ACS H.O.P.E. Ambassadors

The ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.) Ambassador Program honors the dedication of nonacademic, community-based surgeons from high-income countries (HICs) who have consistently provided volunteer clinical care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), often through long-standing and trusted partnerships.

ACS H.O.P.E. Ambassadors:

• Engage with local ACS Chapters
• Mentor early-career global surgeons
• Promote ACS programs
• Encourage international ACS Membership

Dr. Cheryl Nocon

Cheryl Carandang Nocon, MD, FACS, completed her undergraduate studies at Harvard College and earned her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She completed her residency in otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at The University of Chicago and then pursued fellowship training in head and neck surgical oncology and microvascular reconstruction at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her clinical interests encompass the full scope of otolaryngology, with a particular focus on head and neck cancer and thyroid and salivary gland disorders. Her research interests focus on disparities in head and neck cancer management.

Dr. Nocon is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS), a member of the American Head and Neck Society, and a Fellow of the ACS. She received a Focused Practice Designation in Adult Complex Thyroid/Parathyroid Surgery from the ABOHNS and ABO.

She currently works in private practice and is affiliated with Adventist Health in California. Her primary clinic is located in East Los Angeles at Adventist Health White Memorial, where she serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking immigrant population that faces significant barriers to healthcare.

Dr. Nocon has participated in numerous medical missions in Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. She currently volunteers with Operation International and will lead a series of head and neck surgery training-focused missions in Kenya. She is also pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, to further develop her career in global surgery.

Dr. Nocon is thrilled to participate in the ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.^®) Ambassador Program. She looks forward to connecting with and learning from other surgeons who share her goals of responsible and sustainable surgical outreach.

Dr. Debra Johnson

Debra J. Johnson, MD, FACS, became the first female plastic surgeon in Sacramento in 1989. Dr. Johnson received her medical degree and completed her plastic surgery training at Stanford University. She completed additional training at Clinica Planas in Barcelona and the Institut Français de la Main in Paris.

Dr. Johnson is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and participates in its Continuing Certification program. She has served as a director and secretary-treasurer for the ABPS and as a member of its Executive Committee and Ethics and Finance & Budget committees. She also chaired the Written Examination Committee and represented the ABPS on the Continuing Certification Committee of the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Dr. Johnson has been active in the California Society of Plastic Surgeons (CSPS) and served as its president in 2008. She remains co-chair of the CSPS Legislative Committee, advocating for patient safety and other plastic surgery issues at the Capitol in Sacramento. She has been honored with the CSPS Presidential Award for exemplary service.

In 2016, Dr. Johnson was elected president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), becoming the second woman to hold the position. As president, she focused on strengthening the value ASPS provides to practicing plastic surgeons through continuing education, practice solutions, and advocacy. She received the ASPS President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2020.

Dr. Johnson is a Fellow of the ACS and has served as chief of surgery for the Sutter Community Hospitals and co-director of the Sutter Cleft Lip, Palate, and Craniofacial Anomalies Panel. She is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Dr. Johnson is also a member of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons.

Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has volunteered on international surgical missions. A veteran of more than 70 missions, she spends several weeks each year providing reconstructive surgical care to patients who otherwise might not have access to it. She also teaches local surgeons to perform these procedures, helping expand access to care.

Dr. Johnson splits her time between Sacramento and Napa, where she has a small vineyard. She is an avid gardener of cacti and succulents, fruit trees, vegetables, and olives. She recently completed Master Gardener training through the University of California Cooperative Extension. Her two children live in Southern California: Gabi is a PADI scuba instructor and works at SeaWorld, and Pablo is completing emergency medicine training at LA County.

Dr. Jay Redan

Jay Redan, MD, FACS, is the past chief of surgery at AdventHealth Celebration in Florida. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery and has more than 30 years of experience. He has held several other leadership positions at AdventHealth, including vice-chairman of the Internal Review Board and member of the New Technologies Committee, Robotics Subcommittee, and Patient Safety and Quality Committee.

Dr. Redan received his bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College. He earned his medical degree and completed his general surgery residency at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey–New Jersey Medical School. He served in the military during Desert Storm and retired as a major in the US Army National Guard.

Dr. Redan is a past president and Governor of the Florida Chapter of the ACS, a past chair of the CME Workgroup, and an Associate Member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators^®. He also served as president of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons in 2015 and 2018. He has authored or coauthored more than 40 publications, presentations, and textbook chapters and has served as a principal investigator or subinvestigator for more than 20 clinical trials.

As a volunteer, Dr. Redan works with veterinary surgeons at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, performing minimally invasive surgical procedures at its animal care facility for large animals that require surgical care.

Dr. Justine Broecker

Justine Broecker, MD, is a double board-certified general surgeon and surgical critical care physician. She graduated from Emory University School of Medicine and completed a general surgery residency at Mayo Clinic in Florida, a surgical critical care fellowship at UT Southwestern/Parkland, and global surgery fellowships through the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) HEAL Initiative and Center for Health Equity in Surgery and Anesthesia (CHESA).

During her global surgery fellowship, Dr. Broecker split her time between working as a general surgeon for the Indian Health Service (IHS) at Gallup Indian Medical Center in New Mexico and working as a general surgeon at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. She also taught medical students and interns at Busitema University and general surgery residents in the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) program.

Dr. Broecker continues to work at Gallup Indian Medical Center and Shiprock Medical Center, both part of the IHS in New Mexico, and supports the COSECSA program in Mbale and the UCSF CHESA program. As an ACS H.O.P.E.^® Ambassador, she looks forward to identifying opportunities to collaborate with the ACS and surgeons internationally, particularly in support of bidirectional educational partnerships and scholarships.

Dr. Luis Taveras

Luis R. Taveras Morales, MD, FACS, is an acute care surgeon at Medical City Plano and Medical City McKinney, part of HCA Healthcare Physician Services Group. He completed his general surgery residency and a surgical critical care/acute care surgery fellowship at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center after graduating summa cum laude from the Universidad Iberoamericana School of Medicine in the Dominican Republic.

Dr. Taveras is an active instructor for Advanced Trauma Life Support^® (ATLS^®) and Stop the Bleed^®. He is also managing director of TraumaRD, a social entrepreneurship think tank dedicated to strengthening trauma systems, promoting injury prevention, and providing educational content on trauma management in the Dominican Republic. He serves as an invited professor and advisor for the first Dominican acute care surgery fellowship.

Dr. Taveras is also an active member of the Panamerican Trauma Society, where he contributes to research and academic initiatives focused on advancing the surgical treatment of trauma across the Americas.

Dr. Vadim Gushchin

Vadim Gushchin, MD, FACS, is a surgical oncologist and director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed his general surgery residency at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and fellowship training in surgical oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. His clinical practice focuses on cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) for patients with advanced and rare peritoneal cancers.

Dr. Gushchin is dedicated to patient advocacy and reducing disparities in access to quality cancer care. A key focus of his work is empowering patients and clinicians through education, helping ensure that complex cancer care decisions are guided not only by technical expertise but also by patients’ values, understanding, and long-term quality of life. His research includes studies of outcomes, survivorship, and quality of life among patients undergoing aggressive cancer operations.

Education and capacity-building are central to Dr. Gushchin’s advocacy work. He is pursuing a Master of Education in the Health Professions at Johns Hopkins University, focusing on competency-based training and program development. He has mentored and trained surgeons and oncologists from countries of the former Soviet Union, including Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan, and has assisted in developing sustainable postgraduate education programs in oncology and surgical oncology. Many of these initiatives aim to strengthen local expertise so patients can access evidence-based cancer care closer to home.

Dr. Srinivas Ramachandra

Srinivas Ramachandra, MD, FACS, graduated from Bangalore University Medical College in 1973. He completed his general surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship at Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia in 1982. He served as a staff surgeon and held surgical leadership positions at Kaiser Permanente until 2013. He joined East Bay Cardiovascular and Thoracic Associates in 2013.