ReSurge International Blog

Female Surgeons Leading the Way: Increasing Access to Reconstructive Surgery

*This post, by ReSurge International President and CEO, Jeff Whisenant, was originally posted on the InterAction blog.

The challenges facing women interested in a surgical career are daunting anywhere. For women in developing countries, those challenges are far greater. Yet, it is these countries that are in most need of additional surgical expertise.

Today, five billion people worldwide lack access to safe, timely and affordable surgical care. Common maladies treated by reconstructive surgeons, such as injuries, malignancies and congenital conditions are far more readily addressed in countries like the US, where most families — even those without health insurance — have access to immediate medical attention and the kind of surgical intervention that can make a critical difference. In many developing countries, poor families cannot afford such medical help.

Read the full article here.

Guest blog: impressions from Capitol Hill

Jeff Whisenant, CEO of ReSurge International, Dr. Kiran Nakarmi, surgical outreach partner in Nepal, and Eileen Sheldon, ReSurge board member, pause for a moment during Congressional Briefing on Surgical Care and Global Need in Washington, DC.

By Eileen Sheldon

On May 10, 2016 I had the pleasure of attending the second Congressional Briefing on Surgical Care and the Global Need, hosted by ReSurge International and the G4 Alliance. It was my first experience on Capitol Hill and it was a privilege to participate in this informative event. The briefing called on congressional staffers, NGOs and other government representatives to understand the elevated need for surgical care and the impact that access to surgical care can have on the lives of people in low- and middle-income countries.  Experts in the field formed a panel that was moderated by Dr. Thomas Novotny, the deputy assistant secretary for health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The panel’s distinguished speakers included Dr. Ross "Rusty" Segan, Chief Medical Officer, Global Orthopedics & Global Surgery, Johnson & Johnson and Dr. Mark Shrime, research director, Program in Global Surgery & Social Change at Harvard Medical School and member of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.

Across the panel, speakers focused on the cost-effectiveness and the cross-cutting impacts of investing in surgical care. For instance, it was reported that 18 million people die each year due to surgically treatable conditions. Simple surgeries can treat a wide range of conditions and diseases, ranging from maternal and child health, trauma, prevention of HIV/AIDS, and even non-communicable conditions like cancer and heart disease. The financial strain of not investing in this gap could result in a $12.3 trillion loss in GDP by 2030 for low-and-middle-income countries.

ReSurge's own Surgical Outreach Director in Nepal, Dr. Kiran Nakarmi, offered a personal and moving description of how the ongoing need for surgical care in his country intensified after the earthquake one year ago. Thanks to prior investments and a commitment to training made by ReSurge, he was able to provide life-saving procedures on earthquake victims who were in dire need of reconstructive surgery. Furthermore, physical and occupational therapists previously trained by ReSurge were available to provide post-surgical care. Dr. Nakarmi and his team continue to treat those whose wounds have not healed properly. 

Together, these partners are poised to improve the landscape of global health. ReSurge's history and model for building surgical capacity are certain to play a critical role in in this growth. 

Eileen Sheldon currently sits on ReSurge International’s Board of Directors. With a professional background in research and planning, Eileen remains committed to volunteer work. In the past, her dedication to service has led her to Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles, where she trained and guided blind runners through various races. In October 2013, Eileen’s passion brought her to Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. Since that time, Eileen has continued playing an active role in supporting ReSurge’s mission to provide reconstructive surgery for people in the developing world.

 

Round for ReSurge with Greg Chiate

Greg and his team at the Olympic Club

Despite a damp chill from the famous San Francisco fog, 24 golfers met up at the San Francisco Olympic Club's Ocean Course last Friday to join board member Greg Chiate in a Round for ReSurge golf outing.

Greg, a member of the club, initiated the planning of this event as a fun, unique way to introduce our mission to new friends of our organization. He organized six team captains who were encouraged to put together their own team of four. The outing gave players the unique opportunity to play at the site of the 2012 US Open, but more importantly, the contributions the teams made to play were enough to help provide 24 life-changing surgeries for our patients!

Following a day on the greens, all players were invited to join in a special cocktail reception in the Vista room where Greg and former board member Tim Smith both spoke from the heart about their personal experiences and passion for ReSurge. The day wrapped up with an awards ceremony and fun prizes, including Warriors tickets and a state-of-the-art TaylorMade driver.

We would like to extend a big thank you to Greg Chiate for hosting this memorable event and to all of the players for coming out to support our work in a fun way. 

To view photos from the day on the greens, check out this photo album. And if you're interested in organizing your own golf outing or any other event to benefit ReSurge, take a look at our Action Ambassadors page or drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll be happy to help!