HISTORY

Operation Acces was founded by Dr. Douglas Grey, Chief of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at San Francisco's Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Dr. William Schecter, Chief of Surgery at San Francisco General Hospital, and Dr. Paul Hofmann in response to the inability of the uninsured to gain access to necessary surgical care.

According to Dr. Schecter, prior to the establishment of OA, “ it was easier for doctors to go to Guatemala or Southeast Asia to provide free surgical services to the needy than in their own communities.”

The initial partnership consisted of 15 medical volunteers, 1 hospital, and 7 clinics in San Francisco County. Today, the OA network has grown to include over 550 medical volunteers, 22 participating hospitals, and 60 referring community clinics in 6 Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Sonoma.