Patients with common health conditions, such as heart disease or cancer, are used to long-term management and follow-up care that can last for years. Patients with orthopedic injuries experience something different.

“What I like about treating orthopedic injuries is that people can recover and get better,” says Charles Paik, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Adventist Bolingbrook, Adventist Hinsdale and Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospitals.

On a medical mission
It’s that desire to help people in pain that initiated Dr. Paik to take his first medical mission trip with Adventist Midwest Health. Each year, a medical team from Adventist Midwest Health travels abroad to care for people in need. “We treated people who walked around with pain for years and provided our expertise on chronic disease management,” explains Dr. Paik.

In their most recent trip to Costa Rica, the team treated patients with muscular skeletal conditions, joint pain and complex diseases. “We treated up to 600 people per day. The amount of relief we were able to provide was astounding,” Dr. Paik says. “It was an amazing contribution to humanity.”

Timely treatments
While working abroad, Dr. Paik saw firsthand how debilitating orthopedic injuries can become if not treated properly. “Early intervention is everything,” he says. “Waiting too long to treat an orthopedic condition can cause pain, stiffness and permanent weakness. The sooner we treat patients, the better the results.”

The mission trip to Costa Rica also gave Dr. Paik a different perspective on how lucky we are to have top-notch medical care right in our own communities. Patients at Adventist Midwest Health have access to a variety of surgical and non-surgical treatments for joint pain, foot conditions and hand problems. For more serious conditions, Adventist Midwest Health also offers 24-hour acute trauma care at each of its four emergency department locations. “With my special training in trauma, I’m also able to treat the most complex fractures and injuries,” Dr. Paik says.

Offering exceptional support, treatments and follow-up care is what the orthopedics programs at Adventist Midwest Health stands for. “We’re all about taking care of people – not just in our own community, but around the globe,” Dr. Paik says.

Living in pain? Let us help you find a physician. No matter if it's your knees, back or hands, we can help you find an experienced physician committed to keeping you healthy. Call 866-533-7968 today.