Uninsured patients receive surgeries on 2nd annual Hand Day

October 30, 2024

Contact:
David Brown
Sanford Health Media Relations
(605) 366-2432 / david.brown@sanfordhealth.org

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For the second straight year, Sanford Health has provided free hand surgeries to a select group of uninsured patients. On Friday, October 18, Sanford orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Hao Li, along with an advanced team of providers and nurses, performed nine free procedures for seven patients. This is an increase from the first Hand Day in 2023 where four patients were assisted.

“It’s heartwarming to know we can provide help to patients that need it the most,” said Dr. Li. “Hand pain is something most people do not have to think about, so to assist a group who otherwise might not have the resources to take care of the issue, makes me grateful for the team we have here at Sanford Health.”

Due to the success of the first two Hand Days, Sanford Health is hoping to continue providing this event on an annual basis.

Hand Day was held in cooperation with the organization, Touching Hands. Touching Hands is an American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) program funded by the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand. Touching Hands provides life-changing hand surgeries, rehabilitation and medical training in the world’s underserved communities. Its U.S. missions, called “Hand Days,” take place at the facilities of hand surgeon members of the ASSH. During these one-day missions, volunteers are able to provide free care to residents of their own community.

For more information about Sanford Health, visit SanfordHealth.org.

About Sanford Health

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves more than one million patients and 201,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 46 medical centers, 2,800 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 170 clinical investigators and research scientists, 186 Good Samaritan Society senior living centers and world clinics in nine countries around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.

###