Operation Smile: Improve Surgical Access Globally

Investing in Frontline Health Care Workers

Operation Smile is advancing sustainable access to safe surgery by investing directly in frontline health care workers—the surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, and multidisciplinary teams who deliver care every day. Through hands-on clinical training, mentorship, and partnerships with local hospitals and universities, providers gain the skills needed to deliver high-quality surgical care within their own communities.

In Brazil, Operation Smile’s long-standing program demonstrates the power of this model. By partnering with leading local institutions and public health systems, Operation Smile supports the training and continuous development of Brazilian care teams specializing in cleft care. A key component of this work is the intentional inclusion and advancement of women across the surgical ecosystem—particularly in roles such as nursing, anesthesia, speech therapy, and increasingly, surgery and clinical leadership.

Through mentorship, leadership development, and access to advanced training opportunities, women health care professionals are equipped not only to deliver care but to lead it. Many are now serving as mentors, educators, and program leaders—helping to shape the future of surgical care in their communities while expanding opportunities for the next generation of women in health care.

Today, Brazilian medical teams are delivering care independently, mentoring peers, and expanding access to comprehensive cleft services that include surgery, speech therapy, and long-term follow-up. Patients are receiving life-changing care closer to home, and communities are benefiting from a stronger, more inclusive health system.

A Model Scaled Globally

The success of Brazil’s program is one example of Operation Smile’s broader commitment to strengthening surgical systems worldwide. This same approach—investing in local providers, advancing multidisciplinary care, and prioritizing inclusive workforce development—is being implemented across more than 37 countries.

While each country program is tailored to local needs and health system structures, the core strategy remains consistent: build in-country capacity, empower local leadership, and create sustainable access to essential surgery. Across regions, frontline providers are being trained, mentored, and equipped to lead care within their own communities—reducing dependence on external support and expanding access for patients who need it most.

This global network of empowered health care professionals creates a powerful multiplier effect—improving outcomes, strengthening systems, and ensuring that life-changing surgical care is accessible, equitable, and enduring.

Links:

• Operation Smile Brazil Healthcare Workers