Bill Klaproth: This is OMS Voices, an AAOMS podcast. I’m Bill Klaproth. And with me is Dr. Joli Chou, who is here to discuss how Mercy Ships provide humanitarian aid. Dr. Chou, thank you for being here.

Dr. Joli Chou: Well, thank you for having me. It is a great honor for me to talk about one of my passions other than my career. So, I’m very excited to be able to share this with our audiences.

Bill Klaproth: I love it. So, you love the Mercy Ship.

Dr. Joli Chou: Yes.

Bill Klaproth: You love volunteering?

Dr. Joli Chou: I love volunteering, and…

Bill Klaproth: And you love giving back. Yeah. Okay. I love it. So let me ask you this then. Speaking of volunteering, after spending time volunteering with Mercy Ships, tell us more about the organization.

Dr. Joli Chou: Mercy Ships is an organization that is committed to providing free surgeries as well as strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in nations that it serves via floating hospitals. Currently, the organization has two ships: the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. Mercy Ships’ mission is to provide hope and healing to the most needy in this world. Since 1978, the organization has provided community development projects with community health education, mental health projects, programs in agriculture and palliative care for terminally ill patients in addition to free surgeries to the nations that it serves.

Bill Klaproth: So, let me ask you this. How does the ship get dispatched to certain areas? You call up and go, ‘Hey, can I get the Mercy Ship over here?’ How does that work?

Dr. Joli Chou: It is a complex process. There are certain areas of the world that have a lot more need. In particularly currently, the West Coast of Africa is where the organization primarily serves. It has served in other areas of the world in the past as well. I think in general, they form a collaboration with the host country, and that’s how the process begins.

Bill Klaproth: That’s really interesting. I mean, what a great mission that it serves. There’s a need for these ships and the service is provided through the Mercy Ships.

Dr. Joli Chou: It’s a really great organization in the sense that it brings, in addition to the free surgeries, capacity building for the nations that it serves. So, of course, a lot of the nations that it serves do not have the resources to treat the population of the country for a lot of the procedures that we would consider fairly routine in the United States. But in addition to that, they also try to make sure that once the ship leaves the country, they also impart knowledge that stays with the country or infrastructure or whatnot.

Bill Klaproth: Yeah, again, that’s a really great part of the mission. So, is that how this organization operates? Can you share any other insights on how it operates?

Dr. Joli Chou: Usually, it settles itself to the host country and it’s docked there in a single country for nearly a year, one year at a time. Each ship is more than just a mobile hospital; it really provides hope to the people of the nation that it’s docked at. It does require more than 400 people to function effectively. So that demonstrates the scale of the operation. Again, people that serve with the organization are not just medical professionals. People with diverse skillsets contribute to the organization’s mission. Whether you’re performing surgery to remove a disfiguring tumor for a patient, or you’re just cleaning the deck of the ship, or you’re transporting patients. The volunteers for the ship or for the organization ensure that thousands receive the medical attention they need and make a difference in the lives of the struggling people every day that they serve.

Bill Klaproth: I like how you say it provides hope. I bet when that ship pulls into port, people are like, ‘Yes, help is here.’ I mean, that’s really, really cool. Providing hope. So, what type of treatment have you provided while on a Mercy Ship mission?

Dr. Joli Chou: So, while surgeries like cleft lip and palate repair are routine in developed countries like the United States, they can be a game changer in regions with limited medical infrastructures. So generally, I’ve been able to perform such procedures to be part of restoring the dignity and confidence in patients or individuals who have lived with these facial differences for years.

Bill Klaproth: I would imagine cleft lip and palate is one of the major issues that you treat, and that people in Africa face.

Dr. Joli Chou: In addition to that, I also treat disfiguring tumors, mostly benign, as well as other maxillofacial conditions such as ankylosis, which is a condition where the jaw joint is fused, and the patient cannot open their mouth. So, they cannot eat properly and speak properly. But in general, these conditions are not generally prevalent in the United States, but because the countries that the organization serves lack the resources. So when we arrive, a lot of times the numbers just seem daunting.

Bill Klaproth: I would bet it’s overwhelming at times. Can you recall an extreme case that you have seen that has solidified your participation in the cause?

Dr. Joli Chou: Most of the cases there are extreme. So, I don’t know if I have one particular case. But just the first time that I ever participated on a mission with the Mercy Ships organization, I was actually sponsored by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. And when I arrived, generally the first day, you get to screen the patients. They pre-screen the patients, and then you also screen them again before the surgery to make sure that it is something that is treatable, manageable on the floating hospital. And just the size of the disfiguring tumors and the number of patients that show up with that particular condition is just so large that it shows me that there’s really a need out there.

Bill Klaproth: There is a need. Big need, absolutely. What made you want to do this? What made you want to volunteer and be part of the Mercy Ship mission?

Dr. Joli Chou: Well, I always wanted to give back. I would like to think that I give back every day in my everyday work.

Bill Klaproth: I think you do.

Dr. Joli Chou: In addition to that, in addition to what I do every day, I think there’s a little bit of a personal reason as well. I feel it solidifies to me my choice in my career path. And the fact that my years of training and days of work have given me a skill set that can provide free care for people who really need it.

Bill Klaproth: You’re really making a difference in people’s lives, I mean a huge difference. And that is justified in the staggering number of people that need these treatments. So, you really are providing a wonderful service. So, what would you say to an individual considering volunteering in this way? Or with the organization, and what are some of the benefits that you’ve noticed outside of the personal satisfaction you take away from this?

Dr. Joli Chou: In this particular organization, when you participate, you get to meet all kinds of people from different parts of the world. The volunteers on board are multinational, not only do you meet healthcare professionals, like I said earlier, there’ll be people cooking, for example, for the meals for the crew that’s on the ship. There are people who provide IT computer services so that you can view X-rays, there are radiologists, radiology techs. So, it really shows how the work of individuals that comes together as a collective really can help a lot more, and it exemplifies the spirit of service and humanity. And it reminds us how we’re interconnected in our global community, and how the power of compassion and expertise combined can do so much good.

Bill Klaproth: Working towards a shared goal, really, really important. When you’re on the ship, are you on there, you said it comes to port for generally a year at a time. Are you on the ship for the whole year, or do you work part-time?

Dr. Joli Chou: So, there are different types of volunteers. On the ship, there are doctors that are there for the whole field service, so that’s generally between eight to 10 months or so in the host nation. There are shorter-term volunteers, so the shortest term for surgeons is two weeks. But I have been there for two weeks, three weeks at a time. You can go back while the ship is docked at the host nation. You can say, ‘I’m going to go for two weeks at the beginning of the service and then come back for another two weeks.’ Some people stay for three months at a time, some people stay for the whole thing. So, there are different levels of commitment to the organization.

Bill Klaproth: Absolutely. Well, this is fascinating. And what a great service it does provide, truly making a difference in people’s lives, and people like you that are volunteering to do this, because you’re getting goodwill and satisfaction out of this as well.

Dr. Joli Chou: Yes. For anybody who has not tried to volunteer, whether it’s with the Mercy Ship or with even just a local organization, not only are you helping people, but I think it also, like you said, really provides people with a sense of accomplishment as well.

Bill Klaproth: Yeah. Well, this has been great learning about the Mercy Ship. Anything you’d like to add, Dr. Chou?

Dr. Joli Chou: Again, I’d just like to encourage people, in this day and age, we talk about burnout a lot, and I think this is one of the ways where you can feel that your contribution to the global community is of value and that a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery is multifaceted and not only do we help our local communities, but we also help the global community.

Dr. Bill Klaproth: Very, very well said. So, I like how you said that, and thank you for educating us and opening our eyes to different paths that OMS can take. And volunteering is one of them.

Dr. Joli Chou: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Bill Klaproth: It’s been great talking with you, Dr. Chou. Thank you so much. And once again, that is Dr. Joli Chou. And for more information and the full podcast library, please visit MyOMS.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. And don’t forget to subscribe. Thanks for listening.