Humanitarian Efforts go a Long Way...

John McIver Hodges, M.D., F.A.C.S.

"The prayer that I might be permitted to do something to alleviate human suffering has been granted" is a plaque that hangs on the wall in the office of Dr. John M. "Mac" Hodges. These words of the surgeon, Dr. Walter Reed, have been the inspiration and impetus for Dr. Hodges committing his life to medicine and to serving others. Because of this commitment to humanitarian projects over the past 20 years, Dr. Hodges has shared his knowledge, his surgical skills, and his compassion with others at home and across the globe.

Dr. Hodges received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee in 1963. After his internship, Dr. Hodges joined the Army 101 st Airborne Division and was deployed to Vietnam . During his stay in Vietnam , Dr. Hodges recognized the medical needs of the Vietnamese people, but little did he know that he would return to Vietnam some thirty years later on a humanitarian mission, rather than as a soldier, on two occasions, delivering care to those less fortunate.

Vietnam is one of the many places where Dr. Hodges has volunteered his medical expertise and has used his teaching skills to reach out to third world countries. Dr. Hodges has made more than 10visits to Egypt , including visits to Tanta and Zagazig Universities . Dr. Hodges also has served as a team surgeon on five trips for Memphis Mission of Mercy, a Memphis-based humanitarian group which travels to remote areas of the Philippines to deliver medical and surgical care and to teach local doctors. Dr. Hodges has made five medical mission trips to Linyi , Shandong Province in the People's Republic of China and has recently returned from his third medical mission to Kuwait .

Not only does Dr. Hodges volunteer his time abroad, he has served as the chairman of the Face-to-Face Committee of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Through this organization, Dr. Hodges has organized and led many surgical teams abroad as part of this international outreach program. Also as a member of Face-to-Face, Dr. Hodges has volunteered his services in performing plastic surgery on patients who have been victims of domestic violence in the West Tennessee area. Dr. Hodges has volunteered his services to the Memphis community as well by performing surgery on patients from Russia and Bosnia , sponsored by local religious institutions. Dr. Hodges also is active with the Craniofacial Anomaly Clinic at LeBonheur Children's Hospital, which performs surgery on children with deformities such as cleft lips and palates.

Over the years, Dr. Hodges has continued to generously give of his time to the University of Tennessee in Memphis , where he is a faculty member of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. In addition to his numerous humanitarian efforts, Dr. Hodges serves as the Chief of Otolaryngology at the VA Medical Center in Memphis . Dr. Hodges is an active member of First Baptist Church in Memphis and is a Rotarian.