Information
All around the world there are children and adults who cannot get the healthcare they need. In many places, the technology is not available. In others it is just too costly. The World Surgical Foundation inc.(WSF) takes healthcare where it is not otherwise available. From poor villages in developing countries to free clinics in an American city, the WSF makes healthcare accessible.

Since its inception, the WSF has sponsored several surgical teams that have brought equipment, medications and boundless energy to various islands in the Philippines completing approximately 25-40 surgeries a day over a ten-day period.
The WSF promotes continued patient care and medical self-reliance by teaching resident physicians state-of-the-art surgical techniques and showing them how to use the donated equipment and supplies that will stay in the local hospitals, which are far from large cities, after the mission.

The Volunteers
The WSFs greatest asset is its volunteers. Since 1997 volunteers have worked together coordinating medical missions and acquiring, servicing and distributing medical equipment. The surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, nurses, technicians and other mission participants often use vacation time or unpaid leave and contribute toward their own travel and lodging expenses.
While most of the missions members are from Central Pennsylvania, the organization_s popularity has attracted members from Iowa, Florida, California and Montreal. If you're interested in volunteering for a future mission, please contact us.

Helpful Alliances
Not a religious or political organization, the WSF is proud to work with notable local and international organizations like:

American College of Surgeons Operation Giving Back
International College of Surgeons
Map International
AmeriCares
CURE International
Albert Sweitzer Hospital in Haiti
Interchurch Medical Assistance Group
The International Red Cross
Community Check Up Center, Harrisburg, PA
Hamilton Health Center, Harrisburg, PA
And many other local and international organizations. The Mission also helps organizations with similar goals.

Organizational Structure
The WSF is led by a volunteer board of directors comprised of physicians and other Central Pennsylvania community leaders. An Executive Director is responsible for coordinating volunteers, fund-raising and warehousing medical equipment and supplies. The organization's activities are carefully evaluated to assure they fulfill the WSFs Mission, Values and Goals.

Courage to Give, Courage to Receive
The Odyssey of the World Surgical Foundation DVD

These are the stories of doctors, nurses and other volunteers who pay their own way and use their vacation time to help others. What they get in return is touching, overwhelming and changed their lives forever.

You may order a copy of the DVD. The purchase price of $25.00 covers shipping costs, supports our future missions. To get your copy call 717-232-1404 for credit card payments.

Operation Romblon: A Mission in Action
Participation in a surgical mission is a life changing event. Operation Romblon is a 100-minute video documenting the WSFs January, 2001, surgical mission in a small village in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. Nearly forty volunteers and surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, nurse anesthetists and other caregivers performed 279 surgical procedures in 5 days. Their journey and activities are brought to life in this touching documentary which covers the high and low points of the mission and everything in between.

To witness this surgical mission, you may order a copy of the video. The $25 purchase price covers shipping and helps support future missions. To get your copy, send a check, made payable to WSF, to WSF, P.O. Box 1006, Camp Hill, PA 17001.

WSF Officers
Domingo T. Alvear, M.D.- President & Founder
John Judson, M.D. – Vice President
Lynn Graf –Treasurer
Nancy Cohen – Executive Director

WSF Board of Directors
Veneranda B. Alvear, M.D. 
Kimberly Arthur- Tressler 
George T. Bell, Esq 
Susan Brackbill, R.N.
Roger Bucs, M.D.
Gilda Cabarlo 
Constance Corrigan, R.N. 
George Faries, M.D. 
Joseph Grosso
Mark D. Hipp, Esq 
Emerson Knight, M.D.   
Heidi Koppenhaver  
Joseph Paese, Ph. D. 
Mukul Parikh, M.D.
Kiran Patel 
Lee Schiller

WSF Board of Advisors
Bennett Chotiner, M.D.
John Dieter
Gregory Denk, C.P.A.
Kim Payne