Dr. Craig Morrison is an orthopedic surgeon who has been volunteering with Siloam Health for nearly a decade. Amidst his thriving practice at Southern Joint Replacement Institute, he serves at Siloam because he believes it’s important to “provide health care for people who would not otherwise have access to it.”
After volunteering in the clinic at Siloam for a couple of years, Dr. Morrison realized that many more patients needed joint replacements than were able to receive them. So, he called on his professional network to work with him and offer joint replacements to Siloam Health patients. And they said yes!
He shares a story about one of his early patients, saying, “He was Colombian and had been in the country for a while and was working as the breadwinner for the family. He was having trouble working because of his hip issues and couldn’t find a place to get his hip taken care of. That’s the story in a lot of these families - it’s either the primary breadwinner or primary caregiver who needs health care so they can provide what their family needs.”
After a successful surgery, Dr. Morrison goes on to share that “this gentleman has been back to Siloam several times since then, and we always talk about the same things – family, work, etc. To see he’s still doing well and receives continuity of care at Siloam is great, so I can keep up with him. It’s a real relationship.”
Dr. Morrison wants to see other specialists join the work, saying, “To those who are considering volunteering their time, Siloam makes it easy. All you have to do is bring your skillset, which you already have. And don’t be stressed about bringing staff - Siloam staff are knowledgeable and have what you need to get you through your day. If you’re thinking about volunteering, you should already be doing it.”
