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OPERATION SMILE STRATEGIC PROGRAMS

Operation Smile understands the consequences of living life with a cleft condition and the dramatic difference it can make to receive this intervention earlier in life as a child. While we are capable of addressing the new caseload of patients each year in many of our mission and care center-based locations, these efforts are not capable of providing care for the backlog of patients who need surgery. We will implement prevalence studies to determine the unmet need of surgical care, utilize national registries to schedule patients for care, and will deploy large-scale missions and surgical programs to eradicate this backlog. We are devoted to expanding resources over the next five years to eradicate the patient backlog.

ERADICATION OF THE PATIENT BACKLOG

Only 4% of an estimated 234 million surgical procedures performed each year go to the poorest third of the global population.

medical professionals so they can provide treatment within their own communities and share their expertise. Through the continued support of local health systems, our objective is to mitigate financial, social and geographic obstacles, such as transportation costs and lodging expenses, which hinder a patient’s ability to seek care.

Operation Smile has the expertise to create a lasting impact for the patients it serves and influence global healthcare. By taking a patient-centric approach, we’re focusing on three key areas to increase access to patient care in resource-poor environments over the next five years.

Since 1982, we have worked to improve the global availability of equipment and supplies, as well as deliver hands-on training and educational programs for local

“Operation Smile recognizes the implications of this on patients and the critical need to address the barriers that prevent someone from receiving surgery.”

SUSTAINED ACTIVITYOperation Smile mobilizes thousands of credentialed medical volunteers to provide effective treatment programs around the world. For more than 30 years, this work has demonstrated that the organization is adept at leveraging core competencies to provide care for the most marginalized patients. Expanded resources will ensure these efforts continue to restore hope for the life of our patients worldwide.

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INCREASING SURGICAL CAPACITYAs leaders in the provision of surgery in resource-poor environments, we understand that a focus solely on cleft will create an unbalanced health system for the communities and patients we serve. With our strong medical volunteer network and stringent focus on safety through our Global Standards of Care, Operation Smile is well-positioned to increase the surgical capacities for the countries in which we work. Through training and education programs, partnering with local hospitals, governments, and Ministries of Health, and through expanding our focus beyond cleft, more local medical professionals will be able to provide critical, life-changing surgeries to patients who have the most need, elevating the surgical capacities of countries on a global scale.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

PROGRAMMATIC HIGHLIGHTS

Eradication of the Patient Backlog Prevalence studies to determine unmet need and understand the backlog; implementation of national registries to schedule care; deployment of large-scale medical missions and surgical programs

Increasing Surgical Capacity Deployment of surgical programs, logistics and supplies, global network of medical volunteers, education and training; development of partnerships with local hospitals, governments and Ministries of Health

Sustained Activity Continued deployment of Global Standards of Care and support of surgical missions and supplies