaction has always been limited.

For starters, there is only so much time in a day, and there certainly isn’t a one-to-one doctor-to-patient ratio. Doctors need to be able to develop relationships with their patients, especially if they want to make a difference in patient efficacy.

Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiovascular specialist at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital, wanted to break down that imaginary wall between patient and doctor, to help foster better patient efficacy, especially when it comes to exercise and combating sedentary lifestyles.

“We’ve been blessed to see exponential growth and that will continue. We believe, for many reasons, we are only starting to scratch the surface, 1-2 percent of where we will eventually be,” Sabgir

In 2005, Sabgir invited some of his patients to join him for a casual walk over the weekend. When 100 people showed up to his walk, he knew that this was a real opportunity to make a difference. Walk with a Doc was born.

In the most basic terms, Walk with a Doc is an event model in which a doctor gives a brief presentation on a health topic, then leads participants on a walk at their own pace. Healthful snacks, coffee and blood pressure checks are also standard parts of a Walk with a Doc event.

“We were not prepared to replicate (the event in other communities) until Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield gave us the funding and toolkits to do so in 2010,” says Sabgir. “Thanks to increasing national press soon after that, we started growing.”

Now the organization has grown to include over 300 chapters worldwide, and Sabgir doesn’t think it is anywhere near its full potential.

“We’ve been blessed to see exponential growth and that will continue. We believe, for many reasons, we are only starting to scratch the surface, 1-2 percent of where we will eventually be,” he says. “We see potential incorporation into medical associations large and small, and retail partners that will bring visibility of Walk with a Doc mainstream.”

As much as Walk with a Doc’s growth is based on awareness and publicity, the heart of the organization relies on the compassion of the doctors who donate their time to create change in the way doctors and patients interact.

“The doctors, both domestically and internationally, are coming to us mostly through word of mouth. They see the sedentary epidemic (and associated hypertension, diabetes, cancers and heart disease) killing their patients, and they’ve had enough,” says Sabgir. “They want their patients to be happy and healthy into their 90s and beyond. They know to achieve that you need regular physical activity and connectedness. Once they experience Walk with a Doc, we’re grateful that they become hooked.”

Though the organization has extended across the country and the world, its roots will always be in Columbus. There are 13 active chapters of Walk with a Doc in Columbus that meet bimonthly in various parks around the central Ohio.

On Nov. 18, Sabgir hosted a citywide Walk with a Doc celebration. Put on by Mount Carmel, the breakfast event recognized and honored all participants and volunteer doctors of 2017.

Operation Walk

Another doctor in central Ohio who is working to bring better care to patients is also donating his time.

Dr. Adolph Lombardi III, an orthopedic surgeon at New Albany-based Joint Implant Surgeons who is also a clinical assistant professor at The Ohio State University Department of Orthopedics, is the president of the Knee Society and Operation Walk USA, an organization he co-founded as well.

“The first national effort to provide pro bono hip/knee replacement surgeries took place in 2010.  It was initialized by surgeons who had done many international missions,” says Lombardi. “I was a part of that first effort, and when – the following year, in 2011 – I became president of the Hip Society, I saw the opportunity to spread the word and to expand the reach by recruiting volunteer surgeons amongst members of the Hip Society and its sister organization, the Knee Society.”

Operation Walk USA is a volunteer medical services organization that provides free hip and knee replacement surgeries to uninsured patients in the U.S. Patients must be U.S. citizens or permanent US residents.

“(Mount Carmel New Albany) surgical hospital provides all of the perioperative services for the patients enrolled in Operation Walk USA.” - Lombardi

The program was inspired by the original Operation Walk, for which U.S. surgeons travel to international locations where patients are without health care and perform pro bono hip and knee surgeries. Lombardi began traveling with the Operation Walk program in 2010, bringing back inspiration to his colleagues in New Albany in the Mount Carmel Health System.

“Upon returning from one of my international trips, I challenged (Mount Carmel) to provide this service for the citizens of our community,” says Lombardi. “(Mount Carmel New Albany) surgical hospital provides all of the perioperative services for the patients enrolled in Operation Walk USA.”

Operation Walk USA has donated $18.9 million in pro bono medical services, not including the cost of donated implants, and has helped 702 patients in the U.S. All surgeries take place annually during the first week of December.

Though the organization holds a fundraising event each November, it also receives individual contributions year-round from generous individuals. These donations, along with the time and energy of the generous doctors who participate, allow Operation Walk USA to help so many people.

Lombardi says that as long as it has the funding, Operation Walk USA will continue growing and helping more people in the U.S. get free hip and knee arthroplasty.

“Over the last couple of years, we did expand into Tennessee and Georgia, where, previously, we did not have presence. We will see what changes in federal health care policy will take place under the Trump administration, and how those change will affect what we do,” says Lombardi. “As is the case for most charitable organizations, funding is key to growth and strength.”

Jenny Wise is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Side Section: Fight for Air Climb

Every year, the American Lung Association challenges the people of Columbus to participate in its Fight for Air Climb.

The event, which raises awareness of and funds for lung disease and the importance of healthy lungs and clean air, takes place at the Rhodes Tower in downtown Columbus at 8 a.m. Feb. 17. Participants raise money prior to the event and train to run up 40 flights of the skyscraper.

Though the entire community is invited to participate, the cause hits close to home for one group in particular. The Columbus Division of Fire serves the community daily, with firefighters putting themselves in danger due to gases, chemicals and smoke exposure in the line of duty.

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