Staff at Hospital Fructuoso unload cargo in preparation for OpWalk LA's arrival

As we publish, our Operation Walk Los Angeles team is on our eleventh mission in Havana, Cuba. Dr. Roberto Balmaseda has been an integral part of our partner hospitals since that first mission in 1997 and continues his dedication to restoring mobility today.

“The Fructuoso Rodríguez Hospital reaffirms its commitment to logistical preparation and the accompaniment of patients in one of the noblest tasks that exist: restoring walking to those who have lost it. It is an honor to receive again those who, for 29 years, have come to Cuba with an open heart and a vocation to serve.

This is not a return, but the continuity of a work started in 1996 by Dr. Dorr, Jeri Ward, RN, and Mary Ellen Sieben, RN, who, even in adverse weather conditions and moments of scarcity, have never stopped being present. Thanks to their delivery, more than 500 patients have regained hope and mobility.

To you, our eternal allies in this humanitarian feat, we will always be grateful. His work not only transforms lives but inspires generations.”

Roberto Balmaseda MD

General Director

Fructuoso Rodríguez Teaching Orthopedic Hospital

Team leaders Lisa Fujimoto, PA, Stacy Kelso, and Julie Anderson, RN unloading cargo with Dr. Roberto Balmaseda and his team 

Kyle Baldwin DPT with Dr. Lawrence Dorr and Dr. Alfredo Ceballos, Cuba 1997

Kyle Baldwin, DPT, has volunteered with Operation Walk Los Angeles since its first mission in 1997. He has helped hundreds of patients navigate recovery after joint replacement and trained physical therapists both in the United States and in our host countries. Thank you, Dr. Baldwin, for your dedication and heart.

“I started working at USC as a physical therapist in 1992, a month before Dr. Dorr’s arrival, and began working with him and his total joint replacement team right away. I was personally and professionally dedicated to our program from the beginning at USC, so it seemed like a natural fit to be invited on that first mission to Cuba.

The experience was everything I thought it would be. At USC, we had a high standard that was patient-focused and outcome-driven. We were also used to working with high volumes of surgical patients in a teaching environment. 

I’ve always felt that our team is patient-focused. The last patient of the day deserves the same intensity and care as the first. Dr. Dorr and the team never wavered from this work ethic, and I carry this same effort in my practice every day. Taking care of patients is a great responsibility but incredibly rewarding.

The reason that keeps me volunteering is the sense of pride and accomplishment upon my return from a mission. It’s normal to take movement and mobility for granted until you lose or struggle with it. I learned that a surgery on one patient can have not only a profound positive effect on them but also on their family and community. Hip and knee replacement surgery truly resets the "I'm Living Again" button. 

This will be my 11th mission, but I’ve not been back to Cuba since the inaugural trip. I’m looking forward to working with my teammates, meeting my Cuban colleagues, taking care of patients, making new friends, and seeing Dr. Dorr's tree that he planted in 1997. I hope to puff on a cigar and give a big rum toast to my friends and mentors....Jeri Ward, RN and Larry Dorr, MD.” 

Fight on!

Kyle Baldwin DPT

Long-time volunteers and OpWalk donors Kyle and Ava Baldwin always step up to the plate when they’re needed most. Owners of Center for Physical Therapy in Long Beach, they tapped into their local community's generosity to help support our upcoming mission to Havana, Cuba.

Donations of funds, Dodger gear, toiletries, foundation garments, and more will help our patients during their recovery from joint replacement surgery.

Many thanks to the Baldwins and their PT community for knocking it out of the park!

Brian Marshall and Kate Baldwin unload Zimmer Biomet implants in preparation for surgery. Tanzania 2023

Operation Walk would like to thank Zimmer Biomet for its 29-year partnership with our organization. Zimmer Biomet has been with us since our first mission in 1997 and has set the industry standard for medical mission implant donations. Thank you for being a part of our team and helping to restore mobility around the world.

“Zimmer Biomet has been supporting the medical mission work of Operation Walk since its inception in 1996. We have donated hip and knee implants to thousands of patients, free of charge, in more than 30 different countries. Zimmer Biomet donates to more than 30 medical missions per year and is the key driver behind our corporate responsibility and equal opportunity philosophy as an orthopedic industry leader.”

Brian Marshall

Vice President of Sales

Zimmer Biomet California

Keep an eye on your in-box and our social media pages for an exciting announcement coming your way on Monday, November 10th. We’re looking forward to sharing the destination of our next partner hospital and the opportunity to double your donation to help us in our mission to restore mobility!

Matt Holsbeke RN with Dr. Dorr in Honduras in 2017

"In 2002, I made a choice to embark on an adventure with Operation Walk to El Salvador. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I trusted and embraced the people of the organization, and now 23 years later, I still get excited about being asked to participate in Op Walk Mission Trips. This experience gave me a new and different perspective on life and how I define myself. 

One of the most important things I have learned from Op Walk is that giving is far greater than receiving. That despite prestige, money, education, or possessions, we are all sewn from the same cloth, and come from a common thread… we are human and are created equal. And as human beings, it is our duty to care for each other and give from the heart."


-Matt Holsbeke, RN

Over the years, Operation Walk has had hundreds of dedicated volunteers give of their time, talents, and heart to make us into the organization we are today.

In preparation for our 30th Anniversary, tell us your story. We’d love for you to share a memory from a past mission, packing party, or gala. Let us know when and where you volunteered and how the experience has made an impact on you and/or your community.

All submissions will be featured in an upcoming newsletter as well as at our 30th Anniversary Gala next May.

Send submissions to Cami Ward at cami@operationwalk.org. Thank you for helping us tell the OpWalk story and how joint replacement surgery changes lives!