We Are Sharing Hope SC (SHSC) Surgical Director Ken Woodside recently traveled to University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, as part of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Zambia Surgical Training Collaborative, supporting the development of a sustainable kidney transplant program through hands-on training and mentorship.
Woodside spent his time in Zambia working alongside U.S. and Zambian surgeons to help establish the country’s kidney transplant infrastructure using a skills-transfer, capacity-building model. The program focuses on training local medical teams onsite, equipping them with the expertise needed to independently perform kidney transplants rather than relying on short-term mission-based care.
Dr. Ken Woodside has worked in African countries for nearly a decade, and this visit marked the third country where he has helped establish a transplant program. “This is some of the most meaningful work of my career,” Woodside shared. “Building systems that last and helping local teams gain the skills to provide life-saving care long after we leave is incredibly rewarding.”
Woodside worked alongside fellow visiting surgeon Amy Lu, mentoring local surgeons using the same teaching approach applied to surgical residents and faculty in the United States. The University Teaching Hospital has completed 15 mentored kidney transplants to date, including three during the visit by Drs. Woodside and Lu. Additional procedures are planned as the program progresses toward independence.
While his work in Zambia took place thousands of miles from home, Woodside’s full-time role as Surgical Director at We Are Sharing Hope SC is guided by the same mission. SHSC remains committed to expanding access to life-saving transplants in South Carolina and beyond.