TIMA was founded in 1996 by a group of healthcare professionals under the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, an international service organization headquartered in Taiwan with branches worldwide. TIMA provides the highest possible quality healthcare to individuals around the world who are in need of medical attention at minimal or no cost to the patient. Our emphasis is on the person we are caring for, not just simply curing the disease.

As a private non-profit organization, TIMA relies on support from the public-at-large through donations and fundraising activities. TIMA is independent from any form of governmental assistance and is not politically affiliated. TIMA has 17 branch offices worldwide in 9 countries including: Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, United States, Paraguay, and Brazil. TIMA is proud of it's more than 2000 volunteers which include medical professionals and administrative support staff. Through participation in TIMA activities, volunteers continuously elevate themselves to the highest level of healing: spiritually and physically.