GC4 Update

February, 2012

It is our pleasure to update you on the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center. This unique public private partnership is making daily progress towards achieving our goals of Increased Capacity, Decreased Costs, and a Cleft Free Assam.

February has been filled with exciting milestones of 2,000 cases performed at the Center, and 5,000 patients treated in Assam. Our leaders joined us in a wonderful and touching celebration commemorating these milestones, recognizing the people that make it happen, and looking forward to the future.

Best of all, GC4 has again been recognized as a successful model for comprehensive cleft care in the developing world. We hope you enjoy this update. --Team Guwahati

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Operation Smile India performed its first mission in Guwahati in January of 2009, and in February of 2012 completed the 5,000th operation here. Dr. Hiteshwar Sharma (Plastic Surgery) and Dr. Nabamallika Borah (Anesthesia) worked with their full-time, all-India team at GC4 to provide free surgical correction for Bismata’s bilateral cleft lip.

GC4 Medical Director, Dr. Sam Fuller

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sam Fuller, a plastic surgeon from the United States, who joined Team Guwahati in February as our new Medical Director and Chief of Surgery. Sam is thrilled to take the lead at GC4, and is a perfect fit into the community of caring that creates the pulse of the Center.

Operation Smile Delivers 5,000th New Smile in Assam

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GC4 Performs 2000th Case

On February 15, 2012 our team performed the 2,000th case in the New Facility. GC4 is now a full time, high volume, sustainable cleft center that provides consistent excellence in surgical care to the most needy of patients. We are really proud of our Team. Due to their dedication, Orang, a GREAT kid now has a GREAT new smile!

§ February 17, 2011: Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center inaugurated. § March, 2011: Team Guwahati began full time surgical cleft care in facilities of

the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hoptital. § May 9,, 2011: Team Guwahati performed the first case in the new facility. § February 17th, 2012: GC4 Team completes its first year of full time service.

In one year, 2179 smiles have been provided to the people of Assam.

GC4 Turns 1-Year Old!

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§ GC4 Milestones at 1 Year

Staff Education:

Surgical Performance:

Patient Counselors:

Patient Follow Up:

Nutrition Program:

Cleft Care Training:

Research and Outcomes:

October, 2011:

January, 2012: Dr. Joseph Stiglitz, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2001) visited GC4 on January 10. After reviewing the Center he commented that, “This serves as a successful model for surgical care in the developing world that can be reproduced in other places.”

Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister and cabinet member of the Council of Ministers of India, visited GC4 on January 30. Mr. Azad was impressed by its infrastructure, hi-tech surgical equipment, and trained manpower, calling GC4 a “Role model for India.”

February, 2012: The Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi, and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Hemanta Biswa Sarma praised GC4 as a “tremendous success” that “motivates us to achieve greatness in providing medical care and treatment for the poor and needy segments of society, which is the model of our government.”

§ Research and Ourcomes Division formalized § Operation Smile India Institutional Ethics

Committee formed to oversee research

§ 7 projects approved by IEC underway

§ 11 international research fellows

Recognition:

§ 140 (+) malnourished patients enrolled into program.

§ 20 (+) “graduates” have received successful surgeries.

§ Partnership with Assam Department of Social Welfare

§ 2867 screening examinations § 2179 free operations § 19.4% Operation Smile

worldwide surgical volume

§ 2729 follow-up

examinations

§ 362 patients seen in district camps (DOFAST)

§ 20 surgeons trained in cleft lip and cleft palate surgery

§ 4580 patients prescreened

§ 11,393 healthcare workers educated about CL/CP

§ 102 AHA Certifications earned by GC4 staff

§ 63 BLS, 33 PALS, 6 ACLS

Capacity Building:

§ 92% of GC4 staff are Indian

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Editorial in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons describes GC4 as, “an example of sustainability progressing toward self-sufficiency.”

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GC4 Ward Inaugurated:

Leaders Celebrate Operation Smile India in Guwahati

On February 23, leaders behind the Comprehensive Cleft Care Center assembled in Guwahati to commemorate the 5000th operation in Assam and 2000th at GC4. The Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Tarun Gogoi, and the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Biswa Hemanta Sarma, joined Operation Smile Co-Founder Bill Magee and Operation Smile India Chairman of the Board, Shri Ranjit Barthakur, to recognize the excellence in care that has been provided to the children of Assam.

Directly after commemorating 5,000 surgeries in Assam, the GC4 Team continued their quest forward. The central dignataries present walked over to the brand new Operation Smile Ward at MMC Hospital, and officially inaugurated it by cutting a ribbon. This 32 bed inpatient ward has undergone a complete rennovation into an environment of healing. The new facility was designed and built by our team at GC4, who envisioned a special area focused on quality care, education, and entertainment. The mural at the far end is a great example of GC4 teamwork, and was completed by more than 15 staff and volunteers.

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Alex Campbell, MD and Carolina Restrepo, MD

Alex and Caro are the founding surgeons at GC4, and have played central roles in conception, development, and implementation of all systems and programs at the Center. They provided direct medical leadership for 2688 safe surgeries in Assam, and have personally performed more than 1,000 cleft operations. GC4 now sets the standard for excellence in cleft care, with a spotless safety profile and consistent quality in surgical results that rivals major Centers around the globe. They leave GC4 at the end of February very proud of evolution in Guwahati, and excited to watch the seeds of greatness continue to progress and grow.

“A powerful image for us is of a beautiful young girl with a cleft lip, sitting outside of the Center on our last day at GC4, waiting with her father. We looked into their hopeful expressions, and with tears in our own eyes, smiled and nodded our heads. The contentment we felt at that moment was powerful, knowing that this family is in the exact right place, to partner with Team Guwahati as they enter the magical transformation that will change their lives. GC4 is full of true magic. There are thousands upon thousands more children that will be given new smiles at GC4, and we will always cheer them on. We simply love this Team!” --Alex and Caro

It’s not how good you are,

It’s how good you want to be.

“We remember when we just arrived in Guwahati and went to see the ‘Center.’ With three employees and a concrete room at the time, we knew that we had a long, long way to go. We will always cherish the ride we took together to reach current heights. Just over a year later, GC4 is one of the largest cleft centers in the world, staffed by an exceptional local team with a central focus on safety and quality. The Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center has raised the bar, and leaders from around the globe are recognizing GC4 as a successful model for surgical care in the developing world.”

--Paul Arden