Mission: Restore Annual Report 2016-17

2016-17
ANNUAL
REPORT

OUR
MISSION

Mission: Restore
is creating a world

in which local
surgeons have
the knowledge,
skills, and support
they need to
treat debilitating
injuries in their own
communities.

1

Table of Contents

3 Letters from our Founder & Executive Director
5 A Global Health Challenge
7 An Economic Opportunity
8 Our Philosophy
9 Our Model
11 Our Impact in 2016-17
13 Why East Africa?
14 Hospitals
15 East Africa Regional Trainings
16 Anatomy of a Surgical Training Trip
17 Local Surgeon Spotlights
19 Women in Surgery
20 Breaking the Mold in Zambia
21 Restoring Childhood: Hairun’s Story
23 Restoring Quality of Life: Asha’s Story
25 Where We’re Headed
27 The Mission: Restore Team
29 2016 Financials
30 Our Supporters

2

From our Founder

Dear Friends,

I am proud to provide you with our 2016-17 Annual Report. In 1993 when I first had the
opportunity to travel to the Afghan refugee camps as a volunteer medical student, I
was lucky enough to be exposed to amazing mentors. It was here that I first realized
that unless local care givers had the knowledge and skills to administer the proper
care when needed, all the money and supplies in the world would not help those most
in need.

Over the next two decades I started visiting countries with minimal or no access to
surgical training and care. During these trips, my colleagues and I provided life-altering
surgeries for children, ranging from cleft lip and palates to burns and congenital
tumors. However, after dozens of such volunteer trips it became apparent to me that
what was needed was a long-term solution. I realized that no “one-time” visit could
sustainably address the ongoing challenges these communities face. This led to the
formation of Mission: Restore.

I believe what makes Mission: Restore unique is our dedication to staying responsive to
the needs of the local communities, as well as our focus on supporting local surgeons
through training and mentorship. We leverage our surgeon educators to bring years
of knowledge and experience to teach young doctors in developing countries. We
leverage technology to increase the value of the skills received by our local partners.
And finally, we leverage our partnerships to ensure improved long-term outcomes for
our patients.

Due to the prevalence of kerosene lamps and cooking over open fires, over 60% of the
cases our surgeons treat are burn related. If these cases don’t receive the appropriate
care, these injuries can turn into life long disabilities that cripple the patient and their
family.

Last year, we noticed a young woman sitting outside the clinic having seizures. When
we went to her aid, we learned about the story of her tragedy. She was taking care
of her one-year-old while cooking at home when she had a seizure and fell over the
heating lamp resulting in horrible third degree burns of her face and neck, which in
turn resulted in permanent scar contractures and inability to eat. Our team at Mission:
Restore then created a series of teaching cases with the local doctors to gradually
release her contractures of the mouth, eyelids, and neck and replace them with skin
grafts. We are proud to say that Asha has now returned to her daily life of cooking and
taking care of her family, as evidenced by our recent visit to her village in Zanzibar
(read Asha’s full story Pg 23-24).

Without access to surgical care, many patients would never be given the chance to
go to school, care for their families and live healthy, happy lives. Mission: Restore
has changed the fate of these and countless others who deserve better care and a
healthier future. Thank you for joining us to restore not only lives, but hope in our
increasingly interconnected world.

Sincerely,

Kaveh Alizadeh, MD, FACS, Founder of Mission: Restore

3

From our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

The last two years have been an exciting time for Mission:
Restore. Our programs have continued to grow, and we’ve
created partnerships with some amazing organizations at both
the grassroots and international level enabling us to strengthen
our programs and launch new initiatives.

As our programs expand one thing remains the same; Mission:
Restore and our local partners’ shared aim to provide high quality
medical care to those most in need. From our partnership with
a young surgeon working to bring surgical care to a remote
district hospital in Northern Zanzibar that has otherwise served
a population isolated from immediate hospital care due to time
and distance; to a partnership with grassroots organization,
Tanzania Rural Health Movement, that brings health care to
street children in northern Tanzania, we are always striving to
do more.

I’m especially excited for the launch of our Women in Surgery
Campaign. Inspired by the many female surgeons we’ve seen
in our trainings, our goal is to recruit, train and support even
more female surgeons across Africa. We are inspired to work
alongside local surgeons like Dr. Olivia in Tanzania, one of the
only female surgical specialists in her region who works with
Mission: Restore to speak with and inspire young female medical
students in Tanzania to pursue a surgical career. Our female
surgeon partners across East Africa are breaking down barriers
and inspiring future generations, having an outsized impact in
their communities.

Thanks to your support we’ve expanded our programs and are
now operating in five hospitals across Kenya and Tanzania. By
establishing strong partnerships, Mission: Restore is able to
provide curated hands-on training and consistent mentorship
to surgeon partners, and holistic surgical care for patients to
ensure quality surgical outcomes. We could not have come this
far without your support. Thank you for believing that all people
deserve the opportunity to live a healthy life.

There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast,
go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Thank you for
being part of our journey. While we have come a long way, we
continue to have our eyes on the horizon and will always strive
to do more.

With Gratitude,

Karina Nagin, Executive Director of Mission: Restore

4

A GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGE

5 billion people lack
access to essential

surgical care

Over 50 million
traumatic injuries

occur globally
each year

Over 90% of
these occur in low-
and middle-income

countries

5

As a result, more than

5 million

people die from these injuries every year,
a total that is greater than the number
of deaths from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and

tuberculosis, combined

30%Approximately

of the global burden of disease
requires surgical intervention

Yet the

poorest one-third
of the world’s population receives
only 6% of surgeries performed
worldwide

6

AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

The impact of inadequate surgical care goes beyond health outcomes.

Over 30% of Until recently, most
injury-related international development
organizations thought that
deaths affect those addressing this surgical gap
aged 15-44 years was too costly and complex of

an issue to tackle

which is the most In 2015, the Lancet
economically Commission on Global Surgery
productive
released a report that found
demographic of for every $1 spent on
the population. As
strengthening local surgical
a result... capacity, $10 is generated
through enhanced health
by 2030, $12.3
trillion in low- and and increased productivity

middle-income
countries will be

lost

due to mortality
from causes
treatable by
surgery

7

OUR PHILOSOPHY

depth over breadth

we focus on developing meaningful partnerships between local surgeons and
surgeon educators

prioritize education

we train local surgeons who will serve their communities long after
Mission: Restore leaves

use local resources

we operate within the constraints of the local systems so that our impact can
be sustained in the long-term

operate with, not for

our educators work alongside local partners, ensuring lasting learning and
sustainable impact

8

OUR MODEL Since there are so few
specialized surgeons in
Mission: Restore fosters a global East Africa, many of our
network of surgeons who can partners work in isolation
support and learn from each and are left addressing
other. Our surgical network not reconstructive surgical
only connects surgeons with needs for their entire

experts and mentors in the United region on their own.
States, but empowers local

surgeons to teach their new skills
to junior colleagues.

The train-the-trainer model
we utilize strengthens

local health systems, and
empowers local surgeons
as leaders within their
community. The impact of
this network continues to

grow as it scales.

9

Our goal is to This approach of
identify, support, collaboration and
and build a network community building
for these surgeons. strengthens relationships
and creates a strong
sustainable foundation
from which impact can

be multiplied.

surgical training visits

hands-on training from highly-skilled surgeon educators

surgical education grants

support for community-minded, promising young doctors to continue their surgical
training

telemedicine

ongoing consultation, mentoring, and monitoring of outcomes

regional trainings

multi-day workshops where new and seasoned surgeons from several countries across
Africa come together to learn, share best practices, and expand their professional network

10

OUR IMPACT IN 2016-17 24%
of whom were
women

5
partner
hospitals 90

local

surgeons

trained

9

surgical training
trips

320 29

hours of in-person telemedicine
surgical training consultations
provided from US
surgeon trainers

11

73% 96

were under 18 complex surgeries
years of age overseen by surgeon
trainers on patients,

of which:

60% 66%

were under 5 years were burn-related
of age injuries

57%

were women

$40,000 $936,250

of medical supplies of probono services provided by
donated our volunteer surgeon educators 12

WHY EAST AFRICA?

Africa carries 24% of the global burden of disease, but only has access to 3% of the
world’s health workforce. Some of the greatest need for surgical procedures are found
in sub-Saharan Africa.

Our five current hospital partners include two hospital facilities in Zanzibar, Tanzania; a
regional referral hospital in Mwanza, Tanzania; the country’s largest hospital in Nairobi,
Kenya, and the country’s second largest government hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.
However through regional trainings we have engaged surgeons from 9 countries across
Africa as part of our surgical network.

Ethiopia

DR Congo Kenya
Tanzania
Congo
Rwanda-
Burundi-

Where Our Surgical Zambia
Partners Operate Zimbabwe

Regional Training
Alumni

Surgical & Regional
Training Alumni

13

HOSPITALS

Mission: Restore creates long-term partnerships with government

hospitals that have the highest volume of patients with the

greatest need. We provide their surgeons with specialized support

and training, ultimately strengthening the hospitals’ surgical

capacities. 14

EAST AFRICA REGIONAL TRAININGS

2016 2017

Entering its third year, the East Africa Regional Total 41 70
Training on Reconstructive Surgery & Post
Operative Care (EART) has become a hallmark participants 31%
program at Mission: Restore which seeks to bring 11
together surgeons from across the continent Female 25% 24
for a week of learning, skill-sharing, and most enrollment
importantly, network-building.
Countries 9
The inaugural EART was hosted at Kenyatta represented
National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016. Due
to the initial success, the program has grown and 14Hospitals
in 2017 was hosted at Coast General Hospital
in Mombasa, Kenya. In partnership with the represented
College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern
Africa (COSECSA), and supported by Smile Train,
emerging and seasoned surgical professionals
collaboratively work at these trainings to learn
new techniques that they will then bring back to
their home hospitals across Africa.

15

Mission: Restore’s ANATOMY OF A SURGICAL
surgical training
visits were built to TRAINING TRIP
break away from the
traditional surgical By placing local
mission model. surgeons at the center

of the training and
the operating room,
we move one step

closer to building
local capacity and

leadership.

4 times a year, Mission: Our educators come
Restore Surgeon from major surgical hubs

Educators collaboratively throughout the US.
operate alongside local
surgeons in operating Returning participants
rooms across East Africa. who have participated in
previous trainings take on
leadership roles in training

their surgical peers.

16

LOCAL SURGEON SPOTLIGHTS

Dr. Olivia Kimario “The best part of my job, is that
Bugando Medical Center I get to change somebody’s life. I
get to see my patients and their
Mwanza, Tanzania families smile.”
Dr. Olivia Kimario

“I always wanted Dr. Francis Tegete
to work in CoRSU Hospital
Nairobi. I was
born here and Uganda
live here. I want
to put my skills
to use here.”
Dr. John Ogalo

17

Dr. Maulid Abdalla “Currently, we only have
Kivunge District Hospital one plastic surgeon in all of
Zambia. He’s not Zambian.
Zanzibar, Tanzania When I graduate, I hope to
be among the first Zambian
plastic surgeons in the
country.”
Dr. Amanda Malungo

“Plastic surgery changes Dr. Peter Biribwa
someone’s life…receiving Kenyatta National Hospital
surgical treatment is truly a life
altering event for patients.” Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Vihar Kotecha

18

WOMEN IN SURGERY

Mission: Restore
recognizes that
closing the gender
gap in surgery is not
only about equality
for women, but is
the most impactful
and effective way
to meet the current
global surgical need.

By recruiting,
training, and
supporting female
surgeons across
Africa, we can help
address the global
scarcity of surgeons
while improving
access to healthcare
worldwide.

19

BREAKING THE MOLD IN ZAMBIA:
Dr. Amanda Malungo

Dr. Nangandu Amanda Malungo is a trailblazer.
When she entered the Plastic Surgery program at the University of Nairobi
in 2016, she was the only woman in her class. Now in her second year, she
is well on her way to returning to Zambia as one of the first officially trained
reconstructive surgeons for her entire country.

Dr. Malungo is also a Mission: Restore Educational Grantee. Her dedication
to community education and working in remote areas without access to
healthcare showed us not only a surgeon with heart, but a formidable leader
with the capacity to become an influencer in East Africa’s efforts to close the
surgical gap.

20

RESTORING CHILDHOOD:
HAIRUN’S STORY

In 2015, six-year-old Hairun experienced a traumatic
injury that left her right arm severely burned and
changed the path of her childhood.
As her family rushed to seek care for their daughter,
Hairun began an arduous journey paved not only by
a lack of quality services, but also a lack of qualified
health professionals.

21

The physicians in Zanzibar initially splinted her
arm incorrectly, and Hairun was unable to access

physical therapy. It was not long before the
entirety of her arm became locked in place, leaving

her fingers barely mobile and the rest of her arm
frozen.

This was Hairun when we met her.

During Mission: Restore’s training visit to Zanzibar
in summer 2016, two local surgeons operated
alongside Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh to master a

technique that would loosen, straighten, and splint
Hairun’s injured arm.

After 12 weeks of physical therapy, Hairun was
given a fresh start to draw, play, write, and most

importantly, to return to school.

Our programs not only provide
opportunities to operate on

complex cases like Hairun’s, but
give local surgeons the techniques
they need to provide quality care to

all future patients.

22

RESTORING QUALITY OF LIFE:
ASHA’S STORY

Seizures were not new
for Asha - she had faced
them for most of her life
because of her epilepsy.
But when she was 25, she
experienced a seizure
while standing next to a
ground-level cooking stove
– a horrific event that left
her with severe burns on
her face, neck, chest, and
limbs.

23

As her wounds healed, the scars severely
limited the mobility of all the affected

areas, making it impossible for Asha to
fully extend her arm, move her head and
neck, or shut her right eye. The burns were
so severe they made it difficult for her to

eat, drink, or even talk.

In December 2015 Asha made the 24-hour
trip from her home in Pemba Island to
Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar. Our

surgeons worked together to release the
contracture on her neck and arm. In June
2016, just two days after giving birth to her
son, Asha returned for a second surgery,

where local surgeons worked alongside
Mission: Restore co-founder Dr. Alizadeh

to return not only more mobility, but
quality of life to Asha.

We visited Asha in her home this past July.
Her regained mobility in the neck and arm
now allows her to eat, cook and play with

her children.

Asha’s story demonstrates the
importance of developing long-term
partnerships with hospitals in order
to remotely assist local surgeons on
complex cases, and ensure patients
are able to regain the quality of life

they deserve.

24

DATA WHERE WE’R

Mission: Restore is focusing on a data WOMEN
driven approach to continually improve
our programs and demonstrate our Over 20% of our
results. We launched our 3x3000 surgeon partners
data campaign, which will have both
immediate impact and long term are women
significance. The focus on data will
enable us to: Mission: Restore recognizes that
closing the gender gap in surgery is
• Collect the information needed not only about equality for women,
to prove the impact of essential but is the most impactful and
surgical care. effective way to meet the current
• Demonstrate global surgery’s global surgical need. By recruiting,
role as a key component of building training and supporting female
strong health systems. surgeons across Africa, we can
• Prove the cost-effectiveness of help address the global scarcity of
building local capacity of surgeons surgeons while improving access
vs. importing foreign doctors for to healthcare worldwide.
short-term missions.
• Evaluate large data sets to Mission: Restore aims to engage
continue to improve surgical training more women in our training
programs and to help identify programs, and increase our
ways to better support surgeons in programs to include more trainings
providing successful surgical results. targeted at female medical
students to encourage them to
The surgeons trained pursue surgical specialties. These
by Mission: Restore programs aim to give future
perform ~10,000 generations the resources, tools,
surgeries per year and networks necessary to support
and empower them as surgeons
Over time, we hope that our metrics and leaders.
will support a growing recognition of
the importance of supporting local
surgeons’ educational advancement
to increase surgical capacities in
hospitals throughout Africa.
25

RE HEADED NETWORKS

PARTNERSHIPS Supporting Local
Leaders
Since arriving in East Africa in 2014, Mission:
Restore has partnered with other non-profit In addition to providing training, Mission:
organizations that embody similar values, Restore is dedicated to fostering a global
including Smile Train, College of Surgeons of network of surgeons who can support
East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA), and learn from each other indefinitely.
and Tanzania Rural Health Movement. These key This approach of collaboration and
partnerships help to strengthen our programs community building is transferable to
and improve care for patients. many settings and the impact of this
network continues to grow as it scales.
In 2017 we began a partnership with Tanzania
Rural Health Movement, a local grassroots In 2017, we launched the Operating
organization, to train nurses in wound Together micro-grant program, which
management and to facilitate post-operative aims to strengthen our surgeon
care follow up in patients’ home villages. These network by identifying and funding new
partnerships help us gain a deeper understanding learning-sharing and local leadership
of local challenges and barriers to care. opportunities within our African
network.
Partnering with
international We encourage the surgeons we train
and grassroots to share their newly learned skills with
organizations local doctors and medical interns, not
only expanding the scope and impact of
Without our local partners, many surgical cases each training, but encouraging surgeons
would have poor or even negative outcomes to act as influencers within their own
due to infection. Our partnerships allow us to communities.
implement programs that support and reinforce
the national health system, instead of replacing 26
it, while improving patient outcomes. Through
partnerships, we improve surgical training while
also taking a more holistic approach that focuses
on peri-operative care and improves long-term
outcomes for patients.

Collaborating with partners remains a core value,
and we are looking forward to strengthening
both local and international partnerships in the
coming years.

THE MISSION: RESTORE TEAM

Staff
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh Founder

Karina Nagin Executive Director
Michelle Zavila Program Manager

Interns
Alex Mohtadi

Sally Salari
Arlene Lormestoire

Nayab Khan
Rahani Green

Surgeon Educators

Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh Westchester Medical Center
Dr. Morad Askari University of Miami
Dr. Joyce Aycock University of Colorado at Denver
Dr. Peter Biribwa University of Nairobi
SUNY Stony Brook
Dr. Alexander Dagum Good Samaritan Hospital
Dr. Stephen Harris CoRSU Hospital, Uganda
Dr. Andrew Hodges Children’s Hospital of New Orleans
Dr. Sol Mundinger St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center
Dr. Silvio Podda Glen Cove Hospital and Greenwish Hospital
Dr. Syed Sayeed

27

Governing Board Advisory Council Young Professionals Board
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh James Benedict Ciara Villalona-Lockhart
Jenny Carragher Natasha Goldstein President
Lawrence Flick Kevin Hong
Sarah Holloway Jill Jobbins A very special thank you to
John Nazemian Dr. Amy Lehman William Vázquez for photographs
Khadija Rejto Stephanie Martinez from EART 2017
Kate McAuliff
Dee Raviv

Behdad & Lila Alizadeh Founder’s Circle Bardia Mesbah
Fran Amir-Saleh Shaz Mossanen
Maryam Ayromlou Arman Falsafi Fred Nazem
Fred Azima Maryam Flick Kathleen Reichert
Lilian & Shlomo Bakhash Jayran Ghara Khadija Rejto
Charmin Batmanghelidj Elahae Golsorkhi Nozgol Shahbazi
Nazanin Batmanghelidj Leila Heller Aryan Shaygani
James Benedict Bahar Hoghooghi Ramin Sheikh
Thomas Davenport MD Efrem Kamen Niloufar Sherkati
Tom Deierlein Laya Khajavi Bo Yaghmai
Vincent DiGreggorio MD Roya Khajavi
Akbar & Meriel Lari
Kamy & Farideh Maalizadeh

28

2016 Financials

Revenue

Board $40,000

Grants $110,890

Individual $39,894

In-Kind $503,500

Events $56,357

TOTAL $750,641

Expenses

Program Services $130,056

General & Administrative $57,525

Development $56,099

In-Kind $503,500

TOTAL $747,180

29

Our Supporters

Grants
Acelity
Allergan Foundation
Benco Famiy Foundation
Integra Foundation
Segal Family Foundation

Sientra

Smile Train

$10k+ Donors $500+
Kaveh Alizadeh Arian Alikhani
Ambassador Hushang & Shahla Ansary $1k+ Afsaneh Aslani
Siavosh & Haydeh Arjomand Hossein & Mina Alizadeh Blaise Benza
Lawrence & Maryam Flick Behdad Alizadeh Aimee Bickel
Zainab Jaffer Joyce Aycock Mary Christian
Ahmad Jahan Jenny Carragher Richard Cohen
Shaz Mossanen Susannah Carrier Gerard Decapua, Esq.
Edward DeFranco Izzy Gliksberg
Lawrence Gleason Sarah Holloway
Jessica Harris Jill Jobbins
Rachel Erickson Hee Sandra Kamen
Kamila Islam Bardia Mesbah
Kevin Johnson Victor Pisante
Sandra Kamen Peter Von Schlossberger
Sandra & Michael Kamen Aryan Shayegani
Akbar Lari Nahid Taghinia
Manucher & Nafis Mahamedi Sahba Vaziri
Mr. & Mrs. Mehrara Sumati Vij
Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani DMS Biomedical
John & Lili Nazemian
Khadija Rejto 30
Marc Rowan
Faraj Saghri
Syed Sayeed
Rosemary & Jim Thomas
Babak Yaghmaie
Anesthesia Business Consultants
The Maalizadeh Family
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Bristol Myers Squibbs
EvolveMKD

120 East 87th Street, Suite P4B
New York, NY 10128

855-777-1350

[email protected]

@MRestore
@MissionRestore
@MissionRestore

Photo Credit: William Vázquez