As is always evident by the intense demand when Operation International’s teams arrive at their mission trip sites, the need for surgical care for underserved communities is vast and far-reaching around the globe. This year, Operation International has launched six new teams to help meet that incredibly significant demand.

Two of the new teams–Team MD and Team Heart of Texas–have already embarked on a mission trip in 2025. Now, the next four teams are getting ready for their debut bringing much-needed humanitarian aid around the world. Read below to learn more about what these new teams will offer.

Team LA

First up of the newest OI teams is a group of medical professionals from Los Angeles led by a familiar face to Operation International: Ian Otinga.

Ian, a native of Kenya who immigrated to the USA and studied to become a nurse, founded Team LA in 2025 after helping spearhead several medical mission trips to his home country. Ian has held the position of Country Coordinator for Operation International’s work in Kenya since 2024 after he successfully organized missions for Team Chicago, Team DC, and Team Restore Vision. These missions have had a life-changing impact on Kenya already. With Ian's coordination, OI's Restore Vision team completed 247 life-changing eye surgeries, Team Chicago completed 94 surgeries, and Team DC provided 107 surgeries for those in need.

The newly launched Team LA returned to Kakamega, Kenya in late October and is currently doing great work for the community. The team includes three doctors, six nurses, two CRNAs, and three surgical technologists who will focus on reconstructive surgery and head and neck surgeries. Team LA will also help establish a base in Kakamega for Operation International for future humanitarian work there.

Team Canada

The next team up on the agenda will be our newest international chapter, Team Canada, who will head on their first mission trip in November.

The team was also formed in 2025. It is led by Caroline Gauthier, OBGYN MD and Kim T-V, RN MSc, who previously worked with Operation International on Team ENT’s mission in 2024. The Canadian chapter’s initial focus will be on women’s gynecological surgeries. Their mission is set for OI’s base in Techiman, Ghana.

Team leader Caroline Gauthier, OBGYN MD, is a highly trained obstetrician-gynecologist specializing in gynecological minimally invasive surgery. Kim T-V, RN MS, is a Registered Nurse with a distinguished career dedicated to global health and humanitarian efforts.

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Team SEE Kenya

In line with Operation International’s focus on training local healthcare professionals and improving hospital infrastructure, the next new team will tackle both of these goals in the organization’s newest base.

Team SEE Kenya, focused on Surgical Education and Empowerment, was launched in 2025 and will be led by Cheryl Carandang Nocon, MD, FACS. Country Coordinator for Kenya and Team LA leader, Ian Otinga, is also a member of the team. Team SEE Kenya will focus specifically on enhancing the education and training of Kenyan health care professionals in the perioperative management of surgical disorders in Kakamega, Kenya.

“Working in close collaboration with a targeted group of local surgeons, anesthetists, nurses and operating room technicians, our team's goal is to engage in the mutual exchange of knowledge, skills and experiences with our Kenyan colleagues; to foster equitable partnerships; and to encourage collective problem solving in a low resource setting,”  Dr. Carandang Nocon said. “We aim to support the local staff in their goals to independently provide safe, sustainable and high quality care to their community. We also partner with local hospital and government officials who share sustainability goals, to ensure the ongoing administrative and financial support of their health care professionals.”

The team’s  first training program in 2026 will focus on the perioperative management of head and neck disorders, including goiters and maxillofacial tumors.

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Team Hearts

Last but not least of the new teams is Operation International’s second cardiac-focused team, Team Hearts.

Team Hearts was founded in 2025 and is comprised of a cardiac practice in Northern Indiana. The team will be led by Christine Rullo, a PA in Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Dr. Amjad Syed,, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. Together, Christine and Dr. Syed built a dedicated cardiothoracic surgery team who are “a tightly bound group of exceptional and skilled professionals committed to delivering life-saving cardiac surgery as vital as the heartbeat they strive to restore.”

The team’s first mission with Operation International is being planned for early 2026.

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Show Your Support!

Interested in helping fund these medical mission trips or support our medical volunteers? You can donate to any of these team’s upcoming medical missions at the links on their pages on our website. Operation International’s medical missions and humanitarian medical aid would not be possible without our generous supporters.

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