FAQs

Why was Operation Access created?
Operation Access was formed by two surgeons in 1993 in response to the inability of the uninsured to gain access to necessary surgical care, impairing their quality of life and ability to function. Through Operation Access, surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists collaborate in partnership with community clinicians and hospital facilities to donate care to those most in need, before emergencies develop. To read more about our history, click here.

What is the most common procedure?
The most common surgery is hernia repair, followed by a wide variety of specialty procedures. For a complete listing, click here.

How do clients get referred?
A client is referred to Operation Access by a physician or nurse practitioner, usually working at a community clinic. Operation Access then conducts an eligibility screening process by phone with each client. If eligible, the client is referred to a participating surgeon at one of our participating hospitals to be scheduled for consultation and surgery. For more information on the referral process, click here.

How soon will a client to be referred to a surgeon for consult?
The average wait is between two to three months, depending on the surgical sub-specialty required and the capacity of participating volunteers and hospitals in the patient’s community.

How are the services free?
All services are donated. Participating hospitals waive all charges, including operating room time and surgical supplies. Professional medical staff, including physicians, anesthesiologists, operating room nurses and technicians, and recovery nurses donate their time and skills.

How is the program funded?
Operation Access relies entirely on private grants and contributions to meet its budget. In 2005, foundations and corporations provided 74% of all operating support, with the remainder coming from an all-giving Board and increasing levels of individual donations. Click for more information on major funders and making a donation.

How does Operation Access evaluate its program?
Operation Access has a Program Committee that has established policies and procedures for referrals, case management, and outcome documentation. In addition, Operation Access conducts ongoing written surveys of its clients, medical volunteers, and referring clinicians to gather qualitative data on the program. For more information on survey results and the impact of Operation Access, click here.

Do similar organizations exist in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Primary care volunteer programs exist in the Bay Area, but Operation Access is unique in coordinating donated surgical care for a wide variety of specialty procedures. Many physicians donate services to the uninsured, but lack a means to secure and coordinate donated services from the other partners necessary to provide surgery: hospitals, anesthesia, pathology, pharmacy, and interpretive services; services that are provided through Operation Access. According to co-founder Dr. William Schecter, prior to the establishment of Operation Access, “… it was easier for doctors to go to Guatemala or Southeast Asia to provide free surgical services to the needy than in their own hometowns.”

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