Newswise — DENVER – April 2014 – Colorado Joint Replacement (CJR) physicians Douglas Dennis, M.D., Bryan Haas, M.D., and Charlie Yang, M.D., lead a team of surgeons, nurses, therapists and other professionals April 3 – 8 on Operation Walk’s first ever trip to Honduras to conduct hip and knee replacement surgeries on patients in need.

The medical team, comprised of 58 people from around the U.S., are traveling to San Pedro Sula on a volunteer basis to set up and run a temporary surgery camp in the country’s second-largest city.

“There is so much tremendous need there,” Dr. Dennis said in advance of the trip. “We all want to share our skills to help people in extreme pain who will never be helped otherwise.”

Inspired by a mission trip to Nicaragua, Dr. Dennis started Operation Walk Denver in 2003 as part of Operation Walk, a global health campaign that provides free surgical treatments for patients in developing countries. Since its inception, Operation Walk Denver has sent highly trained health care professionals to countries such as Panama and Nicaragua at least twice annually, having helped hundreds of people regain their mobility. In addition to performing the surgical procedures, Operation Walk educates local orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and other health care professionals on the most advanced treatment for hip- and knee- joint diseases.

In February 2014, Dr. Dennis and his CJR colleague, Dr. Raymond Kim, were named to Orthopedics This Week’ s “Top 22 North American Knee Surgeons” list, compiled from a survey of the specialty’s thought leaders across the continent. The two are the only Colorado-based surgeons to be recognized on this list. Dr. Kim has also undertaken medical mission work, having traveled to North Korea to perform knee and hip replacements on people in need.

CJR is internationally recognized for its unmatched quality in orthopedic procedures and research. Performing more than 1,500 joint replacements each year, CJR’s award winning surgeons are known for their surgical expertise as well as their joint replacement research and medical-device development.

For more information on Operation Walk Denver, visit www.opwalkdenver.org. To learn more about the surgeons and services at CJR, visit www.coloradojoint.com.

About Porter Adventist HospitalPorter Adventist Hospital is a full service, Nursing Magnet® designated, 368-bed acute-care referral center for complex medicine and surgery patients. Porter specializes in cancer care, joint replacement, heart and vascular procedures, spinal surgery, advanced robotic surgery and organ transplants. Porter is sponsored by Adventist Health System and is part of Centura Health, the region’s largest hospital and health care network. For more information on Porter Adventist Hospital, visit www.porterhospital.org or follow the hospital on Twitter @PorterHospital or www.facebook.com/PorterAdventistHospital.

About Centura HealthCentura Health connects individuals, families and neighborhoods across Colorado and western Kansas with more than 6,000 physicians and 17,000 of the best hearts and minds in health care. Through our 15 hospitals, seven senior living communities, health neighborhoods, physician practices and clinics, home care and hospice services, and Flight For Life® Colorado, we are making the region’s best health care accessible and affordable in every community we serve. We believe you can inspire the people you care about to live healthier lives by encouraging them to do the little things that can make a big difference. We’re Centura Health, and we’re here for your health. For information on Centura Health or any of the facilities in our network, please visit www.centura.org.