Operation Smile is a nonprofit medical service organization founded in 1982 by Dr. William P. Magee Jr. and his wife Kathleen (Kathy) S. Magee. It is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to providing cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, Operation Smile works as a non-governmental organization to reduce the occurrence of cleft lips and palates worldwide. Operation Smile has provided over 220,000 surgeries for children and young adults born with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities in over 60 countries since 1982, at no cost to the recipients. As of 2018, Operation Smile provided on-going care around the world at 34 smile centers. According to its tax report, Operation Smile completed 156 medical missions in 80 sites globally, including 13 sites in extremely poor regions. During missions, over 35,000 dental procedures were performed in the year 2018. Early History of Operation Smile Operation Smile was founded by Bill and Kathy Magee (Dr. William P. Magee Jr., D.D.S., M.D. and Kathleen S. Magee, B.S.N., M.Ed., M.S.W.). In 1982 Bill Magee, a plastic surgeon, and Kathy Magee, who was then a social worker and a nurse, were invited to join a Philippine cleft repair mission with a group of medical volunteers. When they realized that the group would not return to the Philippines though there were many remaining who needed surgery, they established Operation Smile, Bill Magee said, The Magee's completed two return trips to Naga City, treating 400 children. The scope of the organization increased after Mother Teresa invited Operation Smile to come to India to treat deformed children. In 1987, Operation Smile launched the Physicians’ Program, which brought doctors from the countries where it hosted medical missions to Norfolk, Virginia, to train with Bill Magee. That same year Operation Smile completed its First medical mission to Kenya. Within the next two years, Operation Smile received a Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives from President Ronald Reagan, and was adopted as a service project by the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1995, Operation Smile opened its first care center, offering patients cleft treatments year-round, in Duitama, Colombia. After establishing the Global Headquarters location in Norfolk, VA, Operation Smile began foundations in different countries like Australia, UK, Italy, Vietnam, and Ireland. Programs Surgical missions For each mission, Operation Smile verifies the credentials and organizes the participation and travel arrangements for a team of volunteers.