About Us

Welcome to Operation Walk Maryland

We are a private, not-for-profit, volunteer medical service organization that provides free surgical treatment for patients in developing countries and in the United States. We treat those suffering from disabling arthritis and other debilitating bone and joint conditions. Our mission is to provide free joint replacement surgeries to those without access and to educate local healthcare providers to enhance the delivery of orthopedic care. We provide all care including joint replacement implants at no cost. This is possible through the generous donations of our individual and corporate supporters.

The surgeries we provide are life-changing. We help individuals and communities by “restoring hope through motion… one joint at a time”.

Founders

Dr. Harpal S. Khanuja (Paul)

Dr. Khanuja is the Chief of Adult Reconstruction of Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery at the department of Orthopedic Surgery for Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the Chair or Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Dr. Khanuja first met Dr. Larry Dorr while he was participating in The Knee Society’s John N. Insall Traveling Fellowship in 2006. As a result, Dr. Khanuja and his wife Maria went on their first Operation Walk trip to El Salvador in 2007. After this experience he and Maria decided to establish the Maryland Chapter of Operation Walk.

Maria Khanuja, CRNP

Maria is an adult nurse practitioner working in an urgent care clinic in a Baltimore City neighborhood. She also works as the logistics coordinator for Operation Walk Maryland. After her first Operation Walk trip she realized she was indirectly fulfilling her dream of joining the Peace Corps. Although each trip lasts about a week long, coordination begins months ahead of time.