FOCOS hosts two US Medical Volunteers
FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital is hosting Dr. Benjamin Bjerke a Spine Surgeon and Nick Winfrey a Spinal Sales Rep at Medtronic Spine & Biologics in USA for an 11-day clinic.
Dr. Bjerke, who is visiting the hospital for the third time is currently here as an attending Surgeon, seeing patients with spine related conditions. Also visiting is Nick Winfrey, who is visiting FOCOS for the first time, is to be seeing some pediatric scoliosis patients and assist with their surgeries. Prior to his position at Medtronic, he was a surgical technologist/assistant for 9 years.
Commenting on his visit, Dr. Bjerke said, “I have known FOCOS for about 5 years and the amount of work done by putting these kids together from all across Africa is amazing and it is great to see it grow and take shape for what it is today”.
He further explained that, “The deformities and surgeries I am seeing here I wouldn’t have seen in an entire career in the United States. These level of deformities are unparalleled and such cases don’t come up in the United States and so treating this here makes it easier for me to treat the cases back home”.
“It will be an incredible privilege to witness firsthand the wonderful work done here, and to be touched by the many lives changed. This organization does tremendous work, and I am forever grateful to have had a chance to serve the community here. I am truly blessed by my experience here,” Nick Winfrey added.
Dr. Bjerke graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI and further pursued a Master of Science degree in Organic Chemistry at UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Los Angeles, CA. He obtained his Medical Degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and trained as a Resident Physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY.
Dr. Bjerke did a Combined Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery Spine Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon with Boulder Centre for Orthopedics in Boulder, Colorado with a focus on minimally invasive and motion-preserving spinal surgery.
They are scheduled to leave on Wednesday 18th of July, 2018 when their clinic will end. The FOCOS team appreciates their expertise and support to enhance the quality of service delivered at our facility.
