Merger between Operation Smile and The Smile Train derailed
The boards of directors of Operation Smile and The Smile Train - among the world leaders in volunteering medical services aimed at treating cleft lip and palate in developing nations - separately voted March 7 to halt the planned merger of the organizations, which was first announced Feb. 14. The merger would have created a new organization called "Operation Smile Train."
While all of the details behind the decision are not known, The New York Times reported March 6 that the decision followed "widespread opposition among The Smile Train's donors, according to documents whose contents were confirmed by a person familiar with the matter."
The Smile Train, based in New York, was founded in 1999 by Charles Wang and Brian Mullaney. However, Mullaney resigned as president of the organization last year after a "falling out" with Wang, according to the New York Times.
"One of the drafts (of the documents obtained by the newspaper) makes it clear that Smile Train blames Mr. Mullaney for the failure of the merger," the article stated.
In an open letter posted on The Smile Train's home page the day of the merger discontinuation announcement, co-founder and Chairman Charles Wang referred only to outside influences - some that formerly belonged to his organization - that disturbed the merger.
"Sadly, some former The Smile Train management and others have taken a very aggressive and damaging approach to undermine the proposed transaction and our two organizations," Wang wrote. "At the time when the public discussion should have been about how our two organizations can change the lives of more children, there has been instead a self-serving campaign to spread untruths about each organization, the proposed merger and those of us who supported it...This has taken us away from what is most important: helping children with cleft lips and palates.
"It is in this context that, at today's Smile Train Board of Directors meeting, I recommended - and the Board approved - withdrawing from the contemplated merger," he wrote.
Operation Smile Chairman William Fox that day also released a statement on his organization's home page that read: "We have thoughtfully and carefully pursued combining our two organizations with the goal of treating more children in more countries around the world. Due to controversy surrounding the proposed merger, we have mutually agreed to remain independent organizations. Our focus at Operation Smile is to help more children, and we do not want anything to distract from this effort."
In an e-mail sent to PSN on March 8, Operational Smile co-founder and ASPS member William Magee, MD, stated that some good had come from the merger work by both organizations.
"While Operation Smile will remain independent, the actual merger process over the last several weeks has yielded incredibly positive results," he wrote. "We now have a collaborative relationship with The Smile Train and I look forward to working with them in the future.
"We all need to remember that this has always been about the thousands of children around the world who desperately need our help. Our programs are strong, and our model is constantly evolving," Dr. Magee noted. His correspondence also included statistics illustrating the growth of Operation Smile, which has always focused on building sustainability and comprehensive care in the countries where the organization operates, as well as the desire to continue treating even more children worldwide. Those statistics show that nearly 60 percent of Operation Smile's surgeries are performed year-round by medical personnel working as volunteers within their own countries.
Smile Train and Operation Smile have jointly provided 750,000 surgeries to children with cleft lips and/or cleft palates in 90 countries, where they also have helped provide related training to thousands of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical professionals.
Both organizations are assisted by plastic surgeons who volunteer their time and talent on surgical missions abroad to perform the procedures at no cost to the patients – and work with in-country medical volunteers to help build local health care infratructures.
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