Healing Hands - ReSurge International

Healing
Hands
2009
W I N T E R
N E W S L E T T E R
Disability and the Developing World 1
Transformations Gala 3
Interplast Elects New Board Members 6
Disability and the Developing World
Disabled people are the world’s largest minority, and 80 percent live
in developing countries. More than 650 million people—10 percent
of the world’s population—live with a disability. And in developing
countries, 90 percent of
children with disabilities don’t attend school.
Women and girls with
disabilities are particularly
vulnerable to abuse.
Many disabilities are repairable with reconstructive
plastic surgery. Interplast
was the first international
organization to use reconstructive plastic surgery as
a means of rehabilitating
and reintegrating those
who had been outcasts
because of their disabilities
and disfigurements.
In developing countries, 90 percent of children
with disabilities don’t attend school, according
to UNICEF.
Nearly 200,000 poor children are born with cleft lips and palates
annually. Children with clefts and congenital deformities are often
ostracized from their communities and denied an education simply
because they look or speak differently. More than 6 million people
in the developing world each year suffer severe burn injuries, which
often turn into disabilities that most cannot even imagine, and something that never happens in the United States: heads fused to necks
unmoving; fingers stuck together useless; legs contracted and bent,
preventing walking.
Interplast provides corrective surgery and related care for the world’s
poor. In the last 40 years, the organization has provided more than
80,000 surgeries for those with clefts, disabling burns and a myriad of
other congenital deformities and injuries. By doing so we not only
heal bodies, we help those with disabilities have a second chance at
life and help them gain access to the most basic of needs—things like
attending school and gaining a livelihood.
Photos by Phil Borges (right) John Urban (left).
A Patient’s Thanks
Twenty-one years
ago, Interplast
touched the life of
a 6-month-old child
in Cyprus. Pantelitsa was born with
craniosynostosis
Pantelitsa at 6 months.
syndrome, a condition where bones forming the skull fuse
together at birth. If left untreated, Pantelitsa’s brain would have grown larger than
her skull, resulting in mental retardation.
In 1988, Interplast performed the surgery
she needed, allowing her to grow and
develop normally. Recently, Interplast received a modest yet valuable donation and
a thank you note from Pantelitsa’s mother.
Shortly after, Pantelitsa sent a thank you
email with recent pictures of herself. In
her email, Pantelitsa shared that she is
currently a student at Lancaster University
in the UK. She wrote, “[Like] every young
adult, I love learning new things, traveling and gaining new experiences….I feel
grateful to say that I have a normal and
happy life….Thank you for everything and
your impact in my life. “ Interplast’s work
is significant and permanent. Hearing
back from patients like Pantelitsa makes
the work we do all the more meaningful.
Message from the President and CEO
Susan W. Hayes
This year, we celebrate 40 remarkable years during which
Interplast has grown from one man’s pioneering vision into
a leading international humanitarian organization. I am
deeply grateful for the opportunity to help shepherd its
course during this exciting time.
But even as we celebrate the strength of our program and
cherish the smiles on the faces of the children whose lives
we change, we must remain focused on the task before
us. Just this year, the United Nations estimated that the number of people who
experience chronic hunger surpassed 1 billion. The global economic crisis has
increased the ranks of those who go hungry by 10 percent in one year alone.
This is important to us at Interplast because those whose primary concern is filling an empty belly will almost certainly not have adequate access to health care.
It means that a boy born in rural Mali with a cleft lip or a Nepalese girl whose foot
and shin are fused together after a cooking accident are even less likely to receive
the kind of care that can heal their bodies and lessen their ostracism from society.
As it has time and again, Interplast will respond to this new challenge. Over the
decades, Interplast has remained at the vanguard, nimbly adapting to societal
and technical advances in the developing world, responding to changing needs,
building the surgical capacity in the Global South, and continually pushing the
envelope to provide the greatest number of high-quality reconstructive surgeries to those in need. Surgical team trips—the model for much of the past 40
years—continue to provide an opportunity for medical professionals to share
their knowledge and provide on-the-job training for accomplished international
partners. Over time, however, it has become clear that the best and most costeffective means of delivering surgical care is to empower local professionals who
can deliver that care year-round. Today, our international partners perform more
than 70 percent of all Interplast surgeries (with Interplast oversight, training and
support). Thanks to the economies of our 11 Surgical Outreach Centers in nine
countries, we have doubled the number of surgeries we perform annually in the
last five years, with only a 30 percent increase in cost—and no sacrifice in quality
of care.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the original vision of Interplast’s leaders and the continuing support of donors like you. What you have
accomplished this year is nothing short of a miracle. In this time of economic
worry, Interplast actually increased donations in FY09, raising more money than
any other year in its history. Thank you for forging ahead with us and helping us
provide hope and healing to more children around the world.
Sincerely,
Recent photo of Pantelitsa.
Susan W. Hayes
Interplast President and CEO
2
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
Transformations Gala
Celebrating 40 Years of Healing
On November 7 at the Ritz-Carlton in
San Francisco, nearly 500 members of
the Interplast community gathered to
celebrate Interplast’s 40 years of healing. The event raised nearly $740,000
to support life-changing surgeries,
medical education and empowerment
programs in Latin America, Africa
and Asia. Despite the economic
climate, this amount represents a 10
percent increase from what was raised
last year.
“We are grateful to Interplast’s generous donors who, even in the midst
of this terrible economy, continue to
reach out to help children around
the world,” said Nicole Friedland,
Interplast chief development officer.
Sheila Wolfson, former Interplast board member
The event honored Dr. Goran Jovic,
and volunteer, was awarded the William C. Lazier
the only plastic surgeon in Zambia.
Leadership Award.
In his 10 years of partnership with Interplast, he has transformed more than
1,500 lives. Wearing a tuxedo for the first time, Jovic accepted the Donald R.
Laub Humanitarian Award, named after Interplast’s founder and given to an
individual who exemplifies extraordinary humanitarian service.
Brian Mullaney, The Smile Train co-founder and
president, received Interplast’s Partners in
Progress Award.
Interplast also recognized Sheila Wolfson, a Bay Area philanthropist and former board member who has spent four months overseas volunteering with Interplast medical teams. She and her husband Mark Wolfson have helped bring
new donors and millions of dollars to Interplast. With tears in her eyes and
overcome with joy, Sheila Wolfson accepted the William C. Lazier Leadership
Award. The late William C. Lazier was the architect of Interplast’s evolution as
a leader in international development within reconstructive surgery.
In addition, Interplast honored The Smile Train with the Partners in Progress
Award and celebrated its 10-year partnership with them. Together, Interplast
and The Smile Train have made possible nearly 18,000 life-changing surgeries
for children with cleft lips and cleft palates. The Smile Train’s co-founder and
president Brian Mullaney accepted the award, with DeLois Greenwood, vice
president of The Smile Train, in attendance.
Also in attendance were event co-chairs Dottie and Bob King and Marion and
Gerald McGovern. Adding to the celebratory sparkle of the night, celebrities
Adam Curry, former MTV VJ and serial entrepreneur, and Micky Hoogendijk,
Dutch actress from “Raising Helen,” attended and supported Interplast.
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
Susan W. Hayes, Interplast president and CEO,
and Dr. Goran Jovic, Interplast’s surgical outreach
director in Zambia, who received the 2009 Donald
R. Laub Humanitarian Award.
3
Transformations Gala
(continued from page 3)
“Interplast, which began as a small
group of Stanford medical volunteers
who wanted to change the world for
children with clefts, disabling burns
and hand injuries, has transformed
into a global partnership providing
surgeries and building local medical
capacity for the poor in 14 countries,”
said Susan W. Hayes, Interplast president and CEO. “We were so grateful
for the opportunity to celebrate 40
years of healing in collaboration with
many devoted partners, volunteers
and supporters who help us transform
the lives of thousands each year.”
4
Transformations Gala honorary co-chairs Bob and Dottie King (left) and Gerald and Marion McGovern,
Interplast board member (right).
Dr. Donald R. Laub, founder of Interplast; Beverly Kent, Interplast director of
volunteer services; Dr. Bradley Zlotnick and Caroline Zlotnick.
Interplast board member Hoyoung Huh with his wife Eleanor (center couple)
and their table guests.
Pictured above: Interplast board member DeAnn Work with her husband
Paul Work (far left); former board member George Schell; event honoree
Sheila Wolfson; and Interplast board counsel Arun Patel.
From left to right: Anne Fuller; Dr. Nguyen Thi Hien, Interplast partner and
anesthesiologist in Vietnam; and Russ Fuller, Interplast board vice chair.
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
Top photo: Actress Micky Hoogendijk and Adam
Curry, former MTV VJ and serial entrepreneur, presented a check from the new Pascaud Foundation
to Susan W. Hayes, Interplast president and CEO,
and Daniel Higgins, chairman of the Interplast
board of directors.
Center photos: (left) Susan and Joe DuCote, Interplast board member; (middle) Elena Lebedeva and
Al Smith, former Interplast board member; (right)
Richard Thaler and France Leclerc, Interplast
board member.
Bottom left photo: Karlina Bedard; Dipak and
Radha Basu, Interplast board member; and Charlie
Bedard.
Bottom right photo: Interplast board members
Kevin Young (left) and Russell Hirsch (right) with
his wife Sara Hirsch.
Photos by Chung Nguyen
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
5
Interplast Elects New Board Members
Interplast Welcomes Gail Cohen, Thomas C. McConnell and Emil Wang to its Board of Directors
6
Gail Cohen
Thomas C. McConnell
Emil Wang
Gail Cohen is the chair of BursonMarsteller’s Global Healthcare
Practice and as such oversees the
strategic growth and development
of the practice across all regions.
Bringing 20 years of experience to
this position, Cohen has pioneered
some of the industry’s most successful pharmaceutical campaigns and
has led numerous award-winning
programs. She is a recognized expert
in pharmaceutical marketing and
issues management. Prior to joining
Burson-Marsteller, Cohen served on
the leadership council for Chandler
Chicco Companies (CCC) and was
responsible for driving new business
initiatives, overseeing the agency’s
affiliate relationships with Asia-Pacific
and the Americas, and assisting in
creating unique branding platforms.
She has led successful public relations
programs for Fortune 500 companies
and has managed global communications campaigns for large clients such
as Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi Aventis,
Bristol Myers Squibb and Novartis.
Prior to joining CCC, Cohen worked
in boutique agencies focusing on
consumer communications across a
broad array of luxury goods, beauty
products and celebrity clients. Cohen
holds a bachelor’s degree, magna cum
laude, from the S.I. Newhouse School
of Communications at Syracuse University.
Thomas C. McConnell is a managing director at Vanguard Ventures
with an investment focus on medical
devices. He has 24 years of investment
experience in venture capital and
was named to the Forbes Midas List
in 2007. Prior to joining Vanguard,
McConnell was a general partner at
New Enterprise Associates (NEA).
He spent 14 years at NEA investing
in medical device and biopharmaceutical companies, and five years
investing in the telecommunications
sector. During his career, McConnell
has played a leadership role in the
venture capital industry. He served
as chairman of the National Venture
Capital Association (NVCA) in 200102 and as president of the Western
Association of Venture Capitalists
(WAVC) in 1995-96. Before becoming
a venture capitalist in 1985, McConnell was a product manager at Apple
Computer and a consultant with
the Boston Consulting Group. He
received a bachelor of arts degree
in engineering science, summa cum
laude, from Dartmouth College and
a master of business administration
degree with distinction from the
Stanford University Graduate School
of Business. He serves on the board
of directors of two private medical
device companies, Asthmatx and
Dfine. McConnell spent a year in
2007-2008 collaborating with PATH
(Program for Appropriate Technologies in Health) in an effort to raise a
fund focused on investing in medical
products for the developing world.
Emil Wang has more than 20 years
of experience as a founder, CEO or
senior executive of venture backed
companies based in Silicon Valley.
Most recently, Wang was CEO of
Questra Corporation, a provider
of intelligent device management.
Prior to that, Wang was founder and
CEO of Latitude Communications,
a provider of enterprise voice and
web conferencing solutions. Latitude
went public in 1999 and was later acquired by Cisco. Wang was also CEO
of Proficient Networks, a provider of
BGP route optimization solutions and
the senior vice president of sales and
marketing for Aspect Communications, a provider of call center solutions that went public in 1990. Earlier in his career, Wang was a product
manager for ROLM Corporation,
responsible for the introduction of
Phonemail, ROLM’s voice messaging
solution. Wang also worked for Bain
& Company, a strategic management
consulting company and has been a
practicing seismic engineer for John
A. Blume & Assoc. Wang received a
bachelor of science degree in civil
engineering from Princeton University, a master of science degree in
structural engineering from Stanford
University, and a master in business
administration degree from Stanford
University. Wang has served on a
number of private and philanthropic
boards.
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
Leadership
President & CEO
Susan W. Hayes
Board of Directors
Chairman
Daniel B. Higgins, J.D.
Vice Chairman
Russell J. Fuller, C.F.A., Ph.D.
Treasurer
Robert Reed
Radha Basu
Lori Bush
Gail Cohen
Thomas Davenport, M.D.
Joseph M. DuCote
Stefanie Feldman, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Richard Gillerman, M.D., Ph.D.
Russell Hirsch, M.D., Ph.D.
Hoyoung Huh, M.D., Ph.D.
Heidi L. Huntsman
France Leclerc, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Thomas McConnell
Marion McGovern
Gary Pinkus
James G. Plewa
Timothy Smith
Sanjay Vaswani
Emil Wang
Rosemary Welde, R.N., M.B.A.
DeAnn Work, J.D.
Kathleen B. Yates
Erica Yew, J.D.
Kevin Young
Legal Counsel
Arun Patel, M.D., J.D.
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Interplast Staff
Scott Corlew, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Nicole Friedland
Chief Development Officer
Sara E. Anderson
Chief Information Officer
Susan Babiarz
Executive Assistant/Office Manager
Jane Chen
Trip Logistics Coordinator
Joyce Chen, M.D.
Webster Fellow
Francine Cunniffe
Medical Education & Outreach Coordinator
Michael Demian
Associate Dir., Foundation and Corp. Relations
Jim Dirck
Director, Medical Supply Services
Michelle Dodge
Director, Finance
George Gregory, M.D.
Anesthesia Director
Sharon Hart
Senior Development Assistant, Donor Relations
Beverly Kent
Director, Volunteer Services & Strategic Initiatives
Amy Laden
Director, International Services
Ken Nessel
Medical Supply Assistant
Anne Phuong Nguyen
Vietnam Sites Liaison
Teresa Olson
Development Coordinator
Dora Rusin-Gomez, M.D.
Volunteer Services Coordinator
Jogi Sikand, R.N.
Medical Supply Assistant
Liliana Vazquez
Communications and Technology Coordinator
Interplast Medical Committees
International Partnerships
Medical Services Committee
Bangladesh
Rosemary Welde, R.N., M.B.A., Chair
Marlene (Molly) Attell, R.N.
Ingrid Crocco, R.N.
Tom Davenport, M.D.
Carter Dodge, M.D.
Carla Epps, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Dorothy Gaal, M.D.
Richard Gillerman, M.D.
Mary Hermann, M.D.
Duke McMillan, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
Tim Sproule, M.D.
Janet Volpe, M.D.
Jim Wallace, M.D.
Dawn Yost, R.N.
George Gregory, M.D., Ex-Officio
Dr. Shafquat H. Khundkar,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Anesthesia Committee
Richard Gillerman, M.D., Chair
Michael Beach, M.D.
Dorothy Gaal, M.D.,
Carter Dodge, M.D.
Duke McMillan, M.D.
Jay Mesrobian, M.D.
Steven Parker, M.D.
Les Proctor, M.D.
Frank Ruiz, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
George Gregory, M.D., Ex-officio
Nursing Committee
Dawn Yost, R.N. Chair
Marlene (Molly) Attell, R.N.,
Nurse Educator Credentialing
Susan Bruch, R.N.
Tina Beth Cerruti, R.N.
Martha Clark, R.N.
Ingrid Crocco, R.N.
Rosemary Welde, R.N.,
OR Credentialing
Cheryl Ellen Wraa, R.N.
Kimberly Yates, R.N.
Kay Clarke, R.N.,
Committee Advisor
Bolivia
Dr. Jorge Terrazas
Surgical Outreach Center Director
China
William Chiang
Ecuador
Dr. Jorge Palacios,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Luis Jaramillo
Dr. Fernando Quintana
Dr. Nelson Samaniego
Cora Cameron de Samaniego
Ethiopia
Dr. Tewodros (Ted) Gedebou
Dr. Yegeremu Kebede
Ghana
Dr. Pius Agbenorku,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
India
Dr. Yogi Aeron,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Puneet Pasricha,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Kush Aeron
Mali
Dr. Mamby Keita
Dr. Oumar Coulibaly
Nepal
Dr. Kiran Nakarmi,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Shankar Man Rai,
Director Emeritus
Nicaragua
Pediatrics Committee
Janet Volpe, M.D., Chair
Evan Bloom, M.D.
Carla Epps, M.D.
Lorry Frankel, M.D.
Kathy Gallagher, M.D.
Mary Hermann, M.D.
David Norton, M.D.
M.J. Pionk, M.D.
Surgery Committee
Tom Davenport, M.D., Chair
Gary Fudem, M.D.
Steven Garner, M.D.
Eric Mooney, M.D.
Tom Moore, M.D.
Delora Mount, M.D.
Dan Sherick, M.D.
Vinny Singhal, M.D.
Tim Sproule, M.D.
Kristin Stueber, M.D.
Simone Topal, M.D.
Jim Wallace, M.D.
Quality Improvement Committee
Dorothy Gaal, M.D., Chair
Tom Davenport, M.D.
Kathy Gallagher, M.D.
Steven Garner, M.D.
Steven Parker, M.D.
Mark Singleton, M.D.
Janet Volpe, M.D.
Kimberly Yates, R.N.
Dawn Yost, R.N.
Translator / Coordinator Committee
Mary Whitehead, Chair
William Chiang
Ana Maria Keating
Tue Thu Khoa
Kim Satterlee
Hoa Ton
Sheila Wolfson
Fran Cunniffe, Ex-Officio
Maggie Loya, Ex-Officio
Albert Lu, Ex-Officio
Interplast Receives
Grant from
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Dr. Mario Perez,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Humberto Briceño
Dr. Ivette Icaza
Peru
Dr. Jorge De La Cruz,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Dr. Percy Rossell,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Interplast recently received a $50,000
grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to
provide 200 reconstructive surgeries to
impoverished children in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Peru. Local partner surgeons
at Interplast year-round Surgical Outreach Centers will perform the surgeries.
Children with burn injuries often cannot
hold a spoon to feed themselves or use
their legs to walk, rendering them a burden to an already impoverished family.
Children with cleft lips and palates often
suffer severe shame and in some societies are shunned.
Sri Lanka
Dr. Chandini Perera
Vietnam
Dr. Pham Thi Hao
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hien
Zambia
Dr. Goran Jovic,
Surgical Outreach Center Director
Founder
Donald R. Laub, M.D.
“Interplast is deeply grateful to the W.K.
Kellogg Foundation for their generosity. Despite these economic times, it is
important to remember parents across
the globe who struggle to provide food
for their children and for whom surgery
is completely beyond their reach,” said
Susan W. Hayes, Interplast president and
CEO. “Thanks to Kellogg, surgery and
renewed hope will be provided for 200
families who had no other access to care.
The health of their children and dreams
of productive, normal lives will be restored because of this new grant.”
Photo by Adam Forgash
INTERPLAST WINTER 2009
7
Inside Interplast
Transformations Gala
Held on November 7 at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, the
Transformations Gala hosted close to 500 guests. Twelve luxury
items were auctioned off, helping the event raise nearly $740,000
to support life-changing surgeries.
Story on page 3.
Donate Online:
www.interplast.org
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mountain View, CA
Permit No. 70
857 Maude Avenue
Mountain View, CA 94043
Tel: 650.962.0123
Fax: 650.962.1619
info@interplast.org
Interplast has transformed lives for 40 years. The
first organization of its kind, Interplast provides free
reconstructive plastic surgery for the poor in developing countries. Interplast treats children and adults
with clefts, disabling burns and hand injuries. Unlike
many organizations, Interplast’s focus is to train and
to empower developing world doctors to perform
surgeries on their own for generations to come.
www.interplast.org