About Our Founders
Alicja Orkiszewska MD, PhD
Dr. Alicja Orkiszewska is a co-founder of the Polish American Medical Association. She is a graduate of the Medical University of Warsaw (WUM) and a former assistant professor at the Department of General and Transplantation Surgery in Warsaw, Poland, where she earned her Ph.D. and board certification in surgery.
After arriving in the US, Dr. Orkiszewska completed a residency in surgery at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY, and then a residency in anesthesiology at Stanford University Medical Center in California. Since graduating from Stanford, she has worked primarily in private practice in California and Arizona. She is a board-certified anesthesiologist with many years of experience.
She is also an educator who has designed and implemented anesthesia teaching programs for surgical, emergency room, internal medicine, ENT, and oral and maxillofacial surgery residents (OMFS), medical students, first responders, and RNs.
Dr. Orkiszewska has 31 Polish and international publications, has given many presentations, and has authored chapters in medical books. She participated in charity medical missions to Asia, South America, and Africa. Dr. Orkiszewska is a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists (AzSA).
Outside medical practice, she is interested in traveling to unusual places, general aviation, photography (especially aerial abstracts), and, more recently, writing books for children. She has had photography exhibitions in Poland and the US.
Peter Podbielski PT, DPT
Dr. Peter Podbielski is a co-founder of the Polish American Medical Association and a Doctor of Physical Therapy with over 30 years of experience in rehabilitation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the New York Institute of Technology in New York.
Dr. Podbielski has developed extensive expertise in myofascial release and hands-on therapy, helping patients restore mobility and function. In addition to his clinical work, he is dedicated to education and mentorship, teaching and guiding healthcare professionals both in the United States and internationally. He continues to mentor clinicians at his practice in Phoenix.
As a founder of the organization, Dr. Podbielski is committed to advancing collaboration, education, and excellence within the Polish-American medical community, with a mission to help patients return to healthy, active lives.
As founders of the Polish American Medical Association (PAMA) in Arizona, Dr. Alicja Orkiszewski and Dr. Peter Podbielski are dedicated to bringing together Polish-American medical professionals, fostering education and collaboration, supporting future generations, and strengthening connections between Arizona, the United States, and Poland.