A Richland-based international humanitarian organization that has provided orthopedic surgery and prosthetics to hundreds of thousands across the globe over the past 26 years has named a new leader.

Dr. Sariah Khormaee

Dr. Sariah Khormaee joins SIGN Fracture Care International as incoming CEO, effective Aug. 1. 

Retiring CEO Jeanne Dillner, who has been SIGN’s CEO for 25 years, will remain in her position until Oct. 31, and Khormaee will become CEO on Nov. 1.

SIGN strives to provide the poor access to orthopedic care in middle- and low-income countries in South America, Africa and Asia by providing surgeons in those countries with orthopedic education along with implants and instruments. 

The nonprofit brought in more than $9.6 million in revenue in 2024 and reported net assets of more than $14 million that same year.

Khormaee is a Washington state native, having graduated summa cum laude from the University of Washington and earning her medical degree at Harvard Medical School-MIT Health Sciences Technology. She also holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and biotechnology from Cambridge University. 

Jeanne Dillner

She has collaborated with SIGN and other global health nonprofits, founded a research education organization, and travelled to orthopedic hospitals, including multiple SIGN sites, in Ghana, Myanmar, and Vietnam.  

“It is my goal to build on this remarkable foundation, champion new innovations and enhance SIGN’s reach so that more patients, regardless of where they live or what they can afford, have an equal chance to heal and thrive,” Khormaee said in a statement.

7/30/25: Editor’s note: Updated to reflect transition timeline and titles.