The Global Surgery Partnership: An Innovative Partnership for Education, Research, and Service.
OBJECTIVE
An estimated two billion people worldwide lack access to adequate surgical care. Addressing surgical disparities requires both immediate relief efforts and long-term investments to improve access to care and surgical outcomes, train the next generation of surgical professionals, and expand the breadth of formative research in the field. While models exist for establishing short-term surgical missions in low- and middle-income countries, far less focus has been placed on models for multi-institutional partnerships that support the development of sustainable solutions.


METHODS
In 2011, the Global Surgery Partnership (GSP) was founded by an established children's hospital (Children's Hospital Los Angeles), an academic medical center (University of Southern California), and a nonprofit organization (Operation Smile) to build oral cleft surgical capacity in resource-poor settings through education, research, and service.


RESULTS
Leveraging the strengths of each partner, the GSP supports three global health education programs for public health graduate students and surgical residents, including the Tsao Fellowship in Global Health; has initiated two international research projects on cleft lip and palate epidemiology; and has built upon Operation Smile's service provision. As of January 2015, Tsao fellows had operated on over 600 patients during 13 missions in countries including China, Vietnam, Mexico, and India.


CONCLUSIONS
The GSP plans to conduct a formal evaluation and then to expand its programs. The GSP encourages other global health organizations and academic and medical institutions to engage with each other. The partnership described here provides a basic model for structuring collaborations in the global health arena.
T. Taro is a research consultant, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. C. Yao is a surgical resident, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. S. Ly is assistant director, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and a doctoral student, Community Health Sciences Department, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California. H. Wipfli is assistant professor, Institute of Global Health, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California. K. Magee is president and founder, Operation Smile, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia. R. Vanderburg is chief program strategist, Operation Smile, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia. W. Magee III is director of international programs, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and assistant professor of surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Trisa
T
Taro
Caroline
C
Yao
Stephanie
S
Ly
Heather
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Wipfli
Kathleen
K
Magee
Richard
R
Vanderburg
William
W
Magee
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002140:California; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000601:surgery*; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships; D014943:Global Health / Q000193:education; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008493:Medical Missions; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures