Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Oakland - Community & Global Outreach

Each year, our faculty and residents attend 3-4 international mission trips. Mission trips receive financial support from Kaiser Permanente and are counted as training time, not vacation. Residents typically participate in two medical missions during the course of their residency.

We are proud to announce The Fidelia Butt Memorial Medical Mission Scholarship for Kaiser Permanente Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residents. This is a $5,000 scholarship towards domestic or international mission work. This scholarship is in memory of Fidelia Butt, a former KP Otolaryngologist who was passionate about global health. Applications are due on August 12th of each year and instructions can be found below.

Some of the organizations we partner with include:

• Smile for Me: An annual cleft lip and palate surgical trip to the Philippines lead by Dr. Shane Zim
• Hospital de la Familia: A hospital in rural Guatemala that our department visits at least once a year providing comprehensive Otolaryngologic surgical care.
• Faces of Tomorrow: An annual cleft lip and palate surgical trip to various locations lead by Dr. Charles Shih. Prior locations include Philippines, Ecuador, and Ethiopia
• Operation Access: An organization that provides surgical care for un and under-insured patients in our local community. Our faculty and residents volunteer to participate in Saturday Operation Access surgery dates several times year. Prior surgeries offered include parotidectomy, thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy, mastoidectomy, and more.

Take a look at our website to learn more about the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Global Health Program

The Fidelia Butt Memorial Medical Mission Scholarship

The Fidelia Butt Memorial Medical Mission Scholarship is dedicated to helping residents develop a lifelong passion for community service and volunteerism in the medical field.

Dr. Fidelia Butt was a Head and Neck Oncologic surgeon at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara who was beloved by her patients, staff and fellow physicians for her boundless compassion, dedication, and collegiality. Dr. Butt played a crucial role in the development a robust comprehensive head and neck cancer program at Santa Clara Medical Center where she was the primary oncologic surgeon for decades. Later, she was a foundational member and the South Bay pillar of the Northern California Head and Neck Cancer Service. She saved and positively impacted countless lives during her career. She was passionate about community service and volunteerism, spending many vacations on medical missions often traveling internationally to help those in need. Sadly, Dr. Butt passed away from pancreatic cancer in April 2022. This scholarship is a tribute to her dedication and passion for service and volunteerism.

Awardees will be granted $5,000 towards domestic or international mission work.

Awardees will be expected to:

• Complete the medical mission work within 12 months of being selected.
• Report to regional Graduate Medical Education global health group at least 3 months in advance to complete required paperwork with the site, and to secure malpractice insurance.
• Write a short essay about their experience for the regional GME global health blog within one month of returning. https://residency-ncal.kaiserpermanente.org/kpglobalhealth/

Application Process

Eligibility Criteria

• A current resident in the Department of Otolaryngology at Kaiser Permanente, East Bay
• The resident must be in good standing in the program (no active performance improvement plan or disciplinary action)
• The resident has not previously received this scholarship

Applications are due by midnight each year on August 12 (Fidelia’s birthday – 1 month)

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel consisting of residency directors, physicians, and community members.

Announcement of the selection will be on September 12 (Fidelia’s birthday)

Please submit the following to Antoinette Niblett at Antoinette.m.niblett@kp.org and cc the Residency Program Director

• Curriculum vitae
• List and describe your prior community service and volunteer work
• Name, details, attending Otolaryngologist and date of the medical mission that you would like to attend
• Please answer the following questions (Please limit each response to 300 words):
  1. Why is medical mission work important to you?
  2. What do you feel will be the impact of the proposed mission work on the community you wish to serve?
  3. How do you think your medical mission work will change you and your approach to the field of medicine?