Founded in 1982 by Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee, Operation Smile is a global nonprofit organization that creates solutions to deliver safe surgery to people where it’s needed most. For over 30 years, Stryker has partnered with Operation Smile to make healthcare better, a journey that started in the 1990’s with product donations and discounts, grew to supporting medical education and healthcare workers and now includes our employees, who annually raise funds.

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA with programs in over 30 countries worldwide, Operation Smile has helped over 420,000 people access surgery and comprehensive care.¹ Cleft surgeries are a majority of the surgical care provided to patients, addressing critical needs, because when left untreated:

• Babies have difficulty with feeding, leading to malnutrition,
• Speech and dental development can be impaired and
• Children may be bullied or socially isolated.

A child is born with a cleft every 3 minutes²

This happens when tissues of the face fail to join properly during fetal development. For children with these facial conditions, the pain can become extreme, both physically and emotionally. That’s why Operation Smile helps thousands of children living with cleft lip and cleft palate to better breathe, eat, speak and live lives of greater confidence and quality, and Stryker is proud to stand by Operation Smile as a signature partner, expanding access and quality of care.

“We would never be able to be the organization that we are with the sustainability that we’ve had and the continued elevation of the vision we want to create, without our partners like Stryker,” said Dr. Bill Magee, Co-Founder and CEO Emeritus, Operation Smile.

Together, Stryker and Operation Smile are changing lives and strengthening healthcare systems

According to Operation Smile, 90 percent of people in low-and middle-income countries can’t access basic surgical care.³ That’s why looking at the systemic issues that cause backlogs in care and taking action to address them is so vital. Whether it’s training healthcare workers or helping replace outdated equipment in a hospital, Operation Smile is forging solutions in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach areas so that more patients have access to care—and Stryker is focused on advancing these solutions forward.

“Our partnership with Operation Smile is a shining example of our mission to make healthcare better. Globally, our employees are passionate about making a difference, and working to ensure broader access to healthcare through organizations like Operation Smile,” said Anita Mehta, Director of Social Impact at Stryker. “What we love about Operation Smile is that their work both helps people, today, and builds for the future. And we’re proud to play a part in that journey, because together, we’re transforming communities.”

Closing the medical education and training gap 

In low-and middle-income countries, there is only 1 surgeon for every 100,000 people.⁴ That type of gap can seem insurmountable. But through our company-level giving, which supports strategic medical education and training programs, we’re not just hoping to close it. We’re actively helping to close it.

In 2024, Stryker has helped train more than 2,300 healthcare professionals through our partnership with Operation Smile.¹ Programs like the Rwanda Surgical Training Rotations, are helping train a new generation of plastic surgeons. As of 2024, 21 new surgeons and anesthesiologists are now providing skin and plastics care in Rwanda.¹ But there is still a great need, which is why training and education remains such a major focus.

How Stryker and Operation Smile are making surgeries better

As part of our signature partnership with Operation Smile, our goal isn’t only making surgeries happen. It’s making surgeries better.

Product donations and discounts help care teams perform surgeries, improving healthcare at Operation Smile programs globally. Additionally, our charitable contributions help scale training for healthcare workers. For instance, in one region of Madagascar, Operation Smile worked with LifeBox, a partner nonprofit organization, to deliver a training course to healthcare workers across three hospitals that helped drive reductions in surgical complications.

Our partnership is amplified even more by the dollars raised during the annual employee giving campaigns. Since 2015, employees have raised over $1.8 million using the company match and volunteer rewards incentives to increase their impact.⁵ And in support of Operation Smile volunteer efforts, employees have joined the organization on surgical programs. What keeps us giving is knowing the difference that every dollar and every minute spent training a healthcare professional means for a child, a family, a community. “What else could you ask to make you feel fulfilled than to know that at least one kid had a chance for a life that they may never have had if it wasn’t for you?” added Dr. Bill Magee.

References:

1. Data on file with Operation Smile.
2.  Sandy J, Davies A, Humphries K, Ireland T, Wren Y. Cleft lip and palate: Care configuration, national registration, and research strategies. J World Fed Orthod. 2020 Oct;9(3S):S40-S44. doi: 10.1016/j.ejwf.2020.09.003. PMID: 33023731; PMCID: PMC7532935.
   
3. Meara, Dr. John, Leather, Andrew J M, et al. “Global Surgery 2030: evidence and solutions for achieving health, welfare, and economic development.” April 26, 2015. Accessed 12 August 2024 via https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60160-X/fulltext 
4.  Schecter, William P and Adhikari, Sweta. Essential Surgery: Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 1). “Chapter 20: Global surgery and poverty.” Accessed 12 August 2024 via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333494/
5. Data on file with Stryker.

Photos courtesy of Operation Smile, Inc.