LLU - Dentalgram, April 2001

Dr. McCormick provides surgical care in Baja California

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Dr. Susan McCormick examines a child in Baja, California. More than 35 maxillofacial surgical procedures were performed during the mission.

During the first week of February, 2001, the charitable surgical mission team, Thousand Smiles Foundation, and Susan U. McCormick, DDS, MS, chair, department of oral and maxillofacial surgery worked in concert to screen more than 100 children and perform more than 35 maxillofacial surgical procedures on the underprivileged children of Mexico's Baja California region.

"Families came from as far away as 600 miles to obtain the free surgical and dental care," says Dr. Jeffrey Moses, co-founder and past president of the Thousand Smiles Foundation. The team's 15-year anniversary was officially last August. However, presenting the "Keys to Ensenada" occurred during the quarterly February trip. Involved in organizing this ceremoney were Rotary International President Frank Devlin and the mayor of the city. The celebration dinner was held at the city's historical convention center.

The department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, led by Dr. McCormick, has recently worked in conjunction with Dr. Kasischke, assistant dean, and Dr. Moses, to accept the directorship of the Foundation's Juarez, Mexico mission site. Biannually, team trips are now in their fourth year, and the host city's Rotary and dental school academicians and surgeons are eager to exchange international goodwill and technical expertise.

For more information regarding these mission teams, contact either Dr. Jeffrey Moses at (800) 400-FACE, or via e-mail www.info@jaw-face.com, or Dr. McCormick at (909) 558-4671, or via e-mail smccormick@sd.llu.edu.