What’s the best way to recognize the heroes of clubfoot treatment, those compassionate providers who are willing to go out of their way to help families successfully complete treatment? For our partners at NextSteps in Cambodia, the answer is recognizing excellence in clubfoot treatment with an award.

Last year, NextSteps created the Clubfoot Hero Award to recognize clinic staff who demonstrate a passion for clubfoot treatment, go out of their way to assist families at the clinic, and are dedicated to developing their skills as a provider.

Colleen Orange, a member of the NextSteps board of directors, describes some of the challenges faced by clinicians in Cambodia and the importance of recognizing dedicated team members. “The success of the program is dependent on those involved to have real passion and commitment to treating clubfoot, as it could easily fall aside in the demanding environment and competing priorities of a typical under-resourced Cambodian hospital,” she explains.

This year, the award was given to two longtime practitioners: Dr. Youlay of the National Pediatric Hospital (NPH) and Nurse Poylene from the Stung Treng District Hospital. The entire surgical staff at their respective hospitals attended the awards ceremonies.

“Our clinics are run within public hospitals and we are very proud of the support we have from hospital directors for the program and how well our coordinators and clinic health professionals work as a team to deliver the best service they can,” says Orange.

We’re proud of Dr. Youlay and Nurse Poylene, too. Read patient stories from Cambodia to learn more about the children whose lives are impacted by the work of NextSteps.