Alliance for Smiles is proud to announce a new partnership with the Dr. Chih-Chen Fang Organization (CCFO) to launch a $10,000 fellowship program supporting non-medical mission staff facing financial need or hardship. Awarded through a competitive selection process, the fellowship will help cover travel expenses for eligible participants and support participation in two to four international surgical missions each year, depending on location. By reducing financial barriers to entry, the program expands access to mission participation and ensures that dedicated team members can continue to play a vital role in Alliance for Smiles’ global work.
For more information, please see the full press release below.
For Immediate Release
San Francisco, California, February 2026 – Alliance for Smiles (AfS), a leader in providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries to children in under-served countries, is pleased to announce the launch of The Dr. Chih-Chen Fang Fellowship Program in 2026. AfS will partner with The Dr. Chih-Chen Fang Organization (CCFO), a charitable organization that supports excellence and collaboration in health care, to create The Dr. Fang Fellowship Program, which will enhance the firepower of AfS medical missions by sponsoring essential non-medical staff to attend and support the operations of missions.
The Fellowship Program is named after Dr. Chih-Chen Fang, a former AfS volunteer, Lead Anesthesiologist and Board Director, who was involved with the organization for over 14 years and served on seven medical missions. CCFO will fund the program in Dr. Fang’s honor and will sponsor fellows to travel on missions and provide on-the-ground support, including record keeping, photography and storytelling.
“Dr. Chih Chen Fang has made the life-changing work of Alliance for Smiles possible in many ways. He was particularly incredible at spreading the word about the importance of this work and bringing new, compassionate, talented people into the AfS community, introducing new volunteers to our missions and donors to our cause. What a gift to have his spirit and legacy continue by helping us connect the world to our amazing patients, volunteers, and partners through their beautiful photos and stories. It will allow people to really understand the importance and impact of this work,” said Jessica Hansen, AfS’s Executive Director.
“I am honored to partner with Alliance for Smiles to create this program in honor of my father,” said Quinlan Fang, CCFO Co-Executive Director. “My father believed deeply in the power of teamwork and in the value of every contribution, regardless of title or role. He always believed that the success of medical missions is made possible not only by clinicians, but by the many dedicated individuals whose diverse talents help bring these missions, and their stories, to life.”
About CCFO
CCFO was founded in 2025 by the family of Dr. Chih-Chen Fang to honor individuals in health care who, like Dr. Fang, show a commitment to excellence, collaboration and over-delivering for their colleagues and patients. We shine the spotlight on the folks who go about their work diligently, who are committed to interdisciplinary collaboration and put the patient first before all else. Last year, we partnered with Kaiser Permanente to honor the anesthesia provider who best exemplifies these traits. Please follow us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dr-chih-chen-fang-organization for more exciting news and developments!
About Alliance for Smiles
Alliance for Smiles (AfS) is an international medical nonprofit founded by six Rotarians in 2004. Our mission is to forever improve and transform the lives of children and communities impacted by cleft lip and palate by providing free comprehensive treatment, while training and equipping local teams to sustainably provide quality, long-term care. Every few minutes, a child is born with a cleft condition, but surgery is unaffordable or inaccessible in many countries. If these children survive infancy, they often face continued physical, emotional, and social challenges throughout their lives. With the help of selfless donors and volunteers, AfS provides these children with improved smiles, health, and access to the connections and opportunities life has to offer. AfS has completed more than 100 medical missions, delivering nearly 10,000 surgeries to children in need, and training healthcare professionals across Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.