Saving Sight | 2015 Eye Donation Impact Report

2015 EYE DONAT ION IMPACT REPORT

Eye Donation | Page 2

Saving Sight is a regional 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to change lives by

saving sight. Founded as an eye bank in 1960, today we serve more than 100,000 people

worldwide with a range of vision health services. To prevent future vision loss, our KidSight

program provides free vision screenings for children, identifying potential vision problems

and ensuring children at-risk get the eye care they need. Our Eyeglass Recycling Program

collects used eyeglasses, prepares them for recycling, and distributes the eye wear free

of charge to help correct refractive errors for those in need. And for those whose sight

is threatened by injury, disorder or disease, we continue to coordinate eye donation for

transplant and research to restore sight.

This report details our work, and the work of our partners, to help 1,796 generous eye

donors give the gift of sight in 2015 through research and transplantation. The process

starts with a donor or donor family who says yes to donation. Hospital staff and community

partners make referrals and assist Saving Sight in the recovery of tissue. Saving Sight

processes recovered tissue and distributes it to surgeons and researchers who restore

sight through transplant surgeries or the advancement of medical practice. Our recipients

couldn’t be more grateful for the selfless gifts they receive to help them see.

One corneal surgeon tells his patients, it takes an orchestra to bring them the gift of sight.

Whether you are the conductor or a cellist playing first chair, as you will see in the pages

that follow, together we change lives by saving sight.

Eye, organ and tissue donation saves and changes lives, but many

don’t know just how important donation can be. Saving Sight

provides leadership for Donate Life state teams in Missouri,

Kansas, and Illinois to help increase designations on our

donor registries. Saving Sight staff are also active in

communities across our service region, educating the

public about donation at community runs and walks, health

and wellness fairs and other events. In 2015, Saving Sight

hosted donor designation drives at high schools, colleges,

blood drives and community events to help more individuals

become donors. Staff also provided education on donation to

lawmakers, hospital staff and other professionals who have the

ability to help facilitate the gift of sight through eye donation.

Donor Designation


Rick gave freely of his time to help

others and enjoyed spending time

with his family. He lived an active

lifestyle and was an excellent athlete

who continued to play volleyball until

he passed away during a match at the

age of 61.

Because living an active lifestyle was

important to Rick, he and his wife

Theresa had talked about eye, organ

and tissue donation and end-of-life-

care. She and Rick were both blood

donors and registered organ donors;

they believed in giving what they

could to help others.

When Rick passed away, Theresa said

hospital staff, the funeral home and

Saving Sight explained the donation

process and made the difficult

situation as positive as it could be for

their family. It was impactful for her that

Rick was able to help people until the

very end through the gift of sight.

“It just helps me as I transition to life

without him – it helps me know that I

honored a wish of his,” said Theresa.

A Legacy Lives On

1,796 Heroes Like Rick Gave the Gift of Sight

State Donor Designation Shares

The total number of designated donors as

a percentage of all state registrants age 18

and older. Join the national donor registry

online at registerme.org.

40.7% First-Person Authorization

Source of Consent for Saving Sight Eye Donation Cases

Next of kin consent rate as a percentage of all approaches made by Saving Sight.

59.3% Next of Kin Consent

Saving Sight’s Next of Kin Consent Rate

2013 2014 2015

43.4%38.28%39.05%

59.7% 74.3%59.9%

Donation Referral | Page 4

As a patient education coordinator

and head of the Organ, Eye and

Tissue Committee at Hays Medical

Center, Dorothy Gideon knows

the importance of eye, organ and

tissue donation. She also knows the

impact hospital staff have on the

donation process.

“Hospital staff play an important

role in getting the referral made

in a timely manner, taking time to

answer the needed questions to

screen the potential donor and

doing proper eye care,” Dorothy

says. “The smoother the facilitation

process, the greater the opportunity

to help those in need.”

Dorothy has been a champion of

donation at Hays Medical Center.

She’s raised awareness about

donation through educational

booths at the hospital and in

the community. Each April,

the committee Dorothy leads

celebrates Donate Life Month by

baking cookies at the hospital

and delivering them to each unit

at Hays Medical Center with facts

about donation. Dorothy has even

helped ensure Saving Sight can

get tissue recovered at the hospital

to its lab as quickly as possible by

connecting Saving Sight to FedEx

pickups at Hays Medical Center.

Champion of Donation Dorothy Gideon


Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital

Boone Hospital Center

Bothwell Regional Health Center

Capital Region Medical Center

Cox Medical Center Branson

Cox Medical Center South

Freeman Hospital West

Hays Medical Center

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital

HSHS St. John’s Hospital

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center

Lake Regional Hospital

Lawrence Memorial Hospital

Memorial Medical Center

Mercy Hospital Joplin

Mercy Hospital Springfield

Excellence In Eye Donation Awards

Saving Sight’s Excellence in Eye Donation Award recognizes hospitals that demonstrated

an outstanding commitment to eye donation. The following hospitals were selected for

achieving an eye donation consent rate that exceeded 45 percent and having at least 10

patients donate eye tissue in 2015. We applaud them for empowering people to give the

gift of sight and for striving to create a culture that supports donation. Thanks to the staff at

these hospitals, more people were able to receive sight-saving cornea transplants last year.

Mercy Hospital Washington

Mosaic Life Care

Olathe Medical Center

Ozarks Medical Center

Passavant Area Hospital

Phelps County Regional Medical Center

Providence Medical Center

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Jefferson City

St. Catherine Hospital

St. Francis Health

University Hospital

University of Kansas Hospital

Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan

Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg


Hospital Name Total Suitable

Eye DonorsDonors Transplants

Consent Rate

Conversion Rate

PRC Territory

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital* 19 13 23 82% 68% 4

Allen County Regional Hospital 11 2 0 42% 18% 1

Anderson County Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Ashland Health Center 2 0 0 0% 0% 1

Atchison Hospital 5 3 4 67% 60% 2

Barton County Memorial Hospital 9 2 4 38% 22% 3

Bates County Memorial Hospital 2 0 0 0% 0% 2

Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital 4 1 2 50% 25% 1

Boone Hospital Center 67 30 38 54% 45% 3

Bothwell Regional Health Center 44 15 19 59% 34% 2

Cameron Regional Medical Center 27 11 19 44% 41% 2

Capital Region Medical Center 42 17 16 60% 40% 3

Carlinville Area Hospital* 7 4 4 80% 57% 4

Carroll County Memorial Hospital 4 1 0 33% 25% 2

Cass Regional Medical Center 18 7 9 62% 39% 2

Cedar County Memorial Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 3

Center for Behavioral Medicine 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Cheyenne County Hospital 4 0 0 0% 0% 1

Citizens Medical Center, Inc. 4 2 2 60% 50% 1

Citizens Memorial Hospital 19 9 13 63% 47% 3

Clara Barton Hospital 5 1 2 20% 20% 1

Clay County Hospital* 7 0 0 25% 0% 4

Clay County Medical Center 6 3 6 60% 50% 1

Cloud County Health Center 5 0 0 0% 0% 1

Coffey County Hospital 8 4 6 50% 50% 1

Coffeyville Regional Medical Center 16 3 3 33% 19% 1

Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center 7 3 2 80% 43% 2

Comanche County Hospital 3 2 3 67% 67% 1

Community Hospital Onaga 1 0 0 50% 0% 1

Community Hospital St. Mary's 4 4 2 100% 100% 1

Community Memorial Healthcare 5 1 2 25% 20% 1

Community Memorial Hospital 6 2 4 33% 33% 4

Cooper County Memorial Hospital 9 4 7 63% 44% 2

Cox Medical Center Branson 48 23 22 64% 48% 3

Cox Medical Center South 314 150 143 60% 48% 3

Cox Monett Hospital 9 3 6 45% 33% 3

Crawford Memorial Hospital* 12 2 1 50% 17% 4

Decatur Health Systems 1 0 0 0% 0% 1

Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center 3 2 2 67% 67% 2

Edwards County Hospital & Healthcare Center 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Ellett Memorial Hospital 2 0 0 0% 0% 2

Ellinwood District Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Ellsworth County Medical Center 4 1 2 25% 25% 1

Excelsior Springs Hospital 9 6 8 88% 67% 2

F.W. Huston Medical Center 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Fairfax Community Hospital 5 1 2 33% 20% 2

Fayette County Hospital* 8 4 8 50% 50% 4

Fitzgibbon Memorial Hospital 8 2 4 33% 25% 2

Fredonia Regional Hospital 4 2 2 50% 50% 1

Freeman Hospital West 170 75 72 53% 44% 3

Freeman Neosho Hospital 18 6 10 33% 33% 3

Fulton Medical Center 2 1 0 75% 50% 3

Fulton State Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 3

Geary Community Hospital 12 6 8 54% 50% 1

General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital 8 1 1 50% 13% 3

Girard Medical Center 1 1 1 100% 100% 1

Golden Valley Memorial Hospital 12 3 6 36% 25% 2

Goodland Regional Medical Center 6 1 0 25% 17% 1

Gove County Medical Center 6 4 4 80% 67% 1

Graham County Hospital 4 2 4 67% 50% 1

Great Bend Regional Hospital 12 7 10 58% 58% 1

PRC Territory 1Heather Britain620-665-1423Hutchinson, KS

PRC Territory 2Justina Barnes, BSN, RN816-255-1359Kansas City, MO

PRC Territory 3Haley Lyne 417-569-1270 Springfield, MO

PRC Territory 4Richard Hamilton217-718-6002Springfield, IL

Hospital Referral PartnersContact a Partner Relations Coordinator

* Data reported may differ from actual numbers due to incomplete data.


Make the initial

referral call to the

organ procurement

organization within

60 minutes of

cardiac death.



Consent Rate

Conversion Rate

PRC Territory

Greeley County Hospital 2 1 2 100% 50% 1

Greenwood County Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Grisell Memorial Hospital 3 1 0 33% 33% 1

Hamilton County Hospital 1 0 0 0% 0% 1

Hannibal Regional Hospital 42 10 17 30% 24% 4

Hanover Hospital 1 0 0 0% 0% 1

Harrison County Community Hospital 7 5 7 83% 71% 2

Harry S. Truman Memorial VA Hospital 29 8 10 39% 28% 3

Hays Medical Center 29 12 15 52% 41% 1

Heartland Behavioral Health Services 0 0 0 0% 0% 3

Heartland Long Term Acute Care 7 2 2 60% 29% 2

Hedrick Medical Center 6 3 4 60% 50% 2

Herington Municipal Hospital 3 0 0 0% 0% 1

Hermann Area District Hospital 4 1 0 25% 25% 4

Hiawatha Community Hospital 6 0 0 17% 0% 2

Hillsboro Area Hospital* 6 3 6 57% 50% 4

Hillsboro Community Hospital 2 2 4 100% 100% 1

Hodgeman County Health Center 6 2 4 43% 33% 1

Holton Community Hospital 3 1 2 33% 33% 2

Horton Community Hospital 1 0 0 0% 0% 2

HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital* 33 11 12 52% 33% 4

HSHS St. Francis Hospital* 8 1 2 29% 13% 4

HSHS St. John's Hospital* 176 87 105 70% 49% 4

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center 49 22 28 57% 45% 1

I-70 Community Hospital 3 2 4 67% 67% 2

Irwin Army Community Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Jewell County Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Kansas City VA Medical Center 17 8 10 61% 47% 2

Kearny County Hospital 5 0 0 0% 0% 1

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Kiowa District Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Labette Health 9 5 8 67% 56% 1

Lafayette Regional Health Center 8 1 1 33% 13% 2

Lake Regional Hospital 59 28 41 61% 47% 3

Landmark Hospital of Columbia 9 5 4 56% 56% 3

Landmark Hospital of Joplin 10 3 0 50% 30% 3

Lane County Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Larned State Hospital 1 0 0 0% 0% 1

Lawrence County Memorial Hospital* 11 5 8 56% 45% 4

Lawrence Memorial Hospital 49 28 34 65% 57% 2

Lincoln County Hospital 1 1 2 100% 100% 1

Lindsborg Community Hospital 4 4 6 100% 100% 1

Logan County Hospital 5 2 4 40% 40% 1

McPherson Hospital 9 1 2 17% 11% 1

Meade District Hospital 4 2 3 50% 50% 1

Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital & Physicians Clinic 4 0 0 0% 0% 1

Memorial Health System of Abilene 9 5 8 60% 56% 1

Memorial Medical Center* 247 132 161 71% 53% 4

Mercy Hospital Aurora 5 1 0 25% 20% 3

Mercy Hospital Carthage 10 3 2 44% 30% 3

Mercy Hospital Cassville 6 3 4 60% 50% 3

Mercy Hospital Columbus 5 1 2 33% 20% 1

Mercy Hospital Fort Scott 11 4 6 50% 36% 1

Mercy Hospital Jefferson 81 24 25 36% 30% 4

Mercy Hospital Joplin 61 24 24 54% 39% 3

Mercy Hospital Lebanon 4 2 2 50% 50% 3

Mercy Hospital Moundridge 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Mercy Hospital Springfield 306 156 143 62% 51% 3

Mercy Hospital St. Francis 5 3 3 75% 60% 3

Mercy Hospital Washington 70 28 36 52% 40% 4

Ways Hospital Staff Can Support

Eye Donation

Get more than one

contact number

for the patient’s

next of kin.





Consent Rate

Conversion Rate

PRC Territory

Miami County Medical Center 9 3 6 38% 38% 2

Mid America Rehabilitation Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Minneola District Hospital 3 1 2 33% 33% 1

Missouri Rehabilitation Center 0 0 0 0% 0% 3

Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems 6 1 2 22% 17% 1

Moberly Regional Medical Center 7 4 8 57% 57% 2

Morris County Hospital 8 0 0 0% 0% 1

Morton County Hospital 4 1 2 33% 25% 1

Mosaic Life Care 111 45 69 49% 41% 2

MU Women's and Children's Hospital 7 2 2 29% 29% 3

Nemaha Valley Community Hospital 2 1 1 50% 50% 1

Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center 8 1 2 17% 13% 1

Ness County Hospital 1 1 1 100% 100% 1

Nevada Regional Medical Center 8 4 8 78% 50% 3

Newman Regional Health 12 8 10 67% 67% 1

Newton Medical Center 11 8 13 77% 73% 1

Northeast Regional Medical Center 15 5 9 46% 33% 2

Northwest Medical Center 3 2 4 75% 67% 2

Norton County Hospital 3 2 4 67% 67% 1

Olathe Medical Center 67 30 43 52% 45% 2

Osawatomie State Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Osborne County Memorial Hospital 1 1 2 100% 100% 1

Ottawa County Health Center 3 2 4 67% 67% 1

Ozarks Community Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 3

Ozarks Medical Center 36 13 18 48% 36% 3

Pana Community Hospital* 6 0 0 25% 0% 4

Paris Community Hospital* 6 2 4 50% 33% 4

Passavant Area Hospital* 32 14 22 57% 44% 4

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Pershing Memorial Hospital 11 1 1 10% 9% 2

Phelps County Regional Medical Center 41 19 18 69% 46% 3

Phillips County Hospital 5 2 2 50% 40% 1

Pike County Memorial Hospital 11 4 4 56% 36% 4

Prairie View Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Promise Hospital of Overland Park 3 3 3 100% 100% 2

Providence Medical Center 63 31 38 57% 49% 2

Putnam County Memorial Hospital 6 2 3 33% 33% 2

Ransom Memorial Hospital 12 8 9 67% 67% 2

Rawlins County Health Center 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Ray County Memorial Hospital 6 1 0 40% 17% 2

Republic County Hospital 8 3 2 43% 38% 1

Rice County District Hospital 7 4 4 67% 57% 1

Richland Memorial Hospital* 11 2 0 29% 18% 4

Rooks County Health Center 2 0 0 0% 0% 1

Rush County Memorial Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Russell Regional Hospital 3 2 4 100% 67% 1

Sabetha Community Hospital 3 2 1 67% 67% 2

Saint John Hospital 8 5 7 63% 63% 2

Salem Memorial District Hospital 9 2 4 40% 22% 3

Salina Surgical Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Samaritan Memorial Hospital 7 0 0 0% 0% 2

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System* 48 24 38 60% 50% 4

Satanta District Hospital 1 0 0 0% 0% 1

Scotland County Hospital 11 2 4 33% 18% 4

Scott County Hospital 5 0 0 20% 0% 1

Sedan City Hospital 5 2 2 40% 40% 1

Select Specialty Hospital - Springfield 9 6 0 78% 67% 3

Select Specialty, Kansas City, KS 3 0 0 0% 0% 2

Shelby Memorial Hospital* 7 2 4 57% 29% 4

Sheridan County Health Complex 2 2 3 100% 100% 1

Signature Psychiatric Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Hospital Referral Partners

Don’t release the

deceased to a

funeral home until

you’ve heard from

Saving Sight.

Once a patient

has passed away

and their family is

no longer at the

bedside, perform

SEE:

Saline eye drops

in each eye,

Elevate the head

to 30 degrees,

Eyelids closed and

apply lightweight

ice packs over

closed eyelids

(don’t tape eyelids

closed).





Consent Rate

Conversion Rate

PRC Territory

Smith County Memorial Hospital 8 1 2 13% 13% 1

Southwest Medical Center 9 3 5 71% 33% 1

SSM Health St. Francis Hospital - Maryville 8 3 4 38% 38% 2

SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Centralia 34 11 15 43% 32% 4

SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Jefferson City 31 12 16 58% 39% 3

St. Catherine Hospital 26 11 11 52% 42% 1

St. Francis Health Center 53 31 29 67% 58% 2

St. Luke Hospital and Living Center 6 0 0 0% 0% 1

St. Lukes Cushing Hospital 10 6 7 73% 60% 2

Stafford County Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Stanton County Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital 11 4 4 50% 36% 4

Stevens County Hospital 3 0 0 0% 0% 1

Sullivan County Memorial Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 2

Summit Surgical Hospital 0 0 0 0% 0% 1

Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital 6 1 2 20% 17% 1

Taylorville Memorial Hospital* 11 2 2 43% 18% 4

Texas County Memorial Hospital 20 5 1 53% 25% 3

Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital* 6 2 2 40% 33% 4

Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital 5 0 0 0% 0% 1

University Hospital 207 85 75 55% 41% 3

University of Kansas Hospital 180 101 119 65% 56% 2

Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan 26 15 17 68% 58% 1

Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg 30 16 19 62% 53% 1

Vibra Hospital of Springfield* 5 1 2 40% 20% 4

Wamego City Hospital 3 3 4 100% 100% 1

Washington County Hospital 2 1 2 50% 50% 1

Washington County Memorial Hospital 21 5 10 40% 24% 4

Western Missouri Medical Center 10 3 6 38% 30% 2

Western Plains Medical Complex 19 7 9 47% 37% 1

Wichita County Health Center 1 1 2 100% 100% 1

Wilson Medical Center 4 1 2 50% 25% 1

Wright Memorial Hospital 10 2 4 29% 20% 2

Referral Location Donors Surgical Tissues PRC Territory

Bates County, Missouri Coroner 1 2 2

Cedar County, Missouri Coroner 1 2 3

Christian County, Missouri Coroner 1 2 4

Cremation Society of Kansas and Missouri 1 2 2

Crossroads Hospice KS 1 2 2

Davis - Anderson Funeral Homes - Carlinville 1 2 4

Frontier Forensics 48 84 2

Greene County, Missouri Medical Examiner 1 2 3

Harbor Light Hospice 1 2 4

Harrison County Hospice 1 2 2

Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice 2 3 1

Hedges - Scott Funeral Homes - Camdenton 1 2 3

Compassus - Springfield 1 2 3

Hospice Services, Inc. & Palliative Care of Northwest Kansas 1 2 1

Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care 2 2 2

Klingner - Cope Family Funeral Homes - Eastlawn 1 2 3

Midland Care Connection 1 2 2

Phelps Regional Homecare 1 2 3

Promise Skilled Nursing Facility of Overland Park 1 2 2

Shawnee County, Kansas Coroner 5 10 3

Shelbyville Manor 1 2 4

Simmons - Rentschler Mortuary 1 2 1

Wyandotte County, Missouri Coroner 1 2 2

Community Referral Partners

Timing is critical,

but Saving Sight

recognizes the

need for time

and space.

Communicate with

us about how the

family is currently

coping.

Call Saving Sight

staff at 800-753-

2265 if you have

questions at any

time about where

a case is in the

donation process.

Set up a

professional

development

session or request

badge cards to

help your staff

facilitate donation

by contacting

your Saving Sight

partner relations

coordinator.


Stewardship of the Gift | Page 10

In 2014, Saving Sight invested in

lab equipment upgrades and staff

development to begin processing

tissue for Descemet’s membrane

endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK).

The procedure is anticipated to

become common practice for

corneal transplant surgeries in the

future due to the improved visual

results and recovery times the

procedure provides many patients.

Saving Sight provided corneal

tissue processed for DMEK for the

first full year in 2015, helping more

donors give and more patients

receive the gift of sight.

DMEK Processing Enhances Stewardship

99% of Surgically Suitable Tissue

Transplanted

Stewardship of the Gift | Page 11

Director of Partner Relations Michala Stoker, BSN, RN, was

appointed to Missouri’s Organ Donation Advisory Committee

by Governor Jay Nixon. The state-wide committee assists state

agencies in developing programs to raise awareness of organ, eye

and tissue donation among the public and recommends priorities

for expenditures from the state’s Organ Donor Fund.

As director of partner relations, Stoker has collaborated with

hospitals, medical examiners and coroners, funeral home directors

and organ procurement organizations across Saving Sight’s service

region to help donors give the gift of sight. She currently serves as

the state team leader of Donate Life – Missouri where she works

with partner organizations throughout the state to educate the

public about donation and increase donor designations on the

organ, eye and tissue donor registry.

Director of Partner Relations Appointed to State Board

Chief Business Development Officer Coauthors Research Study

Gabriel Rand (left) and Patrick Gore (right) at the Cornea Society and Eye Bank Association of America’s Fall Educational Symposium.

Research co-authored by Chief Business Development Officer

Patrick Gore suggests Saving Sight and other eye banks could use

information available in donor medical records to identify tissue

which may be better suited for research than transplantation. The

study of 12,703 cornea donors presented at the Cornea Society and

Eye Bank Association of America’s Fall Educational Symposium found

use of certain topical glaucoma medications was associated with

lower corneal endothelial cell density of donors. Cell density is an

important factor in determining the best use of donated eye tissue.

By using this information to evaluate potential eye donor cases,

Saving Sight and other eye banks could focus on recovering

tissue for transplant which provide the best chance for successful

outcomes. Other tissue could be recovered specifically for research

purposes to help save sight through advances in medical practice.

Tissue Utilization | Page 12

Saving Sight distributes eye tissue for transplant in the U.S.

and around the world. Andrew Moyes, MD, of Kansas City,

Missouri performs surgeries with tissue provided by Saving

Sight here at home and abroad. Since 2006, he’s made 15

trips to Haiti as part of the iTeam at Northwest Haiti Christian

Mission. The iTeam provides eye care in the poorest zone

in Haiti where the population of approximately 300,000 has

no access to eye doctors. That care included three corneal

transplants performed by Dr. Moyes in 2015, which can be

lifesaving for recipients in the country.

“Blindness is lethal in Haiti. If you’re blind in a developing

country, the 5-year mortality rate is close to 60 percent,” Dr.

Moyes said. “People come to our eye clinic for our services

from all over Haiti and even from the Dominican Republic.”

In part with tissue provided by Saving Sight, Dr. Moyes and

the iTeam are working to prevent blindness in Haiti. “The eye

bank has been super helpful,” Dr. Moyes said. “We couldn’t

even dream of doing it without Saving Sight.”

Changing Lives Abroad

Tissue Utilization Transplant Tissue Distribution by Surgery Type

Donated Tissue Advances Medical ResearchEye donors give the gift of sight through cornea transplants, but also have

the opportunity to change the lives of those affected by eye conditions

by providing tissue for research and education. By age 80, half of all

Americans will be affected by cataracts. With lens tissue provided by Saving

Sight, researchers at the University of Colorado are studying the various

mechanisms involved in cataract genesis and researchers at Washington

University in St. Louis are testing compounds which may inhibit the formation

of cataracts. This research is leading to advances in the treatment of

cataracts thanks to the generosity of eye donors.

33% Non-Surgical Use

67% Surgical Use

96 Other (DALK, ALK, K-Pro)

129 Glaucoma Shunt

237 DMEK

1,152 DSAEK

1,518 PK

Tissue Utilization | Page 13

A nearly 25-year career as a corneal surgeon has taken Shachar

Tauber, MD, from New York to New Orleans, Alaska to Yale. Twelve

years ago his career brought him to Springfield, Missouri and he’s

been working with Saving Sight ever since.

“When I worked on the East Coast, we didn’t have this kind of

relationship with our eye bank. Saving Sight has been like our

personal banker,” Dr. Tauber said. “Knowing they’re there, that

you can trust that tissue, it’s a relationship that’s made me a

better surgeon.”

Dr. Tauber’s practice performed more than 120 corneal surgeries

last year. His patients are grateful to regain their sight and he shares

the credit. “I’m just the conductor of the orchestra,” Dr. Tauber said.

“There are many people involved in the transplant from the donor

and their family to the hospital staff to Saving Sight who recovers,

tests and prepares the tissue to the technicians and nurses in my

office,” Dr. Tauber shared. “Patients are exceptionally grateful and it’s

heartwarming to be with them as they get their vision back.”

Cornea Transplants Take an Orchestra

Non-Surgical Tissue UtilizationTransplant Tissue Distribution by Geographic Area

Patrick Gore, RNChief Business Development Officer813-753-4487

Lynn Forest-SmithDirector of Business Development727-253-0752

Contact Our Business Development Team for More Information

Request Tissue by Calling Client Services at 816-255-1307

1.7% Illinois

13.6% Kansas

22.1% Other U.S.

22.5% Missouri

40.1% International

23% Education & Training

77% Research

Get 24/7 support from our Client Services team

Request tissue and schedule surgeries online with Midwire Match

Receive processed tissue 7 days a week

Recipients of the Gift | Page 14

For over 30 years, Barbara has made a difference in the lives of her students, first as

an elementary school teacher and then as a university professor who taught early

childhood and special education courses. Barbara is also an avid Mah Jongg player,

enjoys making jewelry and loves to read. Now retired, she continues to change lives

by teaching university courses online and volunteering with the American Red Cross.

Fuchs’ dystrophy threatened Barbara’s ability to continue changing lives, but thanks

to the generous gift of an eye donor, she’s still active serving communities through

the Red Cross. With a team of other retired educators, Barbara visits schools in

Missouri to talk with thousands of 3rd-5th graders each year about emergency

preparedness and basic coping skills in disasters.

“Thank you – those two words don’t say it enough,” said Barbara. “You don’t really

realize how important sight is until it’s gone – it’s a miracle they can make it better.”

Retired Educator Continues to Change Lives Thanks to the Gift of Sight

Recipients of the Gift | Page 15

After her life was touched by eye donation, pre-schooler

and 5 time corneal transplant recipient Gentry Howard

and her family have volunteered with Saving Sight to

become ambassadors for donation. In 2015, Gentry

provided artwork for Saving Sight’s annual holiday

card. The Howards also shared how eye donation had

changed Gentry’s life through a video that reached

more than 200,000 people online and was recognized

by the Eye Bank Association of America as a winner

of its “Through My Eyes” Art Contest during National

Eye Donor Month. Gentry and her family have honored

donor families by participating in The University of

Kansas Hospital’s annual Rose Ceremony and helped

raise awareness about donation in the community by

volunteering at public education events.

An Ambassador for the Gift of Sight

We Changed the Lives of 3,016 People

In 36 States and 22 Countries


Nonprofit OrgUS Postage

PAIDSt. Louis MOPermit #4400

You can change lives by signing up for the donor registry at registerme.org

Documents

Saving Sight | 2015 Eye Donation Impact Report