Special Programs

Global Health Agenda

Dr. Matthew R. GreivesDr. Greives, Dr. Wainwright, and, previously, Dr. Teichgraeber, have all taken previous trips with Austin Smiles to Guatemala and El Salvador. In addition, Dr. Greives has been going with MACLA (Medical Aid for Children of Latin America) as a resident (2012, 2013) and then continuously since 2018 (except 2021, due to the pandemic). MACLA services Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and operates at the Hospital Padre Billini, which was the first charity hospital in the country. MACLA is based in Kansas City and has been going to this location for over 30 years. We perform cleft, microtia, hand and burn reconstruction on the trip with many volunteer faculty collaborators, from University of Chicago (Sara Dickie), Mercy Children’s Hospital in Kansas City, UTHealth (Dr Greives), UNC (Michelle Roughton (former) and Jeyhan Wood), and USC.

Orthoplastic Limb Restoration Program

Orthoplastic Limb Restoration ProgramThe Orthoplastic Limb Restoration Program united orthopedic and plastic surgeons’ expertise to treat patients with severe limb conditions caused by trauma, cancer, infection, and complex orthopedic disorders. Orthopedic and plastic surgeons at UTHealth Houston work as a team at the busiest trauma hospital in the country to provide compassionate, expert care to save limbs, maximize limb function, improve mobility and recovery, and restore lives. Our plastic surgery extremity reconstruction team focuses on soft tissue reconstruction, expertly managing skin, muscles, and blood vessels to promote healing and function. Through a multidisciplinary approach, our surgical specialists partner with experts in physical medicine and rehabilitation, along with pain medicine, to offer leading-edge surgical and nonsurgical solutions to address structural and soft tissue challenges in a unified manner.