Smile Train Medical Advisory Board Meets in New York Reviews Policies and Practices and Establishes New Committees
New York — The Smile Train Medical Advisory Board met in New York City this past Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, to review its policies and mandate, develop a new organizational structure and participate in a free-flowing discussion on the best way to continue to help the millions of children with cleft lip and cleft palate around the world.
The Medical Advisory Board (MAB) is made up of seventeen medical professionals from 6 countries and is chaired by Dr. Ian Jackson world renowned plastic surgeon. The Board generally meets two to three times a year and this was the first full meeting of 2011. The MAB created subgroups to focus on related rehabilitation services such as speech therapy and orthodontics, new program development, further its efforts on continued improvement on safety and quality standards, and reaffirmed its commitment to meet collectively 2-3 times a year.
“This was an outstanding couple of days as we came together to hear how the organization is doing, review past successes and identify way to strengthen our involvement,” said Dr. Ian Jackson. “We have identified several areas where we can enhance our medical programs and assist the leadership of Smile Train. We had the opportunity to meet extensively with the executive team, staff and numerous directors of the Smile Train Board, and fully endorse their commitment and leadership.”
Smile Train announced in March that the MAB will have an ex-officio representative on the Smile Train Board of Directors in order to advise the Board on the best practices in the field and other important strategic practices to help guide the organization forward.
“As a medical charity, the Medical Advisory Board plays a pivotal role in advising the organization on its programs and helping deliver on our mission of empowering local medical professionals to provide free, safe, cost-effective cleft treatment for the millions of poor children around the world who suffer from cleft lip and/or palate,” said Charles B. Wang, Chairman of the Board of Smile Train. “I was so pleased to participate and learn from this incredibly talented group.”
