Dave M. Atkins, M.D., FAAOS, recently received American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Humanitarian Award at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedics Surgeons.
The Humanitarian Award honors Academy members who have committed themselves to musculoskeletal-related humanitarian activities in the United States or abroad.
Atkins was recognized for over 25 years of humanitarian efforts in serving underserved communities and people in need.
“My first position after residency was in Transkei, a homeland of apartheid South Africa,” he said. “It was so rewarding to help indigent patients who were denied basic civil rights. At some point I had an epiphany, and I knew that I would always want to work in service to vulnerable populations.”
Atkins is director of Operation Rainbow, an organization dedicated to performing free orthopedic surgery for indigent children and young adults in developing countries where medical procedures are not always available.
Operation Rainbow has served over 17,000 children and provided more than $85 million in aid. Atkins has led more than 60 surgical missions to Central and South America, Haiti, and the Philippines. Besides providing life-changing pediatric orthopedic services, he has also helped create 25 arthroscopy centers in different cities in host countries.
Atkins humanitarian efforts are also felt in the United States. He is the only private practice orthopedic surgeon who works daily with the underserved communities of Southeast San Francisco. There his patients are primarily Hispanic and African American.
He does pro-bono house calls and donates free orthopedic equipment whenever possible.
“Dr. Atkin’s commitment to grassroots social justice in our San Francisco communities and humanitarian work abroad is extraordinary,” his colleague Leonard Gordon, M.D., FAAOS, said.
“He dedicates each day of his life, at significant personal sacrifice, to lifting up those who are so often forgotten.”
Atkins also worked together with other physicians to save St. Luke’s Hospital, a critical safety-net hospital in San Francisco, when it was slated for closure. Through their efforts it was made a part of California Pacific Medical Center, a part of not-for-profit Sutter Health. Then in 2018, the hospital was rebuilt and renamed CPMC Mission Bernal campus. It includes a $538 million hospital that serves the southeast communities of South Francisco.
He is also serves on the boards of several San Francisco Bay area community youth mentoring and educational programs including the MeWater Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers day and overnight surf camps to youth, families, and groups. The camps offer a mental health approach to mindfulness and empowerment as well as exposure to the ocean and nature.
Atkins also likes to mentor both local and international students and doctors to inspire them to do humanitarian work of their own.
“He shares a life philosophy in support of social justice with each new generation of doctors, revealing the power of philanthropy to these principled young men and women and showing them, by example, that one can fulfill the noble desire to help those in need and still manage the pragmatic side of responsibility providing for one’s family, Gordon added.
“I am honored to receive this award, Atkins said. “I am proud to be a member of the AAOS and to stand by my colleagues as we seek diversity and inclusivity in our ranks and social equity for our patients.”
