Perspectives Winter 2015

A PUBLICATION OF SAVING SIGHT

Introducing our New Volunteer Coordinator

Sarah Billingsley Trust

Champion of Donation Dori Burke

Preschooler Treated for Amblyopia Thanks to KidSight Screening

Corneal Transplant Enables Local Artist to Continue Making Art

WINTER 2015

A New Vision for the Kansas City Lab

Perspectives | Page 2

From Our CEO

LeadershipTony BavusoChief Executive Officer

Byron DeLaMatreDirector of Information Technology

Jeff EckertChief Administrative Officer

Annie KuhlChief Communications Officer

Tina LivesayChief Operating Officer

Shelly RasleyChief Technical Officer

Michala StokerPartner Relations Director

Michael TitusChief Clinical Officer

EditorialClayton Clark Communications & Development Specialist

Paul Coleman Graphic Designer

Office Locations Columbia, MO404 Portland St.Columbia, MO 65201Office: 573-443-1479Donor Hotline: 800-331-2636Fax: 573-443-1657

Hutchinson, KS 2 East 12th Ave.Hutchinson, KS 67501 Partner Relations: 620-259-7388 Office: 620-259-7300 Fax: 620-259-7323

Kansas City, MO10100 N. Ambassador Dr.Suite 200Kansas City, MO 64153Office: 816-454-5454Fax: 816-454-5446

Springfield, IL400 Chatham Rd.Suite 103 Springfield, IL 62704Office: 217-679-2987Fax: 217-670-0800

Springfield, MO3506 Culpepper CircleSuite D Springfield, MO 65804Office: 417-882-1532Fax: 417-882-8206

St. Louis, MO10801 Pear Tree LaneSuite 170 St. Ann, MO 63074Office: 314-428-4373Fax: 314-428-3751

ContactGeneral Information: 1-800-753-2265

Media Inquiries: 800-283-1982 ext. 101 or ext. 115 [email protected]

Saving Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by saving sight. Founded in Columbia, MO in 1960, the organization introduced the gift of sight to Missouri. Today, Saving Sight operates vision health programs that serve more than 50,000 people each year, and its offices are located in Missouri, Kansas, and central Illinois.

Saving Sight is growing. Consider this: last year, we recovered, processed, and distributed 2,985 corneas for sight-saving transplant surgeries, which averages out to more than 8 corneas per day. And our KidSight program screened a record-breaking 50,408 children for vision problems in 2014. I applaud our staff, volunteers, and supporters for making these programs so successful. But I’m not content to rest on our laurels this year—I expect us to continue to strive and grow.

One of the ways we do that is through improving the technology we use. By equipping our staff with cutting-edge devices, we are able to work more efficiently and expand the ways we help people. In this issue, you’ll read about our program news, recipients, and partners, but we’ve also highlighted some recent technological advancements here at Saving Sight. These advancements are enabling us to reach even more people by enhancing the way we help others receive the gift of sight.

As you can imagine, these state-of-the-art technology advancements can be costly. But as good stewards of our donors’ gifts, we strive to make smart, judicious investments in our programs today that will lead to changing more lives by saving sight tomorrow. The programs’ results speak for themselves, but there are still thousands of people in our service area who suffer the heartbreak of vision loss. If you have the ability, I encourage you to make a financial gift to Saving Sight this year and renew your commitment to our mission.

Please enjoy this issue of Perspectives. I wish you and your loved ones a prosperous 2015.

Sincerely,

Tony BavusoChief Executive Officer


Saving Sight is pleased to introduce you to our new Volunteer Coordinator: Sheila Fields. If she looks familiar to you, that’s because she has worked at Saving Sight’s Columbia office for the past 9 years as the Eye Care Assistance Coordinator. In her new role, Sheila will support and communicate with our volunteers so they can change lives by saving sight. “I am very excited about coordinating our volunteers to serve people through our programs,” she said.

Sheila was born and raised in Columbia. At about the same time as she joined Saving Sight, she also became a member of the Columbia Host Lions club. She and her husband enjoy biking and gardening, and they stay very busy spending time with their six grandchildren and a yellow lab named Lucy. Sheila feels motivated by Saving Sight’s mission and looks forward to inspiring volunteers to make meaningful contributions to their communities’ vision. “I have worn glasses since I was seven years old, but it was a struggle for my family to provide me with glasses,” she said. “So it is wonderful that I get to be part of an organization that helps people see.”

If you are interested in volunteering with Saving Sight, contact Sheila at 800-753-2265 x8504 or [email protected].

Introducing our New Volunteer Coordinator

PDG Floyd “Toby” Billingsley believed in service. A former school teacher and retired farmer, he joined the Clearmont Lions and later served as Governor for District 26-F in 1953-1954. His work as a district governor fueled his passion for the Lions’

mission as “knights of the blind.” When the Lions Eye Tissue Bank was formed in 1960, he became an ardent supporter of the research and transplantation work occurring across Missouri thanks to the Lions’ support. On his promotional tours and speaking engagements, Mr. Billingsley brought the family along for support and company. For his wife, Helen, and only child, Sarah, these were formative trips about the importance of the gift of sight.

Upon Toby’s passing in 1984, he named the Eye Research Foundation as beneficiary of his memorial gifts. Recognition of his intent and support is etched into Saving Sight’s Columbia office library.

A Lasting Gift of Sight: Remembering the Billingsley Family

Sarah accepted the inspiration to serve from her father. She taught for 33 years at Benton High School in St. Joseph, MO as a business and typing teacher and advisor to several student groups. With her retirement, she left a legacy of successful students,

school service, and service to the state teaching associations. Sarah later returned home to care for her ailing mother, who passed in 2004 and also named the Foundation as a beneficiary.

Tragically, Sarah succumbed to a brain tumor in November of 2012, but the impact of her family’s commitment to the gift of sight endures. Upon her death, Sarah bequeathed her family’s trust to honor the Lions’ mission and her family’s legacy. As one of the largest gifts ever donated to Saving Sight, the generous Billingsley Family Trust will have a lasting effect on people with vision problems while permanently commemorating the Billingsleys’ deep connection to the organization.


As the Chief Forensic Investigator and Operations Manager for Boone/Callaway County Medical Examiner’s office, Dori Burke investigates deaths that occur in her service area. She has had many encounters with Saving Sight in her 18 years of service at the medical examiner’s office. For example, a person who has chosen to be a cornea donor is sometimes the subject of a medical examiner’s investigation. Or alternatively, sometimes the medical examiner’s office is able to refer the family of a deceased person to Saving Sight so they get a chance to donate corneas. Accordingly, Saving Sight strives to have a collaborative relationship with Burke, her colleagues, and other coroners/medical examiners in the service area.

Kharim Strayhorn, a Saving Sight partner relations coordinator, works to make sure Saving Sight and Burke’s office are communicating and working well together. And Gary DeLamatre, the eye bank manager in Columbia, ensures that Saving Sight staff provide the medical examiner’s office with the information they need to complete their investigations about eye donors. “The communication is really, really good between us,” Burke said. Strayhorn said the feeling is mutual: “Whenever our medical review team needs some information on donors from Dori, she sends over the information in a timely fashion. Whenever we need permission to procure on a medical examiner’s case, she is always willing to let us do our work.”

Burke’s experience with cornea donation has been personal, too. “My brother-in-law died of cancer, and my sister donated his corneas,” she said. “After the donation, my sister got a letter from an elderly lady who’d received one of the corneas thanking my sister because she could crochet and do other things again. It’s comforting to know somebody’s still getting use out of his corneas.” The combination of her personal and professional connections to cornea donation make Burke a great advocate for the gift of sight in her community. “I wish more people would donate corneas for other people,” she said. “It’s very non-invasive, and it does so much good.”

Burke has translated that passion into her role on the Donor Council at the University Hospital & Clinics in Columbia. The council works to increase donation in the hospital and community so people can get the transplants they need. For Burke, the meetings are also a great opportunity to communicate with Saving Sight and Midwest Transplant Network, the organ procurement organization that serves the Columbia area. “We discuss the issues and how we can work better together,” she said. “I can tell them our issues and they tell me their issues, then we try to work things out.”

This collaborative spirit has led to more people being able to give the gift of sight. Most people who donate have passed away in hospitals, but Burke comes in contact with people who pass away outside of hospitals. When she notifies Saving Sight, Saving Sight then follows up on that referral by contacting the family to offer donation. In the end, more people get the chance to give the gift of sight who might not have otherwise. As a result, more donor tissue is available for sight-saving corneal transplants. “The recipients—that’s why we do it,” Burke said. “It’s sad that somebody has to die, but to me that’s a wonderful gift. Someone gets to see again because of a donor.”

Dori Burke is a Champion of Donation in her community. Saving Sight is honored to partner with her and her team at the Boone/Callaway County Medical Examiner’s office. We look forward to many more years of working together to change lives by saving sight.

Champion of Donation: Dori Burke

Dori Burke (left) with Saving Sight Partner Relations Coordinator Kharim Strayhorn.


Anne is an artist who resides in Gladstone, Missouri, a municipality in the Kansas City area. Now retired, she focuses on creating artwork for her friends and acquaintances, and she is active in her community as the planning commissioner. In 1980, however, Anne was diagnosed with a hereditary eye disease that causes vision to get worse as an inner layer of the cornea deteriorates. “I went to see my eye doctor for my yearly exam,” Anne said, “and I was diagnosed with Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy, which, if left untreated, would have blinded me in the left eye.”

For some time, Anne was able to continue her work, both as a teacher and an artist, by keeping routine appointments with her eye doctor. Together, they could retain her vision by regularly updating the prescription of her glasses. By 2007, however, her doctor finally recommended her to a corneal transplant specialist to fix her vision once and for all. Dr. Tim Cavanaugh of the Cavanaugh Eye Center conducted the operation, replacing the diseased portion of her cornea with corneal tissue donated by a generous donor and their family.

The transplant was a success. “I had to stay still for a day or two after surgery, but my vision in the left eye was 20/30 afterward,” Anne said. “It was a very easy procedure to go through.” Furthermore, the benefits of the surgery have continued for Anne. “I ordered new glasses after the surgery, and I am still wearing those glasses,” she said. “My sight has changed so little in seven years that new lenses are not necessary.”

Today, Anne continues to make art, including the cover art for Saving Sight’s 2014 holiday card (pictured at right). She is very thankful for the opportunity the transplant has afforded her, both personally and professionally. “I owe so much to the donor, my doctors, and Saving Sight,” she said. “Thanks to the cornea transplant, I can not only see but also continue as an artist.”

Corneal Transplant Enables Local Artist to Continue Making Art


Saving Sight recently invested in renovations to its Kansas City office. The construction included an updated and expanded processing suite where the majority of Saving Sight’s donor corneal tissue is evaluated and prepared for transplantation. As a result, Saving Sight is better able to serve patients suffering from corneal diseases.

The renovations were chosen to prepare Saving Sight’s facilities for expected changes in eye bank processing practices and capabilities. Specifically, Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) is a procedure that is expected to become common practice among corneal transplant surgeons. “DMEK is the newest iteration of lamellar keratoplasty,” said Chief Clinical Officer Michael Titus. “From everything we can tell from our research, the DMEK procedure will be better for many patients – better visual results, better recovery times.”

Different patients need different types of tissue for their surgeries, so Saving Sight prepares tissue for the most common corneal transplant procedures, including Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and penetrating keratoplasty (PK). Saving Sight technicians prepare these tissues under a laminar flow hood, which is a device that cleans the air to prevent contamination of the tissue. But preparation of DMEK tissue requires an operating microscope, which means it cannot be conducted under a flow hood.

To ensure that DMEK tissue is prepared safely outside of a flow hood, the new processing rooms include high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration systems. The HEPA filtration system purifies the air in the room, which prevents contamination of the tissue being processed. Consequently, DMEK tissue can be safely prepared in the open under the new operating microscope.

So what’s next? Preparing tissue for DMEK is complex, and at present, it is completed by hand. Accordingly, Saving Sight is developing its internal procedures to be able to offer DMEK tissue in the near future. This includes teaching clinical staff in the Kansas City office how to prepare tissue for DMEK and then giving them lots of opportunities to practice. “We’re figuring out what’s the best way for us to proceed,” said Titus. “We’re processing a lot of tissue and training our technicians so they can perform this complicated procedure with a high amount of predictability and success.”

Thanks to these investments in clinical facilities and staff, Saving Sight will remain a leader in the eye banking industry, providing the types of corneal tissue that people need most to preserve and regain their sight.

A


New Vision for the Kansas City Lab


Thanks to grants from the United Way of Greater St. Louis and the Stafford Family Charitable Trust--in addition to our financial donors’ support--KidSight has gradually updated its screening technology. Most of our KidSight Technicians are now using the Plusoptix S12 Mobile Screener pictured below. As a handheld device, the S12 is far more compact than the previous model. It is also cordless, battery-operated, rechargeable, and highly accurate. As a result, KidSight Technicians spend less time setting up their equipment. Instead, they can focus on the children they are screening and on building relationships with our childcare partners.

New Plusoptix S12 Mobile Screener Helps KidSight Technicians Focus on the Children


Preschooler Treated for Amblyopia Thanks to KidSight Screening

Colton, a 4-year-old from Florissant, MO, was screened by KidSight at his preschool. “That day, I got a letter home stating that they believed Colton had astigmatism and was nearsighted,” said Kristina, Colton’s mother. “At first I was concerned it was some sort of business ploy, so I brushed it off. But when I took Colton to school the next day, the teacher said Colton was the only one who received a referral. My heart sunk immediately.” Once she understood the gravity of the situation, Kristina wasted no time in scheduling an appointment to have Colton’s eyes examined by a pediatric eye specialist.

The doctor confirmed the screening results: Colton suffered from astigmatism and nearsightedness, which contributed to bilateral amblyopia, or “lazy eye” in both eyes. “I got tears in my eyes while the doctor explained all of this,” said Kristina. According to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, bilateral amblyopia is best treated with consistent wearing of glasses, followed by regular visits to the eye doctor. And like most childhood vision problems, the earlier the problem is detected, the better it can be treated.

It took Colton a few weeks to start seeing a lot better with the prescription glasses, but he understands that he must wear them all the time. In fact, Colton has said, “These glasses give me x-ray vision. I can see everything now.” Kristina said he enjoys sports and video games, and as the middle child of three boys, his brothers are his best friends. He likes taking care of his younger brother and playing with his older brother.

Because children with vision problems don’t know their sight is poor, they just adapt to it and usually don’t mention anything to their parents. Kristina now recalls how Colton always lay closest to the TV when the family gathered to watch. “I felt like a terrible parent for not realizing this sooner,” said Kristina. “I didn’t know how much he couldn’t see.” But small signs like this are only obvious in hindsight—most vision problems are undetectable to parents. That’s why vision screening and professional eye care recommendations are so useful: vision problems can be found early and children like Colton can get the treatment they need before problems worsen.

“It takes this technology to help parents figure out that their children need help,” said Kristina. “I cannot say thank you enough to Saving Sight and KidSight for the impact it has had on Colton. He would have missed out on however many years of not being able to see things properly.”


Lion Sight Saver Gifts $2000 and moreBranson-Hollister LionsCape Girardeau Noon LionsConcord Village LionsFirst Capitol LionsHermann LionsJonesburg LionsMissouri Lions District 26-M2Missouri Lions Multiple District 26Owensville LionsPDG Association of 26-M5Webster Groves LionsWest St. Louis County Lions

Lion Patron Gifts $1000 to $1999 Columbia Rockbridge LionsConcordia LionsCreve Coeur LionsHamilton LionsLemay Jefferson Barracks LionsMexico Host LionsRolla LionsSedalia Lions

Lions Club GivingLion Benefactor Gifts up to $999 Auxvasse LionsBeautfort LionsBonhomme LionsBrazito-Honey Creek LionsBrookfield LionsChesterfield LionsColumbia Host LionsCosby LionsEl Dorado Springs LionsElkland LionsFairport LionsGainesville LionsGentry LionsGraham LionsGreen City LionsHigbee LionsHigginsville LionsHigginsville-Lafayette LionsHigh Hill LionsHopkins LionsJefferson City Breakfast LionsJefferson City Capital LionsJonesburg LionessesKennett LionsLee’s Summit LionsMadison LionsMalden Lions

Lion Benefactor Gifts up to $999 Maplewood Lions Marceline LionsMarionville LionsMarshall LionsMayview LionsMendon LionsMeramec Heights LionsMexico Noon LionsMiami LionsMissouri Lions District 26-M1Moscow Mills LionsOld Monroe LionsParis LionsPast District Governors of District 26-M2Patton LionsPlatte City LionsSalisbury LionsSpringfield Host LionsSpringfield Queen City LionsSt. Joseph South Side LionsSt. Louis Downtown LionsSt. Louis Harmony LionsStover LionsWeston LionsWildwood Area LionsWillow Springs LionsWoodson Terrace Lions

Thank you to our generous donors: July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Champion Gifts $2500 or moreBess Spiva Timmons FoundationCommunity Foundation of the OzarksStafford Family Charitable TrustThe Columbia FoundationThe Missouri Foundation for HealthWilliam J. Brace Charitable Trust

Leader Gifts of $1000-$2499Mr. Wayne & PDG Jene CrookMFA Foundation

Guardian Gifts of $500-$999Alabama Eye BankMs Bobbi BashMr. Douglas BlackMrs. Eleanor GoodwinMr. Robert HauptKiwanis Club of Hays IncMrs. Geraldine NelsonMrs. Sharon NichollsMr. & Mrs. John & Theresa OllingerMs. Jane PhillipsDr. & Mrs. Dan & Rhonda SchoenleberMrs. Jean SippyMr. Lewis SoutherlandPDG Jerry & Lion Judy Young

Protector Gifts of $100-$249 Dr. James CrockettMr. Richard DavisMr. George DavisMs. Mae DavisMr. Robert DuddyMr. & Mrs. Terry DunscombeMs. Aprill EdgeworthMs. Marlene EnnisMrs. Barbara EschenheimerEskew Mechanical ContractorsMs. Teresa FarmerMr. & Mrs. Michael & Sheila FieldsMs. Charlene FriedmanMr. Donald GarnerMrs. Patricia GerstenkornMr. Ray GieslerMrs. Lois GilhamMr. & Mrs. Larry & Sandra GoughLions Walter & Kay GreenMr. & Mrs. Rex GumpMr. & Mrs. Lavell & Linda HalePDG Walt & Lion Karen HamerMr. Ronald HeinzMs. Leona HenschenMs. Georgia HighMr. David JeffreyMs. Jerri KnightMs. Alline LeiseMr. Dan LewisMr. & Mrs. Lance & Tina LivesayMrs. Jackie MallingMs. Dorothy MerrillLion Reta Nicholson

DefenderGifts of $250-$499PCC Dan & Lion Sally BernskoetterPDG Wayne & Lion Susan CunninghamDr. Susan HolleyMrs. Jane HoodMr. & Mrs. Joe & Annie KuhlLion & Mrs. Allen & Ruth LohsandtObermark Eye Health CareRSH & Associates, LLCWalmart Foundation

Protector Gifts of $100-$249Mrs. Paula AmosMs. Eva AndresMr. Gary BachusMr. & Mrs. Robert & Jenifer BanksMs. Margaret BarrowMr. & Mrs. Tony & Julie BavusoMrs. Verdia BeardMr. & Mrs. Maurice & Mary BenskinMr. Carl BlunckMrs. Shirley BorenMs. Elizabeth BoyceMrs. Sharon BrysonMs. Donna BurkemperMrs. Jonina ButerbaughMr. Fredrick CaldwellMr. William Frazier ConnerMs. Frances Cooper

Protector Gifts of $100-$249 Ms. Tamara OberbeckMs. Donnette OehmkeMr. Joseph OldhamMs. Caroline OvertonLions Ronald & Mary PauleyMr. & Mrs. David & Susan ReithMs. Madonna RiesenmyMr. Elias RossPDG Ken & Lion Olivia SchimelMr. & Mrs. Dan & Miriam SieveMr. & Mrs. Donald & Caroline SignorMs. Effie SimmonsMr. Bruce SimpsonMr. Don SmithMs. Hannelore StegengaMrs. Esther SteinhauerMs. Shirley SteinmeyerMr. Joseph StockbauerMs. Helen L. ThompsonMrs. Denise VoylesMr. David WalkerMr. & Mrs. Douglas & Anne WaltonMs. Ila M. WattsMrs. Toni WebbMr. & Mrs. Russell & Casey WilliamsonMrs. Alice WisdomMs. Mary WittMr. Edmond WolframMr. Deane Wylie

Circle of Sight Giving


Thank you to our generous donors: July 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

Nelda Irene Aegerter-HermanChris AndersonDelores AustinPDG Leo BergeronLion Kenneth “Bud” BurnhamBasil ButerbaughGary CampbellGrayson CeshkerPDG Melvin DaleAl & Freda DunscombeAnthony Dunster, Sr.Jim EichlerDr. Bernie EsserMinnie Ruth GolaDale L. GrandorffMarcia Balfour HauptLion Don HegemanEdward HurstPDG Carroll LaJaunieLion Chuck LynchJohn Calhoun Merrill

Gifts in MemoryJohn MilesEthel MillardRandy MillerRichard MillerJachin MiskoPDG Jacqueline MorlockDale NichollsLion Martha ReuterTerra RileyPatrick Gene SchaeferDr. John SteinmeyerDonna StraubFrances SwartzLion Archie ThomasJohn ThurmanAshton TwibellLion Kenneth VetteJohn E. WeissJesse Westerman

Gifts in HonorMary Ann Johnson Stan Peery Dr. John SutphinJoyce VirtueLion Dr. Ron Walkenbach

Ms. Annie AdamsMr. Henry W. AllhoffMs. Virginia AntweilerMs. Sylvia ArmstrongMrs. Barbara AzzamMr. & Mrs. Brad & Dorothy BakerMs. Brenda BarberMr. Albert BarnettMr. Donald BarrMs. Jane BarryPCC Leo & Betty BauerleMs. Dorothy BeesleyMr. & Mrs. William & Shirley BenekePDG Leo BergeronBlue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas CityMr. & Mrs. John & Linda BoberMs. Norma BondMr. David BorlinMs. Marcella BurfordMrs. Gloria BurtMr. & Mrs. James & Anne CampbellMs. Miriam CarrollMs. Ruth ChiodiniMr. William ClarksonMr. Paul ColemanMr. & Mrs. Paul & Mary Ann CoulterMr. & Mrs. James & Gayle CoxMr. & Mrs. Michael DarbyMrs. Luella DavinMr. Jerry DavisMrs. Susan DeanMrs. Ann DechantMs. Mary DeillMr. & Mrs. Leonard & Karen DoorackMr. James DuitsmanMr. John DunbarMr. & Mrs. Joe & Judith DykeMrs. Susan EchterlingMr. & Mrs. Jeff & Janet EckertMrs. Jo Ellen ElamMr. & Mrs. Charles & Joyce Embree

Mr. George EstabrookMrs. Aubrey FarrisMr. Richard FedeMr. & Mrs. Richard & Mary Ann FelkelMs. Margaret FinkeMr. & Mrs. David & Lisa FitzlerMr. Gene FoleyMr. William ForbisMrs. Betty FraleyMrs. Constance FryattMr. & Mrs. Ray GoingsMs. Joan GoodwinMr. Laurence GrahamMs. Mary GuestMrs. Marguerite GuthrieMs. Melissa HaleMs. Donna HardenMr. & Mrs. John HarperMs. Bonnie HartyMs. Darlene HaynesMs. Stephanie HeaterMs. Edith HeggMs. Mary HeideMs. Amy HenryMrs. Mary A. HillMr. Roy Garey HodgeMrs. June HuelsmannMr. & Mrs. Wilmer & Jo Ann HuffmanMs. Joan JendrasMrs. Eleanor JonesMs. Lynn KerriganMr. Tommy KinschMs. Mary KirbyMrs. Betty LaJaunieMs. Linda LandelMr. Patrick LeachMrs. Beverly LehenbauerDr. & Mrs. Alan & Vilma LeviMrs. Dorothy LevyMr. William LewisMr. & Mrs. SA Lodewyck

Mr. & Mrs. Larry & Sharon LybargerMs. Barbara MacleanMr. & Mrs. Leo & Gail MaddenMr. James MaendeleMr. & Mrs. John & Kathleen ManionMr. & Mrs. Dave & Jean ManningPDG Jon & Lion Linda MartinMr. Norman MartinMr. & Mrs. Harold & Linda McCampbellMs. Juanita McCreightMrs. Diane McculloughMs. Ione McIntyreMr. Nolan McKenziePCC Ron & Sharol McMullinMrs. Juanita MeeksMr. & Mrs. John & Kay MeyerMs. Myrtle MeyerMr. Lawrence MeyrMs. Sandra MikulichMr. Donald MischkeMr. Eugene MitchellMr. James J. Moran IIMr. & Mrs. Ronald & Wanda NicklesPCC & Lion Don & Betty NolandMrs. Vivian NortonPDG Donald & Peggy OhrenbergMr. Wilbur OsbourneMr. William OylerMrs. Patty PalmerMr. Shawn ParentDr. & Mrs. K.A. & Elizabeth ParryMs. Helen PearlMr. Tim PeeryMs. Elfriede PenceMr. & Mrs. Walter & Connie PentzMr. James PitmanMr. Joe PowersMr. Bill QuinleyMr. & Mrs. Thomas & Marleen RamseyMr. David Rochester

Friends of Saving SightGifts up to $99

Mr. Bobbie RossMrs. Alice RubleMs. Elda RuckrigelMr. & Mrs. David & Anne RudderMs. Ann SchonhoffMr. & Mrs. Louis & Karen ShawMr. & Mrs. Larry & Betty SieckmannMr. & Mrs. David & Mary SkilesMr. & Mrs. Ronald & Joyce SmithMr. Emmet SpearingMs. Carolyn SpierMs. Marguerite SpurlingLion Wesley StemmeMrs. Cheryl StolteMr. & Mrs. Mark & Janice StotlerMs. Teresa StromerMr. Regis TankingMr. & Mrs. Don & Linda TerdinMr. & Mrs. Norman & Paula TerrellMs. Leona ThomasMs. Millie ThompsonMs. Nancy ToddMs. Magdalena TrickMr. William VanceMr. & Mrs. Ron & Janie VeachMr. & Mrs. Jerry & Joyce VirtueMs. Wilma WalkerMr. Hubert WeikartPDG Elmer & Lion Janet WeinrichMr. & Mrs. Larry & Martha WeldonMrs. Shirley WestermanMs. Crystal WicksMr. Lawrence WillMs. Jo WilliamsMs. Cora WinfreyMr. Andrew WoodwardMr. & Mrs. John & Julia WrightMs. Ellen Yurk

Giving is EasyKidSight and our community vision programs are funded thanks to financial donations from our generous supporters. For example, your gift of $100 will help us screen at least 10 children for common vision problems.

You can make a donation or establish a recurring gift through saving-sight.org/give.

You can mail a check to us at:

Saving Sight404 Portland St. Columbia, MO 65201

In the next few issues of Perspectives, Jason Noland, CFRE, Saving Sight’s Development Director, will share tips about wills and how to make sure your estate is protected and prepared, regardless of your age.

Installment #1: Your Will and Future Charitable Giving

I’ve seen some interesting statistics lately about wills and bequests in America. Did you know:

• According to AARP, 55% of Americans who are old enough to have a will do not have a will of any kind. That includes 41% of all Baby Boomers and 71% of people under the age of 34.

• 70% of those who do have wills say that their will is not up to date, or it does not dispose of their property the way they want it to.

• 20% of all the people who die each year have no surviving spouse, children, or parents to leave their estate to.

Wills provide many ways for you to benefit Saving Sight as well as your church, schools, and any other organizations you value. You can leave specific amounts or property, or you can leave a percentage of your estate. You can create memorial gifts in honor of a friend or create a charitable trust to generate income for you and your family. The possibilities are almost limitless.

A will gives you options as you decide how your estate will be distributed. But if you have no will, you have no options. To request information about giving to Saving Sight through your will, please contact me at 1-800-283-1982 X107 or [email protected]. It’s a chance to make a significant gift and also protect your estate for your family, loved ones, and other worthy organizations.

Let us know how we can help.

Your Will and Future Charitable Giving

Referral Location Donors Surgical Tissues

Floral Hills Funeral Home - MO 1 0

Fredonia Regional Hospital - KS 3 5

Freeman Health Systems - Neosho - MO 3 4

Freeman Health Systems - West - MO 78 89

Frontier Forensics - KS 69 119

Geary Community Hospital - KS 6 10

General Leonard Wood Army Hospital - MO 4 6

Golden Valley Memorial Hospital - MO 7 10

Goodland Regional Medical Center - KS 2 4

Graham County Hospital - KS 1 0

Great Bend Regional Hospital - KS 2 1

Greeley County Hospital - KS 1 2

Greenwood County Hospital - KS 1 1

Hamilton County Hospital - KS 1 0

Hands of Hope Hospice - MO 1 0

Hannibal Regional Hospital - MO 10 16

Harrison County Community Hospital - MO 3 6

Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital - MO 12 17

Hays Medical Center - KS 2 4

Heartland Long-Term Acute Care Hospital - MO 2 2

Herington Municipal Hospital - KS 1 0

Hiawatha Community Hospital - KS 2 4

Hospice Compassas - MO 1 0

Hospice Incorporated - KS 1 0

Hospice of Olathe Medical Center - KS 1 2

Hospice of Reno County, Inc - KS 1 0

Hospice of Southeastern Illinois - IL 1 0

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center - KS 23 29

I-70 Community Hospital - MO 2 0

Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care - MO 2 3

Kiowa District Hospital - KS 2 2

Labette Health - KS 11 14

Lafayette Regional Health Center - MO 5 8

Lake Regional Hospital - MO 32 50

Landmark Hospital of Columbia - MO 5 6

Landmark Hospital of Joplin - MO 1 0

Lane County Hospital - KS 1 2

Lawrence County Memorial Hospital - IL 1 2

Lawrence Memorial Hospital - KS 37 53

Lindsborg Community Hospital - KS 2 2

Logan County Hospital - KS 2 3

Lohmeyer - Konantz Funeral Home - MO 1 2

McPherson Hospital - KS 4 4

Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital - KS 1 1

Memorial Hospital - Abilene - KS 8 11

Memorial Medical Center - IL 106 111

Mercy Hospital Fort Scott - KS 11 10

Mercy Hospice - Springfield - MO 1 2


Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital - IL 9 12

Allen County Regional Hospital - KS 2 4

Atchison Hospital - KS 4 7

Audrain Medical Center - MO 7 6

Barnes-Jewish Hospital - MO 1 0

Barton County Memorial Hospital - MO 1 2

Bates County Memorial Hospital - MO 3 4

Benton Co Medical Examiner - MO 1 2

Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital - KS 3 2

Boone Hospital Center - MO 42 53

Bothwell Regional Health Center - MO 12 18

Callaway Community Hospital - MO 1 2

Cameron Regional Medical Center - MO 2 4

Capital Region Medical Center - MO 21 34

Carlinville Area Hospital - IL 2 4

Carroll County Memorial Hospital - MO 2 4

Cass Regional Medical Center - MO 5 8

Christian County Coroner - MO 1 2

Citizens Medical Center - KS 2 4

Citizens Memorial Healthcare - MO 12 13

Clara Barton Hospital - KS 2 1

Clark County Nursing Home - MO 1 2

Clay County Hospital - IL 4 4

Clay County Medical Center - KS 1 2

Cloud County Health Center - KS 5 9

Coffey County Hospital - KS 1 2

Coffeyville Regional Medical Center - KS 7 14

Colmery - O'Neil VA Medical Center - KS 3 1

Comanche County Hospital - KS 2 4

Community Hospital Onaga - KS 1 2

Community Memorial Healthcare - KS 3 3

Community Memorial Hospital - IL 1 2

Cox Medical Center Branson - MO 19 19

CoxHealth Systems - Monett - MO 6 8

CoxHealth Systems - South - MO 169 186

Crawford Memorial Hospital - IL 1 2

Davis Funeral Chapel-Boonville - MO 1 2

Douglas County Coroner - KS 2 4

Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center - KS 1 2

Ellett Memorial Hospital - MO 2 1

Ellinwood District Hospital - KS 1 0

Ellsworth County Medical Center - KS 1 2

Excelsior Springs Medical Center - MO 4 5

F.W. Huston Medical Center - KS 1 2

Fairfax Community Hospital - MO 3 3

Fayette County Hospital - IL 2 4

Fitzgibbon Hospital - MO 5 8

Fitzgibbon Memorial Hospital - MO 6 6

Referral Partners Performance: January 1 - December 31, 2014

Referral Partners Performance: January 1 - December 31, 2014


Saint John Hospital - KS 3 6

Salem Memorial District Hospital - MO 4 6

Samaritan Memorial Hospital - MO 6 9

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System - IL 15 23

Satanta District Hospital - KS 1 1

Scotland County Hospital - MO 3 4

Scott County Hospital - KS 1 0

Select Specialty Hospital - Kansas City - KS 3 1

Select Specialty Hospital - Topeka - KS 1 2

Select Specialty Hospital - Springfield - MO 3 3

Shawnee County Coroner - KS 3 6

Shelby Memorial Hospital - IL 2 4

Sheridan County Health Complex - KS 3 3

Smith County Memorial Hospital - KS 3 2

Southwest Medical Center - KS 3 4

St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital - IL 8 12

St. Catherine Hospital - KS 12 10

St. Francis Health Center - KS 23 30

St. Francis Hospital - Litchfield - IL 4 6

St. Francis Hospital - Maryville - MO 2 3

St. John's Hospital - IL 103 118

St. Luke Hospital & Living Center - KS 2 4

St. Luke's Cushing Hospital - KS 6 11

St. Luke's Hospice House - MO 1 2

St. Mary's Good Samaritan-Centralia - IL 11 15

St. Mary's Health Center - Jefferson City - MO 27 46

Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital - MO 2 2

Stevens County Hospital - KS 1 2

Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital - KS 7 12

Taylorville Memorial Hospital - IL 6 9

Texas County Memorial Hospital - MO 6 8

Thomas H Boyd Memorial Hospital - IL 1 2

Trego County - Lemke Memorial Hospital - KS 2 3

University Hospital and Clinics - MO 94 123

University of Kansas Hospital - KS 95 140

Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Kansas City - MO 9 6

Via Christi Health - KS 12 12

Wamego City Hospital - KS 1 2

Washington County Hospital - KS 1 0

Washington County Memorial Hospital - MO 5 6

Western Missouri Medical Center - MO 2 4

Western Plains Medical Complex - KS 4 6

Wichita County Health Center - KS 1 1

Wilson Medical Center - KS 4 6

Wright Memorial Hospital - MO 3 5

Wyandotte County Coroner - KS 1 2

Yorgensen - Meloan - Londeen Funeral Home - KS 1 1


Mercy Hospital Aurora - MO 1 0

Mercy Hospital Cassville - MO 3 3

Mercy Hospital Independence - KS 11 16

Mercy Hospital Jefferson - MO 40 52

Mercy Hospital Joplin - MO 19 23

Mercy Hospital Lebanon - MO 3 4

Mercy Hospital Springfield - MO 133 157

Mercy Hospital St. Francis - MO 2 2

Mercy Hospital Washington - MO 27 37

Mercy Maude Norton Memorial Hospital - KS 3 4

Mercy McCune - Brooks - MO 6 7

Mercy Regional Health Center - College Campus - KS 9 16

Meyer Orthopedic & Rehabilitation Hospital - MO 1 1

Miami County Medical Center - KS 8 10

Minneola District Hospital - KS 2 2

Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems - KS 3 6

Moberly Regional Medical Center - MO 5 8

Morgan County Coroner - IL 2 4

Morris County Hospital - KS 3 4

Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph - MO 56 74

Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center - KS 2 2

Nevada Regional Medical Center - MO 8 11

Newman Regional Health - KS 8 12

Newton Medical Center - KS 5 4

NorthCare Hospice House - MO 1 2

Northeast Regional Medical Center - MO 12 19

Northwest Medical Center - MO 1 0

Norton County Hospital - KS 3 4

Olathe Medical Center - KS 43 70

Osborne County Memorial Hospital - KS 1 2

Ottawa County Hospital - KS 3 4

Ozarks Medical Center - MO 9 12

Pana Community Hospital - IL 2 4

Paris Community Hospital - IL 1 2

Passavant Area Hospital - IL 8 13

Pershing Memorial Hospital - MO 1 0

Phelps County Regional Medical Center - MO 18 22

Phillips County Hospital - KS 2 2

Pike County Memorial Hospital - MO 8 9

Pioneer Lodge Long-Term Care - KS 1 1

Providence Medical Center - KS 31 46

Putnam County Memorial Hospital - MO 1 2

Ransom Memorial Hospital - KS 3 6

Rice County District Hospital - KS 3 2

Richland Memorial Hospital - IL 4 6

Rooks County Health Center - KS 1 2

Rush County Memorial Hospital - KS 1 0

Russell Regional Hospital - KS 2 3

Sabetha Community Hospital - KS 2 4

Hutchinson

Spring�eld

Spring�eld

Kansas City

Hutchinson, KSLinda Conyac, CEBT (Interim)620-259-7388

Kansas City, MOJustina Barnes, RN, BSN816-454-5454 x128

Springfield, MOKharim Strayhorn 417-882-1532 x1014

Springfield, IL Wendy White-Mitter, RN217-679-2987

Partner Relations Contacts

Saving Sight’s partner relations staff members work to communicate with local hospitals, medical centers and hospices about donation. Listed below is the contact information and service area for each of our Partner Relations Coordinators.

Congratulations to the staff of Olathe Medical Center for their commitment to cornea donation and transplantation. In the past year, 21 percent more people have said yes to donation at OMC. This improvement was driven by the Donor Advisory Council, continuing education for staff, and an annual rose ceremony for donors. As a result of these efforts, 70 people have received the gift of sight through cornea transplantation this year.

Saving Sight thanks the employees of Cox Medical Center South for their continued support of cornea donation and transplantation. They are transitioning from a designated requestor system to a phone consent system when offering families the opportunity to donate. The transition is a huge undertaking, and yet consent rates have not been negatively affected. In fact, the rate of consent for cornea donation has increased by 3 percent recently thanks to the staff’s efforts.

Nonprofit OrgUS Postage

PAIDSt. Louis MOPermit #4400

404 Portland StreetColumbia, MO 65201P: 800-753-2265F: 573-443-1657saving-sight.org

Last year, an average of 8 people received a corneal transplant each day with tissue provided by Saving Sight. These transplants were possible because others had made the heroic choice to become donors and give the gift of sight.

It starts with you joining your state’s donor registry and speaking with family about your decision to donate. Register today at donatelife.net or your local motor vehicles office.

register now at donatelife.net

Documents

Perspectives Winter 2015