Operation Smile Medical Mission to Take Place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, From March 15-23, 2007

An Operation Smile Medical Mission team will arrive in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for an international medical mission taking place March 15-23, 2007 to assist children born with facial deformities.  The team consists of more than 40 medical and non-medical volunteers from Cambodia, Canada, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.  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.

Dr. Andrew Wexler, Plastic Surgeon for Southern California Kaiser Permanente

Dr. Ben Hu, Anesthesiologist for Mills Peninsula Hospital in California

Dr. Alice Smith, Speech Pathology Professor at University of Iowa

Dr. Mok Theavy, Program Director for Operation Smile Cambodia

Mr. Chan Chok Choy, Operation Smile Cambodia Chairman of the Board

 

When:              March 15-23, 2007

 

Where:             Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital

 

During the mission in Phnom Penh, Cambodian volunteers will complete a biomedical training program conducted by an Operation Smile biomedical technician volunteer from South Africa. The program will train the volunteers techniques in setting up, testing and maintaining the state-of-the-art medical equipment that Operation Smile is supplying each of its partner countries.  This is a major step toward reaching Operation Smile’s goal of having one person trained in biomedical technology in each of its partner countries.  The program is part of Operation Smile’s ongoing commitment to provide education and training to physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world to promote long-term self-sufficiency.

This is Operation Smile’s fifth mission to Phnom Penh.  Operation Smile’s work in Cambodia began in 2002 at the invitation of His Excellency Dr. Hong Sun Huot, Member of Parliament, Senior Minister and Minister of Health. Since that time, Operation Smile volunteers have provided more than 1,600 children with free medical evaluations and more nearly 700 have received life-changing surgery during international medical missions. 

The most recent mission took place in March 2006 when an international team of approximately 40 medical and non-medical Operation Smile volunteers visited Preah Bat Norodom Sihanouk Hospital, providing free medical evaluations to 351 and surgery to 133 children and young adults who wanted the chance at a normal life. The Operation Smile international mission team included volunteers from Brazil, Canada, China, the Philippines, the United States and Venezuela, including plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a pediatrician, a dentist, speech pathologist, and child life therapist, who worked with Cambodian medical volunteers to conduct evaluations and repaid cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities.

Cambodia will be 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