Orange County is now home to the nation’s first free surgery center dedicated to uninsured and low-income patients. Lestonnac Free Clinic (1215 E. Chapman Ave) held an opening ceremony for its in-house surgery center on May 1, unveiling a 4,000-square-foot facility designed to expand access to critical medical care.
According to an Orange County Register report on May 2, the surgery center will officially begin operations next month. It features two operating rooms and equipment for upper and lower endoscopy procedures, offering free surgeries for non-complex conditions such as cataracts. Lestonnac is the first free clinic in the U.S. to build and operate its own surgical center.
The center is staffed by a volunteer network of more than 300 doctors and nurses from across Orange County and surrounding areas. Edward Gerber, Chief Director of the clinic, said that once fully staffed, the center expects to perform about 30 surgeries per month.
Vicente Sarmiento, Orange County Supervisor, who attended the opening, said, “We know there is significant demand for surgeries. The service that Lestonnac Clinic is providing is truly remarkable.”…