Making a global impact: Orthopedic surgery team brings life-changing care to Kenya

Improving the lives of others is at the heart of healthcare. While our physicians and healthcare providers make a significant impact in the communities where they work, sometimes they’re given the opportunity to travel further afield. By taking their skills abroad, they’re changing lives on the other side of the world.

Stephen Mathew, MD, is an orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Institute – Waxahachie. As part of the Christian organization Samaritan's Purse and its medical branch, World Medical Mission, Dr. Mathew joins a network of healthcare professionals in hundreds of hospitals worldwide.

Together with a team of medical experts, Dr. Mathew has focused on collaborating with the orthopedic surgery program at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, visiting four times in the past eight years.

During the mission trips, Dr. Mathew and the team use their expertise to care for patients with serious injuries and help train local Kenyan surgeons in tools and techniques that will empower them to better care for their community.

While the mission trips are undoubtedly life-changing for the patients they treat, they’re equally life-changing for the US team.

Life in a Kenyan hospital

In 2023, Brenna Gardell, MPA, PA-C, who works alongside Dr. Mathew in Waxahachie, joined him on the trip.

"Dr. Mathew and I work together, and he mentioned the medical missions a few years ago. I told him, 'If you ever need a physician assistant for one, I would love to go,'" she said.

For Brenna, the contrast between the two healthcare settings was most apparent in the severity of injuries she encountered in Kenya.

"You're seeing people who are traveling far distances and are severely injured,” she said. “The number and severity of injuries were a lot higher in Tenwek."

While all healthcare sectors are covered by the World Medical Mission organization, orthopedic trauma is a priority due to the higher burden.

"Most third-world countries need significant orthopedic trauma care as a result of a lot of a combination of motorcycle accidents, poor road safety, and limited personal protective equipment,” Dr. Mathew said. “Tenwek Hospital is actually busier than a lot of our level-one trauma centers in this country."

Making a difference in the community

What sets this program apart is its emphasis on sustainable impact. In addition to performing life-changing surgeries for individuals, Dr. Mathew and the team of healthcare professionals also focus on training local surgeons and residents in advanced surgical techniques.

"Over the last five years, our goal has been to really build up the elective sports medicine and shoulder program," Dr. Mathew said. "If I can train someone who then trains others, we're talking about a multiplier effect of really making a difference in the community, the country, and the entire region. The surgeons who are trained at this hospital go out to serve in many of the surrounding countries."

This approach ensures a long-lasting impact that extends far beyond the mission trip itself.

Dr. Mathew's experiences have been eye-opening, challenging preconceptions about medical practices in developing countries.

"With the advancement of the internet and surgical instructional videos, a lot of the surgeons over there, knowledge-wise, are on par with a lot of providers in the United States," he said. "They just lack the resources we have."

He credits the ingenuity of local surgeons who often have to come up with solutions using limited means.

"For certain surgeries that we always use X-rays for in the US, the Kenyan physicians can do without them—simply due to their volume, they don't have that luxury all the time," Dr. Mathew said, highlighting the skill and adaptability of the healthcare teams in Tenwek.

A team approach to orthopedic care

Brenna’s role as a physician assistant (PA) in Kenya was not only valuable to the medical team on-site but also highlighted the importance of PAs in global healthcare settings, even in places where the role is not yet fully recognized.

Dr. Mathew emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to these missions.

"It's not just doctors who are needed," he said. "We need advanced practitioners, nurses and physical therapists—orthopedics requires a whole team of people."

While the focus of the trip was on medical work, Brenna did have an opportunity to experience Kenyan culture.

"We spent most of our time in the hospital, but on our last night, we went out to eat with the residents, and we even managed to go on a brief safari," she said.

The mission trips have been a two-way street of learning and collaboration. Dr. Mathew not only teaches advanced surgical techniques but also learns alternative approaches from the local team. This exchange of knowledge has led to innovative solutions that benefit patients both in Kenya and back in the US.

The visiting healthcare team also covered several on-call shifts for the local physicians so they could enjoy some well-earned rest.

An ongoing partnership between Kenya and the United States

Looking ahead, Dr. Mathew and his team plan to educate Kenyan physicians on shoulder replacement surgery, a procedure currently unavailable in the country. In the past few months, they have had a visiting surgeon come here to learn some advanced techniques. They also hope to host a seminar for surgeons in Kenya who can then go on to perform these complex surgeries across Africa.

For Brenna, her time in Kenya left a lasting impression. The trip has influenced her daily practice, inspiring her to think more creatively and value the resources available in her home country.

"My experience was incredible, and I would love to go back," she said. "It made me appreciate the options we have here but also encouraged me to think more outside the box in my day-to-day work.”

Through skill-sharing, cultural exchange, and a commitment to education, this work is helping to bridge the gap in orthopedic care between nations, bringing renewed hope to the people of Kenya.

From Waxahachie to Kenya, these team members are living out their calling to care for others. You, too, can find your calling. Join the Baylor Scott & White team today.

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