Dr. Rory Lewis, an orthopedic surgeon with Kettering Health Medical Group Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, recently received a HERO Award recognizing his volunteer service in Guyana through the Health and Education Relief Organization (HERO).
Lewis, a Guyana native, has spent the past four years returning to his homeland twice a year with HERO, a nonprofit founded by Guyanese physicians committed to improving healthcare through surgical care, education and mentorship. He has participated in medical mission trips since 2010.
“Going back to Guyana is an amazing feeling, to be able to help pour into a country that poured into me when I was a teenager,” said Lewis, who is based in Troy.
During a recent mission in March, Lewis joined a team of physicians and healthcare professionals that set out to complete 38 adult and pediatric orthopedic surgeries. Procedures included ACL reconstructions, clubfoot repairs, meniscal repairs and labral tear surgeries. The missions also provide opportunities for local healthcare professionals to learn advanced techniques and work alongside experienced specialists.
Founded by Guyanese physicians living in the United States, HERO conducts biannual medical missions focused on expanding access to specialized care while supporting education, mentorship and capacity building within Guyana’s healthcare system. Since 2007, the organization has helped facilitate hundreds of surgeries for patients who otherwise may not have access to specialized treatment.
Lewis said mission work aligns closely with Kettering Health’s mission to live God’s love by promoting and restoring health.
“It really extends the healing ministry of Christ,” Lewis said.
While volunteers travel to provide care for patients, Lewis said the experience often leaves a lasting impact on those serving as well.
“You tend to feel when you go on these mission trips, you go to bring a blessing to these patients,” Lewis said. “But it turns out that you wind up with a blessing.”
Before joining HERO, Lewis participated in mission trips in Zambia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Those experiences reinforced the importance of using his skills to serve others and help patients who otherwise might not have access to specialized care, he said.
Lewis hopes more healthcare professionals will consider using their talents to help others through mission work.
“I think it’s incumbent upon us as medical professionals to give back,” Lewis said. “Give back a little of the gift that the good Lord has placed on us.”
