Yanet Munuz, third from left, stands with Sutter care team, including Dr. Saad Aziz, second from left. Photo courtesy of Sutter Health

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Farmworker Yanet Munoz of Williams got some disappointing news after doing a non-invasive colon cancer test at home: Her test came back positive for cancer and she would need a colonoscopy to confirm a correct diagnosis.

Munoz, a recent widow, had no health insurance or ability to pay for a colonoscopy. However, once alerted to the positive test results, the nonprofit agency Operation Access immediately connected her with Dr. Saad Aziz, a gastroenterologist affiliated with Sutter Health in Yuba City.

Aziz performed a colonoscopy on Munoz at Sutter North Surgery Center in Yuba City and the results showed the at-home test had produced a false-positive.

“When I heard the word 'cancer,' I was frightened,” Munoz said. “But now I feel happy and relieved that the results came back negative.”

Munoz is one of hundreds of patients who were able to access care through Sutter Health's “Gift of Surgery” program. Since 2009, Sutter Health physicians and clinicians and care teams have participated in more than 8,100 surgical procedures and diagnostics services for patients who are uninsured and cannot afford care. The program, which started in the Bay Area, has now come to the Yuba-Sutter region; Munoz's procedure was the first to be performed at Sutter Health in Yuba City.

A Sutter nurse tends to Yanet in her hospital bed. Photo courtesy of Sutter Health

In the first half of this year, Sutter Health performed 224 surgical free procedures and diagnostic services. The not-for-profit health system expects to complete nearly 500 surgeries in total by the end of the year.

“Gift of Surgery is a wonderful program that ensures that patients who may not have access to the care they need, now have a way to get these procedures done in a timely manner,” Aziz said.

“Sutter Health invests deeply in our communities to close healthcare gaps, increase access to care and improve individual and community wellness,” said Kelly Brenk, senior director of Community Health at Sutter. “The 'Gift of Surgery' program is a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when we work with not-for-profit community partners to improve the overall health of our communities.”

More than 100 Sutter Health doctors volunteer their time and expertise to perform outpatient surgeries and procedures, including hernia repairs, colonoscopies, cataract surgeries, knee alignment repair, gall bladder removal and more.

Yanet is on her way home after her successful colonoscopy. Photo courtesy of Sutter Health

“We envision a future where everybody can get the medical care that they need, when they need it, and our partnership with Sutter Health allows us to make that reality come true,” said Ali Balick, Operation Access program director.

Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system dedicated to providing comprehensive care throughout California. Committed to health equity, community partnerships, and innovative, high-quality patient care, Sutter Health is pursuing a bold new plan to reach more people and make excellent healthcare more connected and accessible. Sutter Health currently serves nearly 3.5 million patients and has more than 57,000 employees and clinicians, and 12,000-plus affiliated physicians, with a unified focus on expanding care to serve more patients.

Sutter Health delivers affordable care through its hospitals, medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, telehealth, home health, and hospice services. Learn more about how Sutter Health is transforming healthcare at sutterhealth.org and vitals.sutterhealth.org.