HTCNE 2024 – A Year in Review
In 2024, HTCNE’s Medical Trips Abroad Program assembled 6 cleft teams and 4 speech teams to Santa Marta, Colombia, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Mwanza, Tanzania (2 trips) and Ica, Peru. In addition, 1 burn team traveled to Santa Marta, Colombia and 1 dental team traveled to Nairobi, Kenya. A trip to Ukraine was cancelled due to unrest. HTCNE teams screened 1,532 patients and provided surgical and dental treatment to 1,110 children. 195 team members traveled with our medical teams, and 71 members were new members in 2024.
Our International Inbound Program provided financial assistance abroad to two children from Ethiopia who previously came to the US through our program and needed follow up care in Addis Ababa. One of which traveled to New York for a second cardiac procedure.
Our Domestic Kids Program provided scholarships to 3 high school seniors who are pursuing a career in the medical field.
To support Healing the Children Northeast donate today at https://htcne.org/ways-to-help/donate/
Dr. Roser awarded the 2024 Elizabeth Beckman Award
Written by Dr. Shadid Aziz: “Last night I had the honor to celebrate my mentor, Dr. Steven Roser, as he received the 2024 Elizabeth Beckman Award for his long history of service in global surgery. The Beckman Award has very unique criteria, the nominator (aka me) must have developed a sustainable impactful organization (www.smilebangladesh.org) and in turn nominate the person who inspired/mentored/advised (aka Dr. Roser) the nominator in developing said organization. Those who know me know I consider Dr. Roser more than a mentor, a professional father. It was during my time training under him at Columbia Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery that he exposed me to global surgery and the impact a surgeon can make with a bit of effort for the most needy worldwide. His example and mentorship combined with my father’s example laid the foundation for Smile Bangladesh. He is so much to so many that he trained in his 50 year academic career. A more deserving person there is not. Congratulations Dr. Roser!”
Dr. Steven M. Roser, DMD, MD, FACS, FRCSEd is the DeLos Hill Chair and Professor of Surgery, Residency Program Director, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine & Chief, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service at Grady Memorial Hospital. Dr. Roser has an extensive history of international service that includes being a team leader for Healing the Children Northeast every year since 1992, taking surgical teams to countries in Central and South America to provide cleft lip and cleft palate repair.
Dr. Shadid R. Aziz, DMD, MD, FACS, FRCSEd is a Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Rutgers University, is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Aziz volunteered for years with Healing the Children Northeast, traveling to Ecuador and Bangladesh since 2002, and started his own non-profit Smile Bangladesh in 2006.
Dr. Abraham Awarded the Recipient of the Ukrainian Medical Award for Professionalism and Mercy “Order of Saint Panteleimon”
Dr. Manoj T. Abraham, MD, is a Board Member of HTCNE and team leader, as well as the Senior Advisor for the AAFPRS Foundation’s FACE TO FACE Program and lead physician for the four Ukraine international missions. In 2024, Dr. Abraham was the recipient of the Ukrainian Medical Award for Professionalism and Mercy “Order of Saint Panteleimon.” The acknowledgement was received from the President, Foreign Council, USA, Ms. Tatyana Tymkiv. In informing Dr. Abraham of this honor Ms. Tymkiv cited the teams “unwavering support and significant contribution to the struggle of the Ukrainian people for freedom and independence during this terrible wartime.”
The Order of St. Panteleimon is a public, professionally oriented award and given for humanistic and noble activities in the field of health care, which positively affects the consciousness and spiritual development of the Ukrainian people and the state as a whole, is aimed at preservation and strengthening the health of Ukrainian citizens, brings tolerant attitude to each other and inspires new opportunities.
The award has a long history. In 2009, the Ministry of Health introduced the encouraging award “Cross Panteleimon the Healer” in Ukraine, which was awarded to those who have outstanding personal merits and contributes to the development of health and medical science in charitable, humanistic and social activities, and for other achievements in the field of physical and spiritual health protection of the population. The award was agreed upon and blessed by each Primate of the three largest Christian Churches in Ukraine.
Since the foundation of the Award, more than twenty prominent scholars, doctors, public and charitable figures, and representatives of the clergy have received the award.
In receiving the recognition Dr. Abraham stated, “Tatyana, this is incredible news! Thank you for taking it upon yourself to present the work of our FACE TO FACE teams in Ukraine to the Honorable Council in Kyiv. As you know, it would not be possible for us to help in Ukraine without the contribution of all of those on our FACE TO FACE teams with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Razom, INgenius, and Healing The Children Northeast, so I am happy to accept this Award on behalf of our entire FACE TO FACE team. We are currently doing the meticulous work necessary to plan for our next medical trip to Ukraine.”