Dr. Ruben Ayala, M.D., M.Sc.

Ruben Ayala, M.D., M.Sc., is a public health physician from Panama with more than 30 years of experience in humanitarian assistance. During his career with Operation Smile, he has planned, executed and overseen surgical programs in more than 40 countries.

Ayala currently serves as Operation Smile’s chief policy and advocacy officer. He is also a board member and immediate past president of the Permanent Council of the Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma and Anaesthesia Care. He represents Operation Smile at the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the World Health Organization’s Acute Care Network, the Global Health Council, the Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery and the Frontline Health Workers Coalition. He leads Operation Smile’s global health policy efforts, promoting access to safe, timely and effective surgical care for underserved communities around the world.

Ayala also oversaw the establishment of Operation Smile foundations in low- and middle-income countries that offer year-round health services to patients and families affected by cleft conditions. Throughout the years, he has fostered collaboration between governments, non-governmental organizations, industries, communities, universities and other members of civil society.

Ayala previously served as Operation Smile’s chief medical officer, focusing on the evolution of safety standards for surgical care and the review of surgical outcomes. He joined the official delegation of the government of Vietnam to the World Health Assembly in 2015 and 2017, helping align the country’s support for global surgery and anesthesia. His awards and honors include the USA Giulio Regeni Alumni Impact Award of the United World College-USA, the Presidential Award by the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgery and the Medal of the Battle of Pichincha by the Government of Ecuador, awarded for service to humanity.

Ayala first became exposed to Operation Smile as a student volunteer when he was 16 years old and met Bill and Kathy Magee at a hospital in Panama, where he saw hundreds of people coming for surgery. “I started asking myself, ‘Where have these kids been? Why have I never seen one of them?’”

He met a brother and sister whose story stuck with him. Bartolo was 2 years old, and his sister was about 8. They traveled for five hours with the support of volunteers to get to the place where Operation Smile was performing surgeries because Bartolo had a cleft palate. “She had nothing but a couple of changes of clothes, diapers, a bottle and pocket change. And the enormous responsibility of bringing her baby brother back with surgery and hopefully a new lease on life.”

The experience was life-altering for Ayala as well. “Over the years, I have witnessed Operation Smile professionals around the world tackling colossal needs and giving people hope. It has been impossible not to want to continuously be part of it, which led me to have 30-plus years now as a member of Operation Smile.”