Norfolk Doctor Receiving National Attention For Volunteer Program

NORFOLK - A Norfolk doctor is in the national spotlight due to a program that lets patients pay for medical procedures in a unique fashion.

Dr. Demetrio Aguila with Healing Hands of Nebraska is the founder of the M25 program, which allows people to pay for operations with volunteer work. If someone elects to pay for surgery through the program, Aguila gives them a list of non-profit partners they can work with to earn their service hours.

The story has caught the eye of a handful of national media outlets over the last year, as Aguila's story has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC. Aguila says the most unexpected part of the attention has been the number of doctors asking how a similar program could be instituted in their communities.

"One of the things that I've found really surprising is the inquiries from doctors and nurses who want to know how they can do this where they live," Aguila said. "What I'm really hoping to do is inspire other doctors to think outside the box to try and find solutions that fit their community."

"One of the things I often get asked is that if we had nationalized health care we wouldn't need a program like this, but I'm not so sure that's necessarily the case," Aguila said. "The people that have reached out to me are from places like Canada and the UK where they already have nationalized health care, so if nationalized health care were the cure for these concerns, then why would those doctors ask me how they can implement these programs in their country."

Aguila says despite a slight down-tick in patients when the COVID-19 pandemic began, more people are utilizing the M25 program for their procedures. His hope is that he can partner with more nonprofit organizations to give patients more options to volunteer their time.

"As we continue to expand and grow, what I'm hoping for is that other charitable organizations can partner with us and that other health care providers can think outside the box and offer similar solutions to their communities," Aguila said. "That way we can form a network of people that can offer solutions to patients so they can get the care they need without incurring a huge financial burden."