FACES' surgeons screen 50+ patients in Lambayeque and the Amazonas region for January surgical trip.
Three members of FACES Foundation recently traveled to northern Peru to conduct pre-operative screening activities in preparation for the upcoming January 2012 surgical trip. Dr. Thomas Albert and Dr. Jerome List identified 35 surgical candidates who will recieve surgeries and treatment from the FACES team next month.
The doctors conducted three screening clinics during their stay in Peru, in Lambayeque, Olmos and rural San Antonio.
A team of 23 doctors, nurses and coordinators are heading to northern Peru from January 20th through 30th for a 10-day surgical trip.
The FACES team is preparing with great excitement for their upcoming 10-day surgical trip in late January. The team, which consists of 23 members, will be traveling to northern Peru to perform surgeries and speech evaluations on over 35 patients who were screened during the November/December 2011 screening clinics.
Most members of the January 2012 Surgical Team come from the Portland, OR, area, but others will be joining from other places around the United States. The FACES team consists of a number of talented surgeons, specialists, anesthesiologists, nurses, interpreters and coordinators.
The team anticipates that the surgical trip will be incredibly busy and productive. As with past trips, local liasons, including the Lions Club of Lambayeque, will help with patient transport and lodging.
FACES Visits Clean Water Project in San Antonio, Peru
FACES, along with partners Cafe Femenino and Green Empowerment, helped bring a clean water system to the village of San Antonio, Amazonas, Peru. Thanks to the joint efforts of these groups, along with the dedicated work of San Antonio community members, the village of 500 people now has clean, potable water in every home.
During the recent November/December pre-surgical trip to Peru, FACES representatives made a trip to San Antonio to check out the completed water project. Additionally, Dr. Albert screened patients in San Antonio, several of whom will receive surgeries on the upcoming January 2012 surgical trip.
Connectivity is at the core the FACES speech and surgical models - whether virtual connection or face-to-face connection. The FACES team, recently returned from northern Peru, made use of Qualcomm connective technology to find over 50 patients, 35 of whom will receive surgeries in Janauary 2012. The team is looking forward to expanding their reach with wireless connectivity in more remote areas.
Six members of the FACES team recently traveled to Oakland, CA, to receive a David Lawrence Community Service Award from the national Kaiser group honoring people within Kaiser who are dedicated to community efforts outside their regular work.This is the first year Kaiser has selected David Lawrence Community Service Award Winners for those involved in international efforts. FACES was one of the three groups honored for excellence in international community work. Kaiser honored sixteen total groups at the banquet held at their national headquarters in California. Read the full story here.
Dr. Albert, FACES Founder and President, Receives Distinguished Alumna Award from Harvard
At the recent meeting of the Harvard Dental Alumni Association, Dr. Thomas Albert received the 2011 Distinguished Alumna Award, presented by Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dean Bruce Donoff. Dr. Albert was honored for his innovative international work with FACES. HSDM reported that "Dr. Albert exemplifies the global leadership that is the hallmark of alumni of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine." Dr. Albert received his DMD from Harvard in 1971 and his MD from Harvard in 1977.
Partnerships: FACES Builds Local Sustainability by Strengthening Partners in Lambayeque, Peru
On the recent pre-surgical trip to Peru, the FACES team was hard at work building local community partnerships, essential to creating local sustainability. As in the past, FACES worked with the local Lions Club, who have become a continuing invested partner in the FACES surgical and speech campaigns. The Lambayeque Lions Club help find, feed and care for FACES patients. Additionally, the FACES team met with officials at the Belen Hospital, where the team performs the surgeries, to discuss long-term partnerships.
FACES in the News: FACES News Feature in PDX's 'SW Connection'
The unique efforts and initiatives of the FACES team was recently profiled in Portland's Southwest Community Connection in an article titled "The FACES Foundation and the power of speech." The article profiles the FACES Connectivity Model, as well as Dr. Albert, FACES Founder and President. Make sure to check out the article online.
VIDEO: SPEECH therapy Via internet
FACES' innovative model uses Internet connectivity to provide speech therapy to medically isolated patients in northern Peru.
You may have heard that FACES utilizes Internet connectivity in innovative ways in providing the highest quality patient care to indigent, medically isolated populations... But, how exactly does it work? At right, you can see the FACES method in action. In this video the late Dr. Robert Blakeley coaches FACES patient Milagros on how to clearly and effectively make the proper sounds of speech. Speech therapy is an essential component of comprehensive cleft care. After surgery patients like Milagros need this therapy to be able to clearly communicate and be understood, two aspects of being able to function fully in society after cleft lip and palate surgery. Due to geographic isolation and financial restrictions, many of our patients have no access to highly-trained speech therapists in Peru. This is why we've developed the FACES Speech Model - because we believe that each and every patient deserves the best, highest quality care, no matter where they live or how much money they have. Milagros was one of the first FACES patients and has since finished with speech program. She will graduate from college with a degree in chemical engineering this winter.
Speech Therapy by Internet Connection.