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HJF Donates to Visiting Surgeon Program in Lviv, Ukraine

United States

The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) has donated $30,000 to Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG) to support the Lviv Visiting Surgeon Program, which provides training in combat casualty care to Ukraine’s civilian Emergency Clinical Hospital.

The donation will help defray the costs of sending U.S. trauma surgeons to provide consultation and support services to doctors in Ukraine. The Lviv Visiting Surgeon Program sends volunteer surgeons experienced in combat wound care to spend two weeks training and working alongside Ukrainian clinicians and caregivers.

“HJF’s donation to support this vital mission in Ukraine serves to extend our own mission to advance military medicine through the transfer of knowledge and practices to serve both military and civilian populations,” said Joseph Caravalho, Jr., HJF President and CEO. “We have the utmost appreciation for GSMSG’s important work and the selflessness of the visiting surgeons and medical teams in-country.”

The funds for this donation come from the HJF-managed Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) Norman M. Rich Chair Surgery Endowment. This endowment is named for Dr. Norman Rich, a retired Army Colonel who was named an “Icon in Surgery” by the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Rich served as the founding chair of USU’s Department of Surgery and is Professor Emeritus for the university.

“As one of the first surgeons to come out of the Vietnam War, I’ve been involved in teaching courses related to trauma life support and combat casualty care to surgeons for decades, across cultures, borders, and language barriers,” said Dr. Rich. “I appreciate HJF’s donation to support the Lviv Visiting Surgeon Program to help those who have the misfortune of being injured during the attacks on Ukraine.”

Learn more about the mission and work of GSMSG at gsmsg.org.