This December, down at the southern edge of the Pacific Ocean, Shenzhen was still feeling the
warmth of 20 ℃.
Shenzhen Longhua District People's Hospital witnessed a unique gathering of people from
different cities, united by the blue cards pinned to their chests.
They were volunteers for the Operation Smile surgical event in Shenzhen.
Founded in 1982, Operation Smile has become one of the world's largest nonprofit medical
service organizations. Their mission involves offering surgical treatment and
comprehensive care for patients with cleft lip, palate, and other facial deformities.
Cleft lip and palate, prevalent congenital malformations in the
oral and maxillofacial region, still puzzle medical experts regarding their exact cause.
According to statistics, a child with cleft lip and palate is born every three minutes
worldwide. In China, we see around 30,000 new cases of children with cleft lip and
palate each year.
Creating a Fortress of Hope to Preserves Smiles
For this Operation Smile event, Shenzhen was an essential site in southern China, catering to the family members of migrant workers from other areas of Guangdong and neighboring areas. With Mindray's headquarters in Shenzhen, employees from various departments volunteered for the event, playing a vital role in assisting the event to success.
Emily Guo
Executive Vice President of Mindray
Operation Smile is an important part of our global social responsibility. We want our employees to make a meaningful impact on society not only through this event, but also in all their daily actions.
In August 2023, Mindray established a global partnership with Operation Smile. Building on the success of the surgical event in Wenshan, Yunnan province in August, Mindray partnered with Operation Smile again in December. A group of 11 volunteers from different departments devoted their working days and weekends to support the event in Shenzhen. They helped to screen 42 patients, 24 of which underwent successful surgeries, making their contributions as responsible citizens.
Volunteers from various parts of the country supported the event, forming medical and non-medical teams. Among them, Mindray volunteers were assigned four critical roles in the non-medical team to assist in the screening and surgical operations.
A communication pro and a caring angel.
While she navigates the adult world at work, she managed to form close bonds with the children's patients.
A father of one of the sick children said to me, "You have been standing for so long. You must be exhausted." But honestly, I thought they were the real heroes here. We're just doing our job to help out.
—— Patient caring volunteer, Mindray Marketing
A bilingual expert and a top-tier pro in electronic medical records,
perfectly blending a flexible right brain and an organized left brain.
The electronic medical record keeper serves as the ultimate hub for collecting and distributing all information. Besides ensuring precise records, we also needed to translate the information from Chinese to English and generate surgical schedules and rescue forms daily. These tasks are directly tied to the safety of the patient's life.
—— EMR volunteer, Mindray Branding Department
A senior clinical worker and a newcomer in image collection.
A reliable teammate for doctors no matter where they are.
We, the PIT team, came up with a form. During the surgery, my clinical experience proved invaluable in better understanding of the overall procedure and supporting the doctors in their work.
—— Patient image collection volunteer, Mindray R&D
An anesthesiologist who multitasked as a volunteer
worked three consecutive night shifts to create time off and participate in the event.
Everyone at the event joined forces with love to heal the patients. The non-medical volunteers went the extra mile to comfort patients and their families, while the medical volunteers worked tirelessly in the operating room for each patient.
—— Dong Xintong, a medical volunteer working as an anesthesiologist at Shenzhen People's Hospital
A stickler for details and an expert in medical record management.
Documenting information is always a reliable solution to tackle complexity.
Medical record management is a finicky task that requires loads of patience and zero slip-ups.
—— Medical record management volunteer, Mindray Administrative Center
Every volunteer is akin to a needle and thread. When threaded together, they create a stunning “dreamcatcher". They strive to get rid of bad dreams and bring comfort and positivity to patients with cleft lip and palate.
Since my first day at Mindray, the company's vision and mission have been imprinted on my badge. This event allowed me to embody Mindray's mission: healthcare within reach.
Patient caring volunteer, Mindray Financial Center
I feel really delighted to have the opportunity to be involved in something meaningful for society. Seeing the children with big smiles, we feel a greater sense of beauty in our lives.
Patient image collection volunteer, Mindray R&D
Collaborating with Operation Smile, we could really engage in meaningful volunteer activities. This has allowed our employees to understand better the challenges faced by frontline medical staff, how our products have been utilized in clinical settings, and their impact on patients. In this way, we can contribute more to the medical cause.
Patient caring volunteer, from Mindray Human Resources Center
Coming into this world as an ordinary person is already an incredibly challenging task. We hope to uplift them from within.
EMR volunteer, Mindray R&D
With the new year around the corner,
we are thrilled to send this special "letter" to Mindray.
We would like to share this warmth with you.
Together, let's continue to spread the power of smiles.
Bill Magee
Co-Founder and CEO Emeritus Operation Smile
Kathy Magee
Co-Founder, President & CEO Operation Smile
Without Mindray, we wouldn't be able to make this happen. Our combined efforts have made a ·huge difference, touching the lives of so many people.Every smile we create together signifies a life that has been changed forever.。
Mindray will continue to work with Operation Smile. Bring high-quality medical treatment accessible to more patients worldwide. Our shared goal is to ensure that love and laughter prevail.
Elevating the safety, quality, and accessibility of cleft lip and palate treatment and care. Using human-centered technology, we help patients regain their confident smiles.
Operation Smile is a global nonprofit organization, bridging the gap in access to essential surgeries and healthcare, starting with cleft surgery and comprehensive care. They provide medical expertise, training, research and care through their dedicated staff and medical and student volunteers around the world, working alongside local governments, nonprofits and health systems, and supported by their generous donors and corporate partners.
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