The story of ISMS is similar to how other organizations have started.  It is the story of friends joining hands for a common cause. During their surgical training two young doctors, Medhat Allam and Ravi Kothuru dreamed of reaching out to help the underprivileged in other countries.  In 1996, they set out to accomplish their goal by signing up with an organization for a surgical mission to Haiti.  As the travel time neared, they realized that just the two of them comprised the entire team.  The need for anesthesia to accomplish the mission became obvious.  Another friend, Bob Mineo, CRNA, who shared the same aspirations and goals volunteered to join the adventure.  The three of them successfully performed over 40 operations in one week under rather challenging conditions.  And thus began a long and successful partnership.

The seeds of compassion were planted and they have grown into the organization now known as the International Surgical Missions Support (ISMS).  Over time the circle of friends grew bigger as more members joined in helping to expand the expertise of the organization.  In the beginning the team traveled to various countries under the flags of other larger organizations.  In addition to volunteering their time and skills, the team members completely financed the first several missions.  As their skills and confidence grew, they realized that more could be accomplished if they were to form their own not-for-profit organization.  Acquiring this status will allow the team to explore yet new frontiers and bring help to places that had never before been given this opportunity.  

In 2002, ISMS was granted a non-for-profit status which allowed tax deductible contributions for their missions.  Today ISMS has 15 board members and an expanding sponsorship base.  The ISMS team includes a general surgeon, a plastic surgeon, a thoracic/general surgeon, an obstetrician-gynecologist, an ICU/Pulmonary physician, operating room nurses, nurse anesthetists, and a critical care nurse.  ISMS has all the necessary equipment and capabilities to set up three fully functional mobile operating rooms, a recovery room and a pharmacy anywhere in the world within hours of arrival at the destination.  ISMS team has been to many countries including Haiti, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Vietnam, Nepal, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Zambia, Peru and India.

ISMS covers 100% of the cost of the missions and all patients are treated for free. An important objective is that the host countries are not obligated to incur any expense on our behalf.  Along with surgical equipment, the organization brings educational materials and general medical supplies, medicines, etc.  At the end of each mission these supplies are left with the hosts with the hope that they will last until another team arrives.   Besides bringing acute medical care ISMS provides both basic and advanced training to local doctors, nurses, and allied medical staff enabling them to provide ongoing quality care to their patients long after the team has left. The major goal of ISMS is to reach out and positively touch as many lives as possible.