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 nonprofit organization that provides free comprehensive cleft care, including surgery and dental care, for children in the global south, as well as education and training for cleft providers.
Global Smile Foundation is based in Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S.[1] and works with volunteer medical experts from all fields within comprehensive cleft care.
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
The American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association provides resources on the best practices for comprehensive cleft care.
Outreach Medical Programs
Global Smile Foundation has active outreach medical programs in several locations:
- San Salvador, El Salvador at Hospital de Niños Benjamin Bloom in collaboration with their cleft team.
- Guayaquil, Ecuador at Hospital León Becerra de Guayaquil
- Trujillo, Peru at Hospital Virgen de la Puerta, which is managed by EsSalud
- Beirut, Lebanon at Bikhazi Medical Group
Since 2008, they have also conducted outreach programs in Brazil, Burkina Faso, Guatemala, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, and Senegal.
History
Global Smile Foundation was co-founded in 2008 by Dr. Usama Hamdan, a plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist, and other volunteers.[2] They began to conduct outreach programs to provide comprehensive cleft care for children born with cleft lip and/or cleft palate living in low-to-middle income countries.[3]
In 2012, Global Smile Foundation established a sister organization, Fundación Global Smile-Ecuador, to facilitate outreach programs in Ecuador.[4] This organization is run by volunteers within the country.
In 2014, GSF and Fundación 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. This organization is run by volunteers.
In 2024, GSF established Global Smile Foundation Peru to support the growth of outreach cleft care programs.
Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshops
The Comprehensive Cleft Care Workshop (CCCW) was founded by Dr. Usama Hamdan and Global Smile Foundation in 2018. This event 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 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