Not every act of humanitarian service gets entered into the Congressional Record. Dr. Andrew Jacono‘s did. U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy formally acknowledged his contributions to women’s welfare through surgery and charitable work, a recognition that reflected more than a single gesture it captured years of sustained effort on behalf of domestic violence survivors who needed reconstructive care and an advocate willing to provide it.
Dr. Andrew Jacono is a dual board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in New York, where he maintains a private practice while conducting two parallel streams of humanitarian work: pro bono surgery for domestic violence survivors and pediatric surgical missions in countries where specialized facial care is largely out of reach.
Building a Record of Advocacy
At the center of Dr. Jacono’s domestic humanitarian work is the FACE TO FACE project, an initiative of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He serves as senior advisor and has performed reconstructive surgeries for more than 100 survivors of abuse through the program. The procedures address injuries that abuse leaves behind fractures, scarring, and soft tissue damage that mark survivors physically long after they have left dangerous situations.
His advocacy took organizational form through nine years of chairing ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES, an annual benefit event supporting domestic violence survivors. That sustained leadership organizing, fundraising, and maintaining public attention reflects a commitment that extends beyond individual operations to systemic support for people navigating recovery.
The Center for the Women of New York recognized that work in 2006 with a “Good Guy” Award. The television series Facing Trauma, which began airing in 2011 on Discovery Fit & Health before moving to the Oprah Winfrey Network, brought a national audience to this work, documenting the medical and personal dimensions of facial reconstruction for abuse survivors and trauma victims.
750 Children and Counting
Dr. Andrew Jacono’s international humanitarian work has taken him to Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries, where he has provided surgical care to more than 750 children through organizations including Healing the Children, the HUGS Foundation, and THAI Children. Cleft lips and palates, ear malformations, tumors, and burn scars are among the conditions he addresses each one capable of determining whether a child is included or excluded from school and community life.
The physical demands of fundraising for these missions have included summit ascents of Mount Kilimanjaro, Cotopaxi, and Mount Elbrus. Back in New York, his role as Fellowship Director for the AAFPRS and his faculty position at Albert Einstein College of Medicine give him influence over how the next generation of facial surgeons balances private practice with public service continuing a cycle that began when he first witnessed the transformative power of reconstructive surgery as a medical student. See related link for additional information.
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