Highlight on Humanitarianism
Prominent Surgeons Give Back
How Long Island Plastic Surgical Group Continues to Better Our World
By Gary Blank, Executive Director of LIPSG

There comes a time in the lives of many when a warm and beautiful spark suddenly ignites in the heart. It's a feeling very unique and different from the familiar emotions of falling in love, seeing your newborn for the very first time, or participating in a momentous family celebration. Freely and selflessly giving your heart, soul, and talent to those less fortunate within your community spreads love and hope around the world, and rewards you personally in the most unexpected ways.

The founders of the Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, PC had this passion for service long before they started their practice in 1948. Having just returned from their tour of duty in World War II, Doctors Leonard R. Rubin (1912-2001) and Richard H. Walden (1913-2001) set a precedent that Long Island Plastic Surgical Group (LIPSG) would be a place to treat those seeking all forms of reconstructive surgery, while they personally remained committed to serving those in need. The 14 renowned plastic surgeons that comprise LIPSG today have grown the practice into the largest private academic plastic surgical group in the nation, providing a vast array of both reconstructive and cosmetic surgical procedures while continuing to carry the goodwill torch in the local community and around the world.

Most of the surgeons have participated in global mission trips dating back decades to share their knowledge and surgical skills with those in desperate need of care. This is especially relevant to the recent disaster in Haiti, where Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh, Dr. Rachel Ruotolo, and Dr. Tommaso Addona provided life-saving surgeries to wounded men, women, and children throughout that region.

"My most inspiring moment in Haiti was when I talked with a little boy who was thrilled to be decorating faces on a balloon I gave him," says Dr. Alizadeh. "He had just endured an amputation procedure, yet the joy in his face to just play and draw was a testament to the resiliency and hope in children."

Meanwhile, many other surgeons at LIPSG have shared their hearts and talents around the world, like Dr. Leland Deane who has personally led missions to South America to treat congenital malformations in children, and Dr. Thomas Davenport who currently serves on the board of Interplast, a global philanthropic organization that provides free surgery to children with birth defects in developing countries.

"The treatments and procedures that we commit to providing to those in need around the world are no different than what we commit to providing to those less fortunate right here at home," says Dr. Laurence Glickman, a partner at LIPSG and standing board member of Project Morry, a non-profit youth development organization dedicated to children on Long Island. "Giving back is one of the principles our practice was founded upon, and for the last 60 years our doctors have been doing just that."

As leaders of the reconstructive and plastic surgery division of Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), Long Island Plastic Surgical Group physicians commit daily to caring for patients here on Long Island who otherwise could not afford treatment. Back in 1950, they were responsible for building the Burn Center at NUMC, and today, they continue to oversee management of this state-of-the-art facility, tending to the most critically injured patients throughout the hospital.

The truth is, when you speak to the surgeons, they all humbly believe that they receive so much more than they give. "Every time I return from a mission abroad or a local venture here at home, I always learn something new," admits Dr. Alizadeh. "I learn from the people I am treating, the people I volunteer with, and I am always enriched by the experience. This type of service to the community simply becomes part of who you are."

Clearly, the surgeons of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group recognize that they have the power to help heal the world. This group of compassionate leaders shares a common bond to give back, which has led them to the recent formation of the LIPSG Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to provide expert plastic surgical care to patients in need by offering charitable surgical procedures and travel scholarships to surgeons in training. Children and adults without the financial means to acquire life-saving care here at home will benefit from these resources. The Foundation will also serve to financially support the surgeons to continue travelling wherever care is needed to provide charitable surgeries to those without the financial means to acquire this life-saving care for themselves and their families.

It's a passion for goodness and a passion for life when the spark ignites and you realize you truly can make a difference in the lives of those around you. Being among a group of highly trained doctors who embrace this philosophy, like those found at Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, truly creates an environment that breeds hope and respect for all of humanity.

Since 1948, Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, PC has been dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive care to more than half a million patients. As the largest private academic plastic surgical practice in the nation, LIPSG board-certified surgeons have over 200 years combined experience as leaders and innovators in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.. For more information on how to become a part of the LIPSG Foundation, please visit the practice website at www.LIPSG.com. IMAGE