Urology Care Foundation Announces 2023 Humanitarian Grant Recipients

Baltimore, MD, August 1, 2023—The Urology Care Foundation, the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation and official foundation of the American Urological Association, is pleased to announce the 2023 Urology Care Foundation Humanitarian Grant recipients. This year marks the most diverse recipients to date, with a majority of the seven grants being led by urologists from underrepresented in medicine backgrounds.

As one of the world's largest urology-specific humanitarian-focused grant programs, the Urology Care Foundation Humanitarian Grants aids the efforts of urologists and projects providing patient care and education in underserved areas, either within the United States or worldwide.

Congratulations to this year's grant recipients:

Lee Richter, MD – Dr. Richter is associate professor of urology, obstetrics and gynecology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. She also is a member of the International Organization for Women and Development Board where she travels each year to Rwanda for a 2-week medical mission evaluating and operating to repair fistula.

Samit Sunny Roy, MD, MSPH – Dr. Roy is a resident at the University of Tennessee under the mentorship of Dr. Amar Singh. Dr. Roy will visit the Sadbhavna Trust Hospital Trust Hospital, Kalsar, Bhavnagar, in Mahua, Gujarat, India, providing training in routine and complex urologic surgery and post operative care.

Kymora Scotland, MD – Dr. Scotland is an assistant professor of urology, director of endourology research and associate director of the Endourology Fellowship Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Scotland will partner with Gold Standard Urology to provide urologic screening events that bring the medical community directly to patients in south Los Angeles, with a focus on prostate cancer, incontinence, nephrolithiasis and erectile dysfunction.

Rajiv K. Singal, MD, FRCSC – Dr. Singal is the surgeon-in-chief at Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto, associate professor in the department of surgery at the University of Toronto and leads trips to the Zomba Central Hospital in Malawi. Thanks to his help with the Malawi Medical Council and the College of Surgeons of Eastern Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA), a Malawian urologist has been trained to help provide a long-term sustainable solution to the lack of urologic care in the country.

Matthew T. Smith, Jr., MD – Dr. Smith is an assistant professor and director of resident education at SUNY Downstate University and is committed to increasing health literacy among African American men through accessible, relevant and digestible information delivered in the centers of the Black community in New York City. His project involves giving health education lectures to Black men in public community centers.

Suzette Sutherland, MD – Dr. Sutherland is an associate professor of urology at the University of Washington and travels regularly to Dakar, Senegal, where she provides education and training in women's pelvic and genitourinary health. Her Fall 2023 trip with IVUmed will be dedicated to the evaluation of stress urinary incontinence with an emphasis on minimally invasive and low-risk surgical treatment options.

Dana Weiss, MD – Dr. Weiss is a pediatric urology specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and travels each year to the Civil Hospital Amdavad in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Her work and the project that is going into its 16th year, have provided direct care to one of the largest groups of patients in the world affected by bladder exstrophy. 

"We continue to be extraordinarily pleased by all the outstanding applicants we received for these grants. The continued and growing interest demonstrates the importance of humanitarian work to our members," said Harris M. Nagler, MD, president of the Urology Care Foundation. "The projects proposed will not only make a difference to the populations aided but will hopefully inspire others to continue these efforts."

Grants were made possible through funds from the American Urological Association Humanitarian Endowment, the Amerson Family Humanitarian Endowment, the Richard J. Fox Foundation Humanitarian Endowment, the Nathirmal N. Lalchandani Humanitarian Endowment, the Endourological Society Raju and Ginny Thomas Humanitarian Endowment, the Indian American Urological Association Humanitarian Endowment and from an Exelixis grant, and other contributors.

Learn more about the Urology Care Foundation Humanitarian Grant Program and the work of the 2023 grant recipients: https://www.urologyhealth.org/humanitarianism/humanitarian-recognition-award-and-grant-program

About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world's leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public, the Foundation supports and improves urologic clinical care by funding research, developing patient education and pursuing philanthropic support. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: www.urologyhealth.org.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 23,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy. www.AUAnet.org