NORFOLK, VA – An Operation Smile Medical Mission team will arrive in Santa Cruz, Bolivia for an international medical mission taking place March 15-23, 2007 to assist children born with facial deformities. The team consists of nearly 50 medical and non-medical volunteers from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela. Founded in 1982, Operation Smile is a worldwide children’s medical charity dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults.
Who: An Operation Smile International Mission Team comprised of 35-40 credentialed medical professionals from 7 countries to include:
Dr. Moises Fernandez, plastic surgeon from Bolivia
Dr. Carlos Mier, anesthesiologist from Bolivia
Sharon Soloveoff, R.N., C.N.O.R, R.N.F.A., operating room nurse from California
Josephine Breitwieser, medical records specialist from Florida
When: March 15-23, 2007
Where: Hospital Japones
Santa Cruz, Bolivia
On Saturday, March 17, Operation Smile will hold a medical education conference for in-country plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses to develop their knowledge and skills for treating cleft lip and cleft palate patients. This conference will also increase awareness of Operation Smile programs and activities and expand its network of volunteers in Bolivia. In addition, plastic surgeon and Operation Smile’s Senior Manager of Education Dr. Luis Bermudez will serve as an educator on this mission at one of the operating tables, providing the opportunity for several in-country plastic surgeons to become credentialed to serve on Operation Smile missions.
This will be the ninth Operation Smile mission to Bolivia, which became an Operation Smile partner country in 1999. In addition to Santa Cruz, Operation Smile has also conducted medical missions to Cochobamba. Since its first international mission in 1999, Operation Smile medical volunteers have provided free medical evaluations to more than 2,350 children suffering with facial deformities. More than 1,000 have received free reconstructive surgery.
The last Bolivian mission took place in April 2006, when an Operation Smile international team of 44 medical and non-medical volunteers met with more than 226 children and young adults suffering with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities at Hospital Japones in Santa Cruz. One hundred fifteen patients received free reconstructive surgery. The volunteer team consisted of medical professionals from Colombia, Ecuador, the Philippines, United States, and Venezuela, who worked with their in-country Bolivian counterparts to provide patients with life-changing surgeries.
Bolivia is one of the partner countries participating during Operation Smile’s 25th anniversary year. Operation Smile will commemorate its 25th Anniversary with a year-long, multi-faceted series of initiatives to include the following:
· Global Standards of Care – Operation Smile announces a plan to implement Global Standards of Care for all of its medical programs as a commitment to ensuring that every patient treated by Operation Smile will benefit from the same sophisticated equipment, procedures, and highly trained and credentialed medical staff, no matter where they receive care around the world. All Operation Smile operating rooms will be equipped with the most up-to-date medical and surgical equipment. Additionally, Operation Smile is providing emergency supplies in accordance with the American Heart Association to support pediatric and advanced cardiac life support.
· Comprehensive Care Centers – Operation Smile will open Comprehensive Care Centers in Colombia, Honduras, Morocco, China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Each Center will provide surgical treatment and post-operative follow-up for thousands of additional patients, especially those in remote areas. The Centers will also help train medical volunteers, strengthen local development and fundraising activities and provide on-going administrative support for in-country activities.
· International Forums on Medical Diplomacy – As part of its ongoing effort to create a global humanitarian network to bring healing to the world’s children, Operation Smile will host international forums on medical diplomacy.
· World Journey of Smiles -- The year-long anniversary celebration will culminate in November 2007, with the World Journey of Smiles, 40 simultaneous missions in 25 countries with a goal of treating an estimated 5,000 children living with facial deformities.
About Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org)
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is a worldwide children’s medical charity dedicated to helping improve the health and lives of children and young adults. Since its founding, Operation Smile has treated more than 100,000 children with facial deformities and provided education and training to physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world. In addition to contributing free medical treatment for children born with facial deformities, Operation Smile trains local medical professionals in its 25 partner countries and leaves behind crucial equipment to lay the groundwork for long-term self-sufficiency. Partners include: Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gaza Strip/West Bank, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Operation Smile has been distinguished by many prestigious awards, including the first $1 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to recognize outstanding contributions made to alleviate human suffering.
