Operation Smile Joins the World Health Organization's Year-Long Effort to Celebrate 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Feb. 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of the World Health Organization's effort, Operation Smile is excited to celebrate 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Operation Smile, an international medical charity that has provided hundreds of thousands of free surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lip and cleft palate, firmly believes that a strong nursing and midwifery workforce is critical to the achievement of universal health coverage by 2030.

"As a former nurse and social worker, I know first-hand the importance nurses and midwives play in providing health services. It is the nurse who is with the patient more than any other healthcare professional. Nurses and midwives are caregivers, educators, and advocates. They're valuable and key in keeping communities healthy around the world," said Kathy Magee, Co-Founder and President of Operation Smile.

According to the World Health Organization, nurses and midwives account for nearly 50% of the global health workforce. For Operation Smile, nurse volunteers comprise more than a third of the thousands of credentialed medical volunteers. These nurse volunteers, Operation Smile's "nurse faculty," serve as educators and play leading roles on our medical missions.

"When I look at our missions, I'm overcome with joy and gratitude. Our nurses are key decision makers on the team. Nurses are in the operating room and provide intensive care. They are organizing, facilitating and moving patients in the right direction so they get the best of care. It is the nurse who provides care for patients through every stage of the surgical process," Magee added.

As an organization, Operation Smile invests in the training and education of nurses around the world through mission-based educational opportunities, the exchange of knowledge and skills among global teams, and American Heart Association life support training courses.

"We deliver targeted training programs for nurses at program sites around the world. By highlighting the stories and experiences of these world-class medical professionals, we believe we can inspire girls and boys everywhere to pursue careers in medicine and demonstrate the lasting impact our nurses have had on our patients and their families as we work toward a healthier future for us all," Magee concluded.

About Operation Smile: Operation Smile has provided hundreds of thousands of safe surgeries for those born with cleft lip and cleft palate. With more than three decades of expertise, Operation Smile creates solutions that deliver free surgery to people where it's needed most. As one of the largest medical volunteer-based nonprofits, Operation Smile has mobilized thousands of medical volunteers from a wide range of medical specialties from more than 80 countries. Operation Smile engages public-private partnerships to advance health care delivery, train local medical professionals to provide surgical care for patients in their communities, donate crucial medical equipment and supplies, and increase access to surgical care so that everyone living with cleft is treated. Visit operationsmile.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

CONTACT                                                                  
Nicole Bell, Director of Public Relations
O: 757.321.3229 | Cell: 757.708.0379
[email protected]

SOURCE Operation Smile

Related Links

http://www.operationsmile.org