Dr. Lastroni, who most recently served as Medical Director at CURE Zambia, has served children with treatable disabilities as an Orthopedic Surgeon with CURE since 2009.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – November 8, 2024: CURE International, a global Christian nonprofit organization based in Grand Rapids, MI, that operates a network of eight charitable pediatric hospitals around the world, announces that Giorgio Lastroni, MD, has assumed the role of Chief Medical Officer (CMO).
Dr. Lastroni completed postgraduate training in orthopedics at the Institute for Orthopedics at Milan University in Italy and was a visiting fellow at the Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy in Baltimore, MD. In 2001, during his postgraduate training, he worked in Uganda with Dr. Norgrove Penny to set up the first Ponseti clubfoot project in underserved countries. Dr. Lastroni began his work with CURE International when he moved to Zambia in 2009 to volunteer as an Orthopedic Surgeon at the CURE Hospital in Lusaka. For 14 years, Dr. Lastroni has brought hope and healing to children as an orthopedic surgeon and later as Medical Director of CURE Zambia.
“I have felt called by God to serve children most in need of modern medical care ever since my early days training to be a surgeon,” said Dr. Giorgio Lastroni. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my calling at CURE International in this new role and believe God will continue to use this organization to serve even more children in an even greater way in the years to come.”
Dr. Lastroni will remain based in Zambia and will regularly visit all hospitals in the CURE network. As CMO, he will work closely with the Medical Directors of each hospital, provide clinical support services to the hospital network, and serve on the CURE Executive Leadership team.
“Talented and missional healthcare professionals from around the world, such as Dr. Lastroni, are the reason CURE International has been able to complete 350,000 surgeries and 5.5 million patient visits over our 25-year history,” said Justin Narducci, President and CEO of CURE International. “Dr. Lastroni’s clinical experience in Africa and deep institutional knowledge will help CURE continue to provide world-class medical services to the world’s most vulnerable children.”
CURE International thanks outgoing CMO Dr. Vaughn A. Frigon, MD, for his service to the organization and is grateful that he will continue to serve children in need as Director of Medical Operations.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization operating a global network of eight children’s hospitals that offer no-cost surgical interventions for children living with treatable disabilities. CURE hospitals provide life-changing care for children suffering from conditions such as cleft lip/palate, neglected clubfoot, bowed legs, burn contractures, spina bifida, brain tumors, and hydrocephalus. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities. Since its first hospital opened in 1998, CURE has completed more than 5.5 million patient visits and 350,000 life-changing surgeries. For more information, visit https://cure.org.
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