Our Story
On a plane bound for Ethiopia in 2018, a random, seemingly insignificant
moment became the icon of our future global surgical efforts. A little
girl effortlessly drew two interlocked giraffes in a single-line drawing.
The simplicity of her gesture struck Josh deeply—
it was random, pure, and unprovoked, suppressing the fear and
uncertainty he was shrouded in. As the giraffes intertwined on the page,
they became a metaphor that stuck: a symbol of unexpected connections,
of global unity, and the profound impact that small, seemingly random
actions can have.
During his time in Ethiopia, this symbol took on even greater meaning.
While working in an under-resourced hospital, he became acutely aware of
the systems that weren’t working, the gaps in care, and the overwhelming
need for sustainable solutions. The giraffes came to represent his
realization that global surgery was about more than passing along
clinical skill; it was about partnership, humanity, and resilience.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower humanitarian surgeons to deliver exceptional global surgical care through bidirectional partnerships, while fostering self-sustainability and strengthening local surgical capacity through needs-driven education, service, and research.
Our Vision
To build sustainable systems that expand access to safe, affordable, and complex surgical care, closing gaps and improving outcomes for patients in low- and middle-income countries.
What We Do
Partner with us to design and implement global education, provide needs-based service and follow our outcomes through bidirectional research efforts.
Donor-Funded Humanitarian Efforts
- Provide donors with opportunities to contribute to measurable and impactful initiatives.
- Focus on improving global surgical care through targeted programs.
Directed Surgical Engagements
- Organize and execute short-term trips to provide direct surgical care.
- Focus on building local capacity and education during missions.
Needs-Driven Education and Training
• Equip local healthcare providers with skills for self-sufficiency.
• Deliver training for managing complex surgical care.
Research Initiatives
• Conduct research to identify and address barriers to surgical care in LMICs.
• Focus on creating sustainable and impactful solutions.
• Empower local providers to design and execute their own research initiatives
Supply Chain Management
• Develop and manage global supply chains for surgical instruments and resources.
• Ensure partner sites have consistent access to necessary tools.
Needs-Driven Education and Training
- Equip local healthcare providers with skills for self-sufficiency.
- Deliver training for managing complex surgical care.
Research Initiatives
- Conduct research to identify and address barriers to surgical care in LMICs.
- Focus on creating sustainable and impactful solutions.
- Empower local providers to design and execute their own research initiatives.
Supply Chain Management
- Develop and manage global supply for surgical instruments and resources.
- Ensure partner sites have consistent access to necessary tools
Josh & Sarah Wiedermann
President/CEO
Dr. Josh Wiedermann, a board-certified pediatric otolaryngology head and
neck surgeon, moved to Mekelle, Ethiopia, in 2018 after completing his
pediatric otolaryngology fellowship. His decision to work abroad was
deeply rooted in two pivotal experiences during medical school and
residency. His passion for teaching blossomed during a formative summer
in Botswana working with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS
Initiative between his first and second years of medical school. Then,
in his 4th year of residency, a good friend joined a volunteer medical
organization and moved to Liberia. Deeply inspired by these events, Dr.
Wiedermann moved to Ethiopia with the primary mission of helping the
local team establish an otolaryngology residency training program.
Through this challenging experience, he developed a deep passion for
global surgery, emphasizing the importance of clinical education,
collaborative relationships, and sustainable partnerships. Following his
time abroad, he earned a Master’s in Global Surgical Care, further
expanding his passion for addressing healthcare challenges in
underserved regions.
Together with his wife, Sarah Wiedermann, who brings extensive
experience in health administration and a shared commitment to global
surgery, they co-founded Partnerships for Global Surgery (PGS). PGS is
dedicated to fostering sustainable engagement and partnerships to
advance surgical care and education worldwide.
A diverse advisory board of healthcare professionals and organizational leaders supports PGS, shaping innovative programs and guiding growth.
Josh
President & CEO, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeon, Mayo Clinic, USA
Read Bio ➜
Sarah
Treasurer, Healthcare Administrator, Mayo Clinic, USA
Read Bio ➜
Casey
Secretary, Not-for-Profit Administrator
Read Bio ➜
A diverse advisory board of healthcare professionals and organizational leaders supports PGS, shaping innovative programs and guiding growth.
Dr. Yilikal Tassew
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, SSMC, Abu Dhabi
Read Bio ➜
Dr. Fiona Kabagenyi
Head and Neck surgeon, Mulago Hospital, Uganda
Read Bio ➜
Lia
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UCSF, USA
Read Bio ➜
Mary
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UCSF, USA
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Robbie
Resident Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, Duke, USA
Read Bio ➜
Brian D. Westerberg
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UBC, Canada
Read Bio ➜
A diverse advisory board of healthcare professionals and organizational leaders supports PGS, shaping innovative programs and guiding growth.
Myra Zaheer
3rd year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Read Bio ➜
Daniel Eyassu
4th year medical student at Tulane University
Read Bio ➜
Dr. Yilikal Tassew
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, SSMC, Abu Dhabi
ENT head and neck surgeon from Ethiopia with a passion to ease accessibility of safe surgery while creating and providing opportunities to the health care force to have a shared vision on mitigating the global burden.
Dr. Fiona Kabagenyi
Head and Neck surgeon, Mulago Hospital, Uganda
Dr. Fiona Kabagenyi is a fellowship-trained paediatric otolaryngologist in Uganda. She serves as a lecturer at Makerere University and practices at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she focuses on improving paediatric airway management. Dr. Kabagenyi is actively involved in global surgery initiatives, contributing to research on paediatric airway challenges in sub-Saharan Africa and collaborating with organizations like the CHESA, Global OHNS Initiative and PENTAFRICA to enhance surgical care in low-resource settings.
Lia
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UCSF, USA
Lia Jacobson is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the University of California, San Francisco. She currently serves as Co-Director of UCSF’s Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA) fellowship program, which supports 20 to 25 fellows annually. The program supports emerging leaders in global surgery and focuses on fostering surgical equity across various specialties and countries of practice. Over two-thirds of CHESA fellows are from and work in low- and middle-income countries. For the past decade, Dr. Jacobson has collaborated with colleagues in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and NGO partners to advance ENT surgical education and implement capacity-building projects.
Mary
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UCSF, USA
Mary Jue Xu, MD MAS, is a head and neck oncology and microvascular surgeon at the University of California San Francisco and the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital with research focused on improving head and neck cancer care in resource- constrained health systems. Her ongoing international collaborations include work through the UCSF Global Cancer Program in Tanzania, the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, and the Global Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Initiative.
Robbie
Resident Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, Duke, USA
Rolvix (“Robbie”) H. Patterson, MD, MPH is an otolaryngology head and neck surgery resident in the NIH-funded R25 research track at Duke University Medical Center. Stemming from his formative experience living and working in rural Haiti, Dr. Patterson combines his commitment to equitable surgical care with research to improve access to ear and hearing health globally. His work spans leadership of an international nonprofit (Global Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Initiative), global surgery research in rural Alaska, South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya, and collaboration with the World Health Organization to reduce the burden of hearing loss in rural and resource-constrained settings.
Brian D. Westerberg
Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon, UBC, Canada
Dr. Brian Westerberg, an Otolaryngologist specializing in Otology and Neurotology is based at the B.C. Rotary Hearing and Balance Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver British Columbia. He is currently a Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery. His interest in global surgery is apparent in his involvement in Zimbabwe and Uganda Hearing Health Care Programs, and local outreach to improve access to care for patients in rural and remote communities within British Columbia. As former Medical Director of the Branch for Global Surgical Care, he has been instrumental in improving education within the field of global surgical care through development of a Master degree program in Global Surgical Care at UBC.
Myra Zaheer
3rd year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences
Myra Zaheer, originally from the Midwest, is a third-year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. She also attended GW for her undergraduate education, studying Neuroscience and Public Health through the Seven-Year BA/MD Program. She is passionate about otolaryngology, with research interests in gender disparities in academic medicine, healthcare access for underserved populations, and innovative hearing care models in rural communities. She serves as the Education Lead for the Global Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Society, developing curricula to expand research and medical training in resource-limited settings. She is also the Founder of Itsy Bitsy Knits, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides knitted goods to lower- and middle-income countries.
Daniel Eyassu
4th year medical student at Tulane University
Daniel Eyassu is a 4th year medical student at Tulane University currently completing a research fellowship in the otolaryngology department at Mayo Clinic. His interest in global surgery stems from his early experiences growing up in Ethiopia, where he saw and experienced firsthand the challenges of accessing medical care. He is particularly interested in researching barriers to ENT surgical care and developing sustainable surgical education in LMICs
Dr. Josh Wiedermann
President/CEOOtolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeon, Mayo Clinic , USA
Dr. Josh Wiedermann, a board-certified pediatric otolaryngology head and neck surgeon, moved to Mekelle, Ethiopia, in 2018 after completing his pediatric otolaryngology fellowship. His decision to work abroad was deeply rooted in two pivotal experiences during medical school and residency. His passion for teaching blossomed during a formative summer in Botswana working with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative between his first and second years of medical school. Then, in his 4th year of residency, a good friend joined a volunteer medical organization and moved to Liberia. Deeply inspired by these events, Dr. Wiedermann moved to Ethiopia with the primary mission of helping the local team establish an otolaryngology residency training program. Through this challenging experience, he developed a deep passion for global surgery, emphasizing the importance of clinical education, collaborative relationships, and sustainable partnerships. Following his time abroad, he earned a Master’s in Global Surgical Care, further expanding his passion for addressing healthcare challenges in underserved regions.
Sarah Wiedermann
Treasurer, Healthcare Administrator, Mayo Clinic, USA
Sarah Wiedermann is a Healthcare Administrator at Mayo Clinic with extensive experience in clinical operations, strategic planning, and financial management across various medical specialties. Her expertise lies in optimizing healthcare delivery, enhancing operational efficiencies, and supporting innovative initiatives that drive meaningful impact. Through her husband, Dr. Josh Wiedermann, Sarah was introduced to the profound needs and transformative relationships that can be built in global healthcare. This exposure ignited a deep passion for global surgery and sustainable healthcare solutions, inspiring her to help create Partnerships for Global Surgery. She is committed to leveraging her administrative expertise to support initiatives that improve access to quality surgical care worldwide.
Casey Saussy
Secretary Not for profit Administrator
Casey has volunteered with Healing the Children Northeast (HTCNE) since 2012 as a team administrator and Board Member. She has helped plan and execute head and neck surgical missions in Ethiopia, Tanzania, India, and Thailand. Casey has also coordinated pediatric patient transport and specialized care in hospitals in Eastern Africa and the U.S.Ready to Learn More
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