Hospital San Juan de Dios in Santa Cruz, Bolivia hosted the country’s inaugural Operation Walk Mission in January, 2017.

Establishing a new site comes with logistical and diplomatic challenges.  Operation Walk Virginia’s original trip was scheduled for October 2016 but was postponed when a small tsunami in the Pacific Ocean forced the cargo ship carrying mission supplies to divert.

The mission trip was made possible thanks to the in-country partnership of the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz. The club provided transportation in the city, lunches at the hospital and interpreters to assist with patient communication.  

Santa Cruz is a vibrant city rich in culture and full of welcoming people.  Operation Walk Virginia surgeons performed 64 joint replacements on 52 patients during the mission trip. In addition, orthopedic surgeons from around Bolivia participated in educational seminars and operated alongside surgeons from The United States.