Our Mission
Our mission at Orthopedic Relief Services International (ORSI) is to provide life-changing orthopedic care to underserved communities worldwide. We focus on delivering essential medical services, surgical interventions, and rehabilitation support to individuals who lack access to quality orthopedic treatment. By partnering with local healthcare providers and leveraging grants and donations, we strive to restore mobility, improve quality of life, and empower communities through sustainable healthcare solutions. At ORSI, we believe that everyone deserves the ability to move freely and live without pain, regardless of their circumstances.
A Surgeon’s Call to Action
Founder Dr. Ron Israelski is a distinguished orthopedic surgeon committed to delivering medical aid to those in crisis. Shaped by his family’s history as Holocaust survivors, he carries the conviction that “never again” must be more than words—it must be action. This belief led him to found ORSI after witnessing the devastation of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. Since then, he has led medical missions, supplied life-saving equipment, and helped rebuild healthcare infrastructure in disaster-stricken regions. When war erupted in Ukraine, Israelski swiftly mobilized his network to deliver critical orthopedic care and medical supplies, navigating war zones with relentless determination. Under his leadership, ORSI continues to expand its mission, bringing crucial orthopedic tools and modern technology to underserved communities worldwide, ensuring that more people regain mobility, independence, and hope.
“It’s not only his help with all of the medical supplies he sends us. He’s supportive personally and emotionally because of his family’s history; he understands. It’s great to know people like him support us; he gives us strength to go on.”
“Some people think about what to do for about five minutes and move on. Israelski is devoting his life to it.”
“It would take people two or three lifetimes to accomplish what ORSI has done in a few years in Haiti, and now in Ukraine.”
Haiti: 2010
ORSI was founded in response to the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake which devastated the island nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010. This thirty-second event, killed over 250,000 people, left well over 1,000,000 homeless, and critically injured hundreds of thousands more. The massive human toll was further compounded by the simultaneous decimation of critical infrastructure necessary for an effective emergency and medical response.