An Operation Smile Medical Mission team will arrive in Guadalajara, Mexico for an international medical mission taking place October 4-12, 2007 to assist children born with facial deformities. The team consists of more than 40 medical and non-medical volunteers from Bolivia, Canada, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, the 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: Operation Smile International Mission Teams comprised of 35-40 credentialed medical professionals including spokespersons:
Dr. Victor Ledezma, plastic surgeon from Mexico
Dr. Glenn Merritt, anesthesiologist from Colorado
Norrie Oelkers, R.N., clinical coordinator from New Jersey
Kathy Majette, R.N., pre/post-op nurse from Virginia
Laura Trigo, Operation Smile Mexico Executive Director
Ruben Ayala, Operation Smile Mexico Program Coordinator
Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos, Operation Smile Mexico Medical Director
Ernesto Iñiguez, President of the Operation Smile Mexico Board of Directors
When: October 4-12, 2007
Where: Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
In September 2006, an international team of medical and non-medical volunteers from Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, the United States and Venezuela worked together at the Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of Jalisco to care for children and young adults suffering with facial deformities. The 35 member team consisting of plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, a dentist, speech pathologist and others, provided 214 free medical evaluations and 90 surgeries to children who wanted the chance at a normal life. Operation Smile conducted a Medical Education Mission to Guadalajara, Mexico, in October 2005. Dr. Jose Guerrerosantos hosted the team at his Institute for Reconstructive Plastic Surgery of Jalisco. During the first two days, medical volunteers provided free medical evaluations to 65 patients suffering with cleft lips and cleft palates. For three days, surgeons operated on 48 children, while approximately 30 in-country medical volunteers participated and exchanged knowledge with the visiting physicians.
Mexico 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 – The Global Standards of Care include a rigorous credentialing process and a standardization of medical supplies and equipment that will be based on the model of care that Operation Smile has perfected in 25 years of performing cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries. State-of-the-art equipment valued at $3.6 million will be provided to partner countries to ensure 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. Additionally, Operation Smile is providing emergency supplies in accordance with American Heart Association guidelines for pediatric and advanced cardiac life support.
• Comprehensive Care Centers – Following openings in Vietnam, Colombia, and Honduras, Operation Smile will open additional Comprehensive Care Centers in Morocco, China, India and the Philippines. 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, World Journey of Smiles will take place from November 6-16, 2007. To prepare for that initiative, plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists from 22 of those countries met earlier this year at Operation Smile’s world headquarters in Norfolk, Va., to set global standards of care.
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.
