Lexington , Kentucky ( CNN ) -- In the 1950s , when Dr. Andy Moore 's father was the first plastic surgeon in town , many residents did n't have health insurance . But Dr. Andrew Moore Sr. believed that medicine was about service . `` He would accept all kinds of things in payment . People would bring chickens or a bushel of apples or a piece of furniture that they 'd made , '' his son recalled . `` He wanted them to be able to maintain their dignity . '' Moore says he inherited his father 's conviction , as well as his love of medicine . Moore , who shares a plastic surgery practice with two of his four brothers , started a program that provides outpatient surgical care to Kentucky 's uninsured -- for free . On the third Sunday of each month , Surgery on Sunday opens its doors at the Lexington Surgery Center . Since 2005 , when Moore persuaded a hospital to donate space and recruited volunteer staff members from across the state , SOS has treated more than 3,100 patients . `` In this economic time , the people that need this are our friends , neighbors and family , '' said Moore , 61 , a Lexington native . `` They ca n't wait till we get some sort of solution from the national government . They need this health care now . '' Volunteers arrive bright and early -- the first surgery is at 7:30 a.m. -- and leave in the early afternoon . On an average Sunday , the group cares for 25 to 30 patients . Volunteers include anesthesiologists , nurses , receptionists and other surgeons . Most cases are gallbladders , hernias and colonoscopies , although SOS offers a wide range of surgical procedures . Different surgeons perform procedures depending on their specialties . `` The joy for me is not only taking care of the patients but to see my volunteers getting a lot out of what they 're doing , '' Moore said . For the Moores , medicine and service are family traditions . All three surgeon brothers -- Andy , Woody and Michael -- participate in Surgery on Sunday , and their mother is one of the program 's official greeters . Surgery on Sunday clients are the `` working poor '' who do n't qualify for federal programs and ca n't afford insurance . `` It 's our duty to help people that fall between the cracks in the health care system , '' Moore said . `` This is what I went into medicine for . ... It 's about taking care of people and not necessarily expecting something in return for it . '' When he started out as a plastic surgeon 26 years ago , providing free care to patients was simple , Moore says ; it just required a phone call to the hospital . Over time , hospitals agreed to help less and less , and the growth of insurance and computers added to the complexity . But patients still needed treatment . According to the Census Bureau , 46.3 million people in the United States are uninsured . In Kentucky , the fifth poorest state in the nation , 33 percent of working-age adults lack health insurance , according to a University of Cincinnati poll . Moore says he wo n't stop fighting for the uninsured to get the care they deserve . `` Knowing that you 've made a real difference in their lives , at the other end , is the thing that keeps you going , '' he said . Moore hopes to expand the program nationally . In March , the group is starting its first satellite program in Dallas , Texas , which will be operated by local volunteers using a template provided by Moore and SOS . In Lexington , costs are covered by donations and private foundations , and patients are referred to SOS by hospitals and free clinics . People are seen based on the urgency of their medical need , and about 1,500 people are on a waiting list . Michael Weyls had to wait more than a year for his second SOS surgery . A California native , Weyls , 52 , was an avid surfer who worked construction for years . He was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at age 30 and had it removed , but it reappeared 20 years later . At that point , Weyls was uninsured and could n't afford the surgery , so his skin cancer advanced . By the time he first got to SOS in the fall of 2008 , half of his nose had to be removed . The surgery may have saved his life , but it also left Weyls disfigured and in a deep depression . `` My face was tore up . I kind of lost hope , '' Weyls said . `` But Dr. Moore gave me hope . '' A year later , Moore helped reconstruct Weyls ' nose . It took two Moore brothers and four hours of surgery to give Weyls a new start at life . `` What they did is awesome , and I 'm grateful , '' Weyls said . `` It 's a wonderful program . '' Want to get Involved ? Check out the Surgery on Sunday Web site and see how to help .
Surgery on Sunday provides free outpatient surgical care to Kentucky 's uninsured . Score: 6 He and his team of volunteers have treated more than 3,100 patients . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes .