Operation Rainbow is thrilled to announce that board member and surgeon team leader, Dave Atkin, MD, is this year’s recipient of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Humanitarian Award.
The Humanitarian Award honors members of the AAOS who have distinguished themselves through outstanding musculoskeletal-related humanitarian activities in the United States or abroad. Dr. Atkin was recognized for over 25 years of humanitarian efforts with a steadfast commitment and dedication to serving underserved communities and people in need.
Dr. Atkin was presented with this award on September 2nd at the AAOS annual meeting in San Diego. After a video was presented show-casing his work, Dave delivered an inspired speech calling for diversity and inclusivity in the AAOS ranks and social and global equity for all patients.
Dr. Atkin has served as Operation Rainbow’s board for the past 25 years and has led more than 60 surgical missions to Central and South America, Haiti, and the Philippines. This award recognizes Dr. Atkin’s unwavering commitment to Operation Rainbow and to his international and domestic humanitarian efforts.
While many of you know Dr. Atkin’s incredible dedication Operation Rainbow, Dr. Atkin remains equally dedicated to serving people in need in the United States. Dr. Atkin is the only private practice orthopaedic surgeon working within the underserved communities of Southeast San Francisco, where his patients are primarily Latin and African American. Dr. Atkin also devotes time mentoring local and international students and doctors to introduce them to humanitarian work and inspire them to make such work a part of their lives. In addition, Dr. Atkin is the founding board member of MeWater, an organization designed to inspire at-risk youth and their families via an introduction to nature.
We are proud to announce that Dr. Atkin is the fourth Operation Rainbow surgeon to have received this prestigious award. Dr. Atkins joins Richard Coughlin, MD (2006), Taylor Smith, MD, (2011), and Richard Gosselin, MD, (2016) as award winners.
The past and the future are very bright at Operation Rainbow!
We hope you will take the time to view this short video highlighting Dr. Atkin’s work. It is his leadership that inspires our team of volunteers!
Please join us in celebrating Dr. Atkin!
Best,
Operation Rainbow