Global Smile Foundation
 | This article contains promotional content. (February 2024) |
 | |
| Founder | Usama Hamdan |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Website | gsmile |
Global Smile Foundation (GSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S.[1] As stated on their website, their mission is to provide comprehensive cleft care for patients in underserved areas throughout the world and to advance the level of cleft care provided globally. In addition to providing surgery and comprehensive care for cleft lip and/or palate, they provide education and training for cleft providers outside of the U.S.
GSF provides humanitarian cleft care services during annual outreach medical programs. They lead teams of medical volunteers who provide comprehensive cleft care for patients. GSF also provides training and education to local providers during outreach medical programs.
Comprehensive Cleft Care
In the United States, cleft care is a multi-disciplinary treatment protocol that starts before birth and goes into adulthood. A comprehensive, or integrated, approach to care brings together all of the associated specialties:
- Pre-surgical dental orthopedics
- Feeding and nutrition counseling
- Reconstructive surgeries
- Dental and orthodontic treatment
- Speech therapy
- Psychosocial support
Outreach Medical Programs
Global Smile Foundation has active outreach medical program sites in:
- San Salvador, El Salvador at the Benjamin Bloom Hospital in collaboration with the cleft team
- Guayaquil, Ecuador at the Leon Becerra Hospital
- Trujillo, Peru at the Hospital Virgen de la Puerta in collaboration with EsSalud
- Beirut, Lebanon at Bikhazi Medical Group (BMG) Hospital
History
Global Smile Foundation was co-founded in 2008 by Dr. Usama Hamdan, a plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, and a group of colleagues.[2] GSF provides gives cleft care (for cleft lip and cleft palate) to underserved communities in low- to middle-income countries.[3]
In 2012, Global Smile Foundation established a sister organization, Fundacion Global Smile-Ecuador, to facilitate outreach programs in Ecuador.[4] This Organization is run by volunteers within the country.
In 2014, GSF and Fundacion Global Smile-Ecuador launched a Cleft Care Center at Hospital Leon Becerra in Guayaquil, Ecuador to provide year-round care for patients.
Also in 2014, GSF established Global Smile Foundation MENA to facilitate outreach medical programs in Beirut, Lebanon.
Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshops
The Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshop (CCCW), founded by Dr. Usama Hamdan and Global Smile Foundation, provides training and education for cleft providers, and is focused on building capacity in low- to middle-income countries. The goal is for CCCW attendees to acquire the skills necessary to create sustainable cleft care capacity where they live and work.
The CCCW is taught by experienced and well-known cleft and craniofacial specialists. The workshop is structured to offer lectures, round table discussions, and hands-on simulation sessions. The educational approach is based on comprehensive cleft care and the curriculum integrates the different fields involved in comprehensive cleft care.
The first CCCW took place in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2018 and the latest was held in Barcelona, Spain, in 2023. [5]
References
- ^ "Global Smile". Boston Globe.
- ^ "Le consul du Liban à N.Y. : Priorité à la qualité et la rapidité de nos services". L'Orient-Le Jour. May 30, 2014.
- ^ "EsSalud | Más de 4 mil niños con deformaciones faciales volvieron a sonreír en Trujillo rmmn | PERU". Correo. May 27, 2022.
- ^ Swanson, Jordan W. (2021). Global Cleft Care in Low-Resource Settings. Springer Nature. p. 550. ISBN 9783030591052.
- ^ https://cleftworkshop.org/past-workshops/
Further reading
- Sustainable Cleft Care: A Comprehensive Model Based on the Global Smile Foundation Experience