As a New York City based non-profit organization SOS improves surgical care in resource poor environments by linking surgeons to hospitals in developing countries; investigating the burden of surgical disease; and supporting local surgical staffing and training programs.

Goals
• Assist medical facilities in developing countries in need of surgical support.
•Facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge on the challenges of working in resource poor environments.
• Serve as a forum for surgeons who work or volunteer in developing countries.
• Explore opportunities for easing the burden of surgical diseases in the developing world.

What we do
• Support hospitals in the developing world to help educate and retain local surgeons.
• Organize and facilitate member involvement in surgical missions.
• Function as a networking forum for surgeons wishing to assist in resource poor facilities, and matching them with appropriate opportunities.
•Collaborate on global surgery research initiatives in developing countries.

How we do it

• Provide financial assistance to local surgeons working in low income countries.
• Fund international surgical missions that aim to educate staff and decrease personnel shortfalls.
• Undertake surgical workshops.
• Maintain health facility and surgeon databases and an interactive website.
• Assist in the development and dissemination of standardized surgical texts.
• Partner with the World Health Organization, local ministries of health, and other organizations to document the global surgical burden of disease.

How we are different
• We combine surgical missions, training and research to strengthen the local capacity of surgical providers.
• We collaborate with local hospitals, ministries of health, and WHO to improve surgical care.
• We support local health provider’s salaries.
• We look to develop sustainable and long-term partnerships.
• We aim to conduct research and document the unmet surgical needs of populations.