2020 ANNUAL REPORT 203 Lothrop Street • Suite 251 EEI • Pittsburgh, PA 15213 • 412-864-1300 • eyeandear.org
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2020 Ruth G. Auld, EdD Executive Director, DePaul School for Hearing & Speech Henry S. Beukema (Retired) Executive Director, McCune Foundation Glenn E. Bost. II (Retired) Senior Vice President & General Counsel, PPG Charles R. Brodbeck, Esq., Vice Chairman of the Board Director, Cohen & Grigsby, PC Charles C. Cohen, Honorary Director Founding Partner and Chairman Emeritus, Cohen & Grigsby, PC Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD, LAc Director, Cornea & Refractive Surgery Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jonas T. Johnson, MD, FACS Distinguished Service Professor and Chairman, Department of Otolaryngology The Dr. Eugene N. Myers Endowed Chair University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Carole L. Kamin Retired Manager-Buyer, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Jeffrey B. Markel Managing Director, Perspective Capital Michele M. McKenney Founder and Managing Member, McKenney Home Care Diana L. Mrvos, MD Ophthalmologist Albert C. Muse President, The Muse Company
Douglas P. Dick Co-Chairman & CEO, Dick Building Company
Eugene N. Myers, MD, FACS, FRCS Edin (Hon) Distinguished Professor and Emeritus Chair Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
George A. Fechter, Chairman of the Board Chairman, Fechter Holdings
B. Gordon Nelson, III President, B. G. Nelson, LLC
Louis J. Fox Former SVP Gerald Metals, Inc.
JosĂŠ-Alain Sahel, MD Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology Eye & Ear Foundation Endowed Chair, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Lawrence N. Gumberg, Treasurer President, LG Realty Advisors, Inc.
Front cover image courtesy of Ian Sigal, PhD, Bin Yang, PhD and Po Lam, Laboratory of Ocular Biomechanics. Shown are collagen fibers of a pig optic nerve head, optically colored using polarized light.
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E. Ronald Salvitti, MD Ophthalmologist Founder and Medical Director, Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD Exofficio Senior Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences John and Gertrude Peterson Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh James L. Soffer President & CEO Soffer Organization Cynthia Sunseri, Secretary Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Paul R. Vittone Head of Private Equity Investments Bank of New York Mellon Wealth Management Nancy D. Washington, PhD Chair, Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation Corporation Bruce Wiegand Former President/CEO & General Counsel, Phillips Companies Aldo Zini President & CEO, Aethon, Inc.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGES OF 2020 By Lawton Snyder, CEO, Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh
We are just halfway through the calendar year of 2020, and I can certainly say it has been an unprecedented year for the Eye & Ear Foundation. With the pandemic continuing and so many issues impacting our communities, we are still anticipating the roller coaster ride will continue. In all times of struggle, there is an opportunity to improve. I am very proud of the way our staff, the Board of Directors, and all of our partners in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh have responded to the challenges we have had to face. I found it inspiring to observe the clinicians and staff at the UPMC Eye Center and UPMC Ear Nose and Throat Clinics, passionately continue their mission to care for patients under these challenging circumstances. I have seen first-hand how new systems for personal protection, a new process for telemedicine, and even new ways to deliver care were implemented almost immediately. We all took these matters very seriously, with all of our meetings conducted virtually and with following social distancing guidelines, our EEF team has worked remotely since March 16th, while continuing to work closely with the Departments and our constituents to provide support. In all honesty, when the pandemic first hit, all we could think about was COVID -19 and how this was impacting our world, so our assumption was that all of you would be just as distracted. However, it was not long before I realized, that even in a pandemic, people who suffer from vision loss, hearing loss, or the other conditions, which are the focus of the Eye & Ear Foundation’s mission, are still concerned about the future of care. So, we began seeking for the best method to continue our messaging. Since March, we have posted 25 weekly blogs, we have called many of our donors to check-in, and we instituted a new bi-weekly webinar series, called Sight + Sound Bites, which has become very popular. I am very excited about continuing the webinars, even after the pandemic, because we all enjoy sharing the current advances in research since it brings hope for improvement in patient care in the future. I want to thank all of you for your strength in all we have had to endure over these past few months. Please stay safe, and rest assured, there will be more challenges in 2020, but we will not let anything stand in the way of reaching our goals to lead the world in advancing care.
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Never Losing Focus on Our Primary Mission -
ADVANCED CARE FOR ALL PATIENTS The Mission of the Department of Otolaryngology is to provide cutting edge medical care to the residents of Western Pennsylvania and the world, in an environment of educational excellence and innovative research. Our physician team is world leaders in their respective subspecialties. We practice with students from multiple fields. Specialization in ENT requires five years of residency after graduation from medical school. We also train Board eligible otolaryngologists (fellows) in subspecialty areas. All of our faculty are deeply invested in research. The objective is to continue to make medicine more effective and to impact the care of the next generation. Our team is invested in research in Voice, treatment of sinusitis and nasal polyps, Eustachian tube dysfunction, sleep disorders, balance, and vestibular disorders, traumatic brain injury, cancer, and many other entities. 2
Department of Otolaryngology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
2020 KEY RESEARCH AREAS •Balance and Voice Disorders •Head & Neck Cancer Survivorship •Hearing Loss •Sino-Nasal and Allergies •Tinnitus •Surgical Training, Innnovation, & Research
Jonas T. Johnson, MD, FACS Distinguished Service Professor and Chairman Department of Otolaryngology The Dr. Eugene N. Myers Endowed Chair University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
We have received funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Defense, as well as private foundations and individual philanthropies. This includes investigations into the origins and the treatment of tinnitus, a better understanding of how the brain learns to interpret sounds, and how the brain recovers after injury. We have federal funding to help determine how to better provide for the hearing impaired elderly while local grants support efforts to protect the hearing of the youth. Care of the cancer patient continues to evolve with the development of new immunotherapeutic drugs, new instruments (such as robotics), and enhanced coordination of care during Survivorship. The Survivorship efforts continue to evolve with expanded access and collaborative continuity of care across multiple Schools of the Health Sciences. The goal is to provide long term preventive care to this population of people with chronic medical needs Our CREATES laboratory is dedicated to surgical training, innovation, and technological enhancements. The
laboratory currently hosts researchers and teachers from Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Surgical Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Oral Surgery. Finally, the Department remains committed to meeting the diverse needs of the patients we care for, by searching for ways in which we can become more accessible and more innovative in the treatments and solutions we offer. We know that health is determined by social structures and public policies as much as it is by individual wellness. We hope to expand our abilities to serve as advocates for patients and to look for interventions that we can perform in the clinic and in the community that will empower patients and improves health for all. Otolaryngology has benefited in terms of effectiveness in research and training through enhanced private philanthropy, as well as multiple grants from both local and national foundations and organizations. We remain committed to this cause, and forever grateful for both public and private support. 3
MORE THAN A SILVER LINING 20/20 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision for all. At least that was the objective of the World Health Organization and certainly our ultimate aspirational goal: shedding “more light” for all as soon as possible. The construction of the new Vision Institute, the recruitment of top clinicians and scientists from leading institutions worldwide, the launch of several cutting-edge programs, the development of a novel model of collective innovation within our Department of Ophthalmology are part of the ambitious but much needed strategy we have implemented with strong, unparalleled, support from our clinical and academic institutions, and the Eye & Ear Foundation (EEF). In this report, you will read about the exceptional talents who joined our excellent teams, our innovative artificial intelligence endeavor, the Cortical Sight Initiative supported by the RKM Foundation, the growth of the Louis Fox Center for Optic Nerve Regeneration and of the Funderburgh Cornea Regeneration program bringing to the clinical stage the lifetime efforts of the late Jim Funderburgh, a unique human being and scientist whom we lost last November. These are major milestones on our way to prevent or cure blindness and vision impairment through research, innovation, in a collaborative effort at the international level, and, most importantly, quality of care. Yet, we, and especially our patients, know that this is an endless road, and any delay gives a sense of frustration “and of the gloom of that light.” Earlier this year, I was preparing a lecture for an interdisciplinary audience at the University of Pittsburgh as part of a cycle of conferences on the theme of invisibility. The famous quote from Pierre and the ambiguities by Herman Melville that I am showing here in bold was at the heart of my thinking back then, in January and February of this year, months that seem to all of us so remote. I never gave that lecture as the whole world was instantly filled with even “more gloom.” 4
Department of Ophthalmology University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
2020 KEY RESEARCH AREAS •Age Related Macular Degeneration •Cornea •Cortical Vision •Glaucoma •Improving Care for Everyone •Inherited Retinal Degenerative Conditions •Optic Nerve Regeneration
José-Alain Sahel, MD Distinguished Professor and Chairman Department of Ophthalmology The Eye & Ear Foundation Endowed Chair University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Exceptional Class Professor, Sorbonne University, Paris
All our lives, all our priorities changed over a few days. All our projects suddenly belonged to a mid-term or long-term dimension while we had to cope with ever-changing urgent issues at a personal level, as each of us can tell, but also within our working environments. Research activities, clinical trials were put on hold. Our laboratories almost closed. All clinical care that could be delayed was postponed, surgeries canceled for an amount of time we could not predict. We were obsessed with the health of our patients, our teams, and their families. Yet, we were also worried that delaying treatment for several conditions would lead to irreversible loss of vision. As we did not want to choose between loss of life and loss of senses, we had to develop new models of care based on telemedicine, defining and adapting priorities, developing systematic in hospital protection measures to avoid virus transmission. Our Department, within a robust and efficient response of our institution, has managed to provide safe essential care, to protect all, and, as soon as possible, to restart, carefully but efficiently all our activities, while reducing waiting times, improving patient flow, defining new models of care delivery requiring less travel. Our clinical teams and staff have been fully committed to addressing these priorities. Watching the engagement and cohesiveness of all is more than a silver lining. Never as in the past and present many difficult weeks have I experienced the strength of united, dedicated teams, and the light of that gloom will guide us for many years to come. We will never forget, something we knew implicitly but became so obvious, what it means to care for others, make space for
others, which some define as being heroes, while it may simply mean no more nor less than being humans, all believing that lives matter. Unfortunately, we are learning the hard way that some human beings, our fellow women and men cannot breathe because they belong to minorities! An appalling sequence of horrific events should long have made this disastrous situation an absolute priority. Long before these events, our Department of Ophthalmology has devoted, with continuous support from the EEF, significant efforts to provide care for all through the Guerilla Eye Service, led by Jake Waxman with an active engagement from our residents, fellows, faculty, and staff. But we knew that this was only partially addressing immense needs. We had launched novel initiatives such as expanding the network of accessible testing but, more importantly, recruiting, thanks to the support of donors at the EEF, a patient champion dedicating her efforts to helping underserved populations to cope with health coverage, among many other social determinants of health. What we had identified as a priority long ago is now part of the agenda of many, and this should facilitate the numerous initiatives and programs we envision to implement soon. As ever, we are mobilized to applying our brains, hearts, and relentless energies to develop innovative therapies and efficient models of care, in a few words that mean far more: to provide access to an enlightened life for all. 5
EYE & EAR SUPPORTERS FISCAL YEAR 2020 JULY 2019 THROUGH JUNE 2020
The Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh gratefully recognized the individual’s organizations, trusts, and foundations, whose generosity allows us to bring new science for new solutions to people with diseases and disorders of the eye, ear, nose throat, head, and neck. In the fiscal year 2020, our philanthropic support reached $5,648,620.86 in dollars raised, with 824 total gifts to support the research and academic efforts for the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Thank you for your generosity!
CHAIRMEN CIRCLE DONORS The Chairmen Circle recognizes and celebrates our especially generous donors who have contributed $1,000 and over during our fiscal year 2020.
$500,000 - $999,999 Anonymous Giver $250,000 - $499,999 English, Bonter, Mitchell Foundation Jack Buncher Foundation Douglas and Julie Newton Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. $100,000 - $249,999 Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust Horne Trust E. Ron and Diann Salvitti Herbert and Barbara Shear Bruce and Barbara Wiegand $50,000 - $99,999 Louis and Dorothy Fox J. Samuel & Rose Y. Cox Foundation Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Martin and Susan McGuinn Charles† and Louella Snyder Charles and Rhoda Steiner Usher F1 Collaborative, Inc. $25,000 - $49,999 The Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable & Educational Trust Neal S. Beckford Thomas and Mary Donahoe Sheldon Marstine Steven and Marian Mosites Richard G. Snyder Nancy D. Washington John A. Zitelli
† Deceased
$10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous Givers (2) Travis Abbott Betty Lou Yount Trust Glenn Bost James and Sarah Bregenser Carl and Beth Campbell Caroline Fredricka Holdship Charitable James and Patricia Cayne CMR Surgical ENT & Allergy Specialists of WPA, P.C. John and Diane Fisher Gary and Victoria Frenette Dominic and Maria Gigliotti Jonas and Janis Johnson Love Family Foundation Martha Lockhart Mason Trust Nancy McDonald Frank Rath and Diana L. Mrvos Albert and Eileen Muse John and Mary Nice Daniel W. Nuss Lewis and Donna Patterson John and Cathy Pelusi José-Alain and Annie Sahel Diana Shoemaker John and Patricia Staley William and Saundra Stout UPMC $5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous Giver Henry and Charlotte Beukema Charles and Jill Brodbeck Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co., Inc. R. Joel and Lynda Coslov
Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation George Fechter and Christine Fulton Norman and Melinda Fogel Donald and Carol Kamerer Timothy and Elizabeth Katen Anne Lewis Lockhart Trust Jeffrey Markel and Carol Robinson Susan Oberg Lane Ocular Imaging Research & Reading Center $1,000 - $4,999 Anonymous Giver William and Margaret Barati Bessemer National Gift Fund Albert and Barbara Biglan Richard Bowers and Miriam Rader Brunswick Construction Co Inc. Patricia H. Campbell Scott Celin Charles C. Cohen and Michele McKenney David and Carol Eibling Danforth and Nancy Fales Robert and Laura Ferris The Fine Foundation Rohan and Mary Ganguli Morton and Racelle Goldstein Green Land Trading Corp Lawrence and Ina Gumberg Glenn C. Isaacson Daniel and Carole Kamin John and Penny Kramer The Kurtz Family Foundation John and Mary Lacarte
David and Diane Laughlin Paul L. Leong Terry A. Lerman Mark and Catherine Loevner Spyros Macris Chris and Susan Martin Jerry and Jane Masters Daniel E. McLain Donald and Janet Moritz The Muck Family Foundation Eugene and Barbara Myers B. Gordon and Kennedy Nelson NexTier Bank John and Rosemarie Parse Pearl Insurance Agency, Inc. Robroy Industries Howard† and Bette Rom Gary and Mildred Ryan Schneider Downs & Co., Inc. Barry Schaitkin Joel and Cheri Schwartz Sheila Reicher Fine Foundation Huberta S. Siciliano Sanjiv Singh and Deepinder K. Dhaliwal David and Sandra Snyder Lawton and Susan Snyder Garrett and Ruth Stauffer D. Fred and Judith Stewart Michael and Deborah Wasilchak Edmond and Comly Watters Evan and Laura Waxman Charles E. Yankel Jason Zhu Aldo and Kathryn Zini Zissu Family Foundation Thomas E. Zuck
EVERY CONTRIBUTION, NO MATTER THE SIZE, HELPS TO ADVANCE RESEARCH. The Eye & Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh is a non-profit 501 (C)(3) organization. The Foundation solely supports the educational and research efforts of the Departments of Otolaryngology and Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. To learn more about the Foundation’s mission or current research advances, please call the Eye & Ear Foundation at 412-864-1300 or visit eyeandear.org. Your gift makes a difference! The Faculty in the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and the Foundation staff are incredibly grateful for your support. 6
$500 - $999 Sheila A. Apicella Aquia Evening Lions Club Murat Bankaci Baroody Imports Inc. Bradley Butler Joseph and Carol Cambridge Ann D. Catlett Michael and Keith Clauson Douglas and Laura Dick Dr. Kutub M. and Azra K. Saifee Charitable Fund Mark and Elaine Ehalt Andrew W. Eller and Andrea Solomon-Eller Joseph and Mary Francis Judith A. Friedel Golden Triangle Construction Company, Inc. Marni Grossman Edward and Mary Lou Harrison Robert J. Hines Sara Horsman Lois M. Kreitzer Richard and Martha Masson James H. McGraw Karl B. Olsen and Martha E. Hildebrandt Joseph and Cheryl Pastor Jeffrey and Eileen Paul Mildred M. Posvar Stephen Sakumoto Frederick J. Schirm David E. Scopa Charles and Patricia Slater Mark and Carolyn Snyder Ada G. Davis and Joseph M. Spirer Louis and Barbara Steiner Stephen I. Richman and Audrey G. Richman Foundation Shivalingappa and Sudha Swamynathan Tom Trefz and Lisa Buell Wayne W. Sell Corporation Trucking James and Beverly Withiam $100 - $499 Raed Abdullah Allegheny Mineral Corporation David A. Allerton Cuneyt M. Alper Ronald S. Angerman Anonymous Givers (5) George and Suzanne Ashman Barbara A. Atwell Jason Auerbach Robert and Ruth Auld George and Linda Austin Michael and Carol Azar Alice F. Backer Diane Barati Maureen Barnard George and Dorothy Beckwith Mary A. Beers Robert Behler John and Paula Bell Thomas Bennett Bentley Grove Service, Inc. Constance A. Bentzen
Jennifer K. Berge Alice Berkey Robin J. Bernstein Douglas M. Bevan Ralph and Barbara Boden Pamela M. Bolkovac Patricia K. Boltz Dennis C. Boyer Andrew P. Bradigan Virginia M. Brasuk John and Mary Ann Brenkus Leonard Brezarich James Buchin Burnham Lions Club Daniel and Michele Bursick Kathleen Butler Scott and Denise Butler Frank Calandra Hiram and Dana Carpenter Rajani Chuensumran David N. Clark Roger H. Claypoole Steven and Nancy Cohen Warren and Dana Cohn Christine Constantelos Peter Cooke Coury Financial Services, L.P. Richard and Lynn Cox Mary F. Crawford John S. Decoux Margaret Degnan Philip A. Delozier William J. Dempsey Julie A. Dever Nick Didomenico John J. DiMatteo Weldon and Lois Doran Edward Douthett Susan E. Dusecina Sherry Echnoz Clement and Caroline Erbmann Ess NexTier Insurance Group Estate of Sarah F. Graf Sylvia F. Fischer Carl B. Frankel L. L. Frederick Martha Funderburgh Paul and Molly Gabos James and Joy Galvanek Mary Louise Gantz Jeffrey R. Schmidt and Jackie Gartner-Schmidt Philip Gasiewicz Frank and Terri Genovese Wayne and Catherine Gerhold James Glascock Good Tire Service, Inc. Google Inc. Marcus and Carole Gottlieb Ralph E. Grabowsky Elizabeth Graf† Kenneth and Amy Gray Richard F. Green Thomas and Cynthia Gregg Jeffrey Gross and Jessica Wandelt Marjorie C. Gross Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP Douglas and Julianna Haag Van and Paula Hall
Jeffrey and Joanne Hall Irving and Caryl Halpern Bill and Lynda Harasty Ralph and Carla Hardt Rosanne I. Harrison Howard and Sharon Hart Robert L. Hendricks Nathanael Hevelone Barry E. Hirsch and Jean Harwick Gary and Mary Hoover Gary and Beth Hopen Dean E. Hu Ed and Mei Hwang James and Nancy Johns Glenn and Sara Johnson Donald Johnston Linda M. Kaib Sherry Keating Donald L. Keefer John and Nita Jean Kellum Arthur J. Kerr Ronald and Sandra Kiersarsky Lois W. Kiselica Clarence E. Klaus Edward and Adriana Kocur Susan P. Koehler Joseph and Jacqueline Krukar Albert and Marlene Lacanic Kathy Lachenauer Stella Lee Henrietta G. Lelis Marcia J. Lerch Frank and Carol Lipchick Carole M. Lombardo Michael Lotze Frank and Ruth Lowe Craig and Patrice Luchansky M&M Lime Company, Inc. Sherri Maddick Dale and Donna Magill Robert Martin Sharon Mazur Bernardine I. McCloskey Thelma J. Meacci Mark Mendlow Barbara T. Miller Thomas G. Miller Mt. Lebanon Lions Club James and Jennifer Muse Charles and Courtney Muse Cuddalore and Anasuya Natarajan Donna G. Nativio Richard and Susan Nernberg Network For Good Charles Nevins Theresa L. Nimick-Whiteside Oakland Business Improvement District Edward and Paulette O’Donnell Daniel E. O’Hara Robert and Ruth Ornitz Michael and Linda Orsini Mark and Jill Palmer Steven M. Parnes Marlene C. Patton Kathleen Perod Michael and Carol Perry Andrew and Kathleen Petcash PNC Financial Services Group Carol Pociernicki-Stahl
William and Nancy Rackoff Norman Radcliffe Rader Properties, L.P. Donald and Nancy Rakoci Maryanne Reed Gary W. Ritchey Timothy Ritz Andrew M. Roman Constance F. Roman Loren and Ellen Roth Patricia M. Roth Forest Royse and Denise Gallagher Farrell and Nancy Rubenstein David and Deborah Rusnak Geraldine E. Sale Bryan R. Savchak Louis J. Sebastian Deborah Sedora William C. Seefeld Edward F. Seserko Robert Shanks Brent G. Shaw John and Clelia Sheppard Ronald Short Anita P. Shuttleworth Michael and Randi Sigal Frank and Vicki Simonetta Joyce M. Slagel Bryan Snyder Duane Snyder James J. Snyder Carl Snyderman and Michelina Fato Arthur and Florita Sonnenklar William and Rose Strickland Patrick and Goldie Stromick James and Marjorie Swartz James and Lucdina Szalankiewicz Jan V. Tarasi Ralph and Sharon Tarter Gary and Monica Tener Roseann Thomas David Treworgy Thanos Tzounopoulos and Alexa Forte Union First Presbyterian Church Frances J. Urban Valley Lines, Inc. Christiaan van Romondt Victor Vandewater Dominick and Dolores Vesio Louis P. Vitti Paul and Tara Vittone F. Scott Walker Christine J. Walter James and Ellen Walton John L. Wandrisco Eric Wang Joyce A. Washington Joyce Z. Werner James and Marilew Wetzel George and Susan Will Ross S. Williamson Robert and Nancy Worstell Miangui Xue John and Marlene Yokim Cathy R. Zamba Roger P. Zelt John W. Zimmerman Thomas G. Zubal
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LIFETIME GIVING SOCIETY FINDING A CURE LEVEL $1,000,000+ Anonymous Givers (2) James and Alice Beckwith† Estate of Virginia Huban Louis and Dorothy Fox Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. Richard King Mellon Foundation E. Ronald and Diann Salvitti Bruce and Barbara Wiegand DISCOVERY LEVEL $500,000 - $999,999 BrightFocus Foundation Campbell Foundation Eden Hall Foundation Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation Estate of Anne M. Guenther Horne Trust Jack Buncher Foundation Steven and Marian Mosites The Pittsburgh Foundation Charles† and Louella Snyder Western Pennsylvania Medical Eye Bank Foundation INNOVATION LEVEL $250,000 - $499,999 Margaret “Ritchie” Battle Foundation for Fighting Blindness Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation Herbert and Barbara Shear
† Deceased
The Lifetime Giving Society represents the highest level of giving to the Eye & Ear Foundation and the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh. We sincerely appreciate those who have stayed dedicated to the Foundation’s mission.
COLLABORATION LEVEL $100,000 - $249,999 Abgenix Anonymous Givers (3) William† and L. Spencer Boyd Mark Cuban Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Lead Trust Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust Milton† and Sheila Fine Gary and Victoria Frenette Hearst Foundation J. Samuel & Rose Y. Cox Foundation John E. and Sue M. Jackson Charitable Trust Jonas and Janis Johnson Ladies Hospital Aid Society of Western PA Martin and Susan McGuinn Albert and Eileen Muse Eugene and Barbara Myers Joseph and Eve Novak† PA Lions Sight Conservation and Eye Research Foundation PNC Charitable Trust Committee PNC Foundation & Charitable Trusts Joel and Carole Schuman Huberta S. Siciliano Nancy L. Snyderman Violet L. Soffer† J. Barry and Lenore Stout† RESEARCH LEVEL $50,000 - $99,999 Allergan, Inc. American Cancer Society Anonymous Givers (3) Betty Lou Yount Trust Albert and Barbara Biglan
EDUCATION LEVEL $25,000 - $49,999 Nancy Adams The Anne L. and George H. Clapp Charitable & Educational Trust Anonymous Donor
Yanna Avramidis Neal S. Beckford Henry and Charlotte Beukema Boston Pediatric Neurosurgical Foundation James and Sarah Bregenser C. Y. Chang R. Joel and Lynda Coslov Thomas and Mary Donahoe David and Carol Eibling Berrylin J. Ferguson† FISA Foundation John and Diane Fisher Lawrence and Ina Gumberg Hillman Family Foundations Richard Hood† Howard Hughes Medical Institute Torrence M. Hunt† Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. Timothy and Elizabeth Katen Lockhart Trust Love Family Foundation Jane Masters McAuley Ministries Medrobotics Corporation Gerard M. Moufflet James and Marlee Myers Myrtle Forsha Memorial Trust John and Mary Nice James S. Reilly and Barbara Kip Roy A. Hunt Foundation José-Alain and Annie Sahel Pamela Schanwald and James Keen Diana Shoemaker United States Steel Foundation Inc. UPMC Nancy D. Washington Western Pennsylvania Lions Hearing Foundation John A. Zitelli
THE SCIENCE & SOLUTIONS SOCIETY
MEMORIAL DONATIONS
In 2010, the Eye & Ear Foundation established the Science & Solutions Society to recognize those individuals who have made a commitment to the Foundation through a planned estate gift.
The Eye & Ear Foundation received donations in fiscal year 2020 to honor the memory of the following:
At this time, we would like to honor the following members of our Science & Solutions Society. Their generosity ensures that the Eye & Ear Foundation continues to provide the support needed to advance the research and academic efforts of the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Anonymous Albert and Barbara Biglan Victor and Jody Burdell Milton Fine Sylvia F. Fischer Barbara J. Giaquinto Thomas and Loretta Hanwell Clarence E. Klaus
Howard Perlow and Nyoka White Paul E. Rafail Glenwood C. Scott Ralph Tarter Gayle L. Tissue and Yiannis Kaloyeropoulos David B. Wagner
Should you wish to add the Eye & Ear Foundation to your estate plans, please contact us at 412.864.1300.
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David and Katherine Bradley Charles and Jill Brodbeck Carl and Beth Campbell Davis Estate DePuy Synthes Power Tools Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation Michael and Kim Evans The Fine Foundation Florence Nesh Charitable Trust Glaucoma Research Association of Boston Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation Knights Templar Eye Foundation, Inc. Ruth L. Kuschmierz Sheldon Marstine Martha Lockhart Mason Trust Nancy McDonald Mary T. Mitskavich John and Cathy Pelusi Charles and Jo Ann Queenan V.K. and Rani Raju Frank Rath and Diana L. Mrvos Donald and Sylvia Robinson† Dorothy Sarni† T. Philip Stout† Sumner M. Redstone Charitable Foundation Usher F1 Collaborative, Inc. Thomas A. Wandrisco Aldo and Kathryn Zini
Nancy H. Angerman John M. Arena Alvin M. Bodek Robert Bradford Gerald Browdie Michael R. Bucci George Buerger Judy Cross Theresa Dipiazza Bernard Fisher Berrylin J. Ferguson Richard J. Fox Jenifer Fruit James L. Funderburgh Donna Grabowsky Elvira & F. Green Sidney Greenspan Joann Gross
James H. Knowles Phyllis Kramer Joann Livingston George Montgomery Joseph F. Novak Gary Oringer Milan Puskaric Kenneth T. Richardson Howard M. Rom Jane H. Rudov Charles Schumann Charles H. Snyder Violet L. Soffer Harry E. Spohn John M. Srsic James E. Swartz Bette L. Tevis Audrey G. Tosic
IMPACTING CARE Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are committed to supporting underserved communities.
HearUP In 2016, the Department of Audiology, under the leadership of Dr. Catherine Palmer established the HearUP program, which has been supported by donors to the Eye & Ear Foundation to enhance what the clinic can provide to those in need of hearing assistance. The goal of the HearUP program is to make hearing health care accessible and affordable to underserved populations. The program began at the Birmingham Free Clinic, which services individuals with no health insurance. The individuals accessing this clinic are often without work and trying to re-enter the workforce or are the working poor who fall through the cracks in terms of health services. Achieving or maintaining employment requires appropriate communication, which is compromised for individuals with untreated hearing loss. The program then expanded to the Squirrel Hill Health Center to support individuals entering the US legally with immigrant or refugee status. In the three years that the clinic has been in operation, the teams of Audiologists and students have seen more than 300 unique patients. They have provided free hearing screenings, exceptionally discounted hearing aid devices, and free hearing aid batteries to those in need.
Ophthalmology- Access to Care Both Diabetic Retinopathy and Glaucoma are leading causes of blindness, and diseases are overrepresented in underserved populations. In Allegheny County, approximately 16,000 people are estimated to have Retinopathy, with an additional 11,000 suffering from Glaucoma. Since 2006 Jake Waxman, MD, and the Guerilla Eye Service (GES) have focused on saving vision in the Pittsburgh community. A team of medical students, residents, and faculty perform three missions a month, traveling to primary care sites in underserved communities to provide complete eye exams to those who may otherwise not receive care. Additionally, the team has set up retinal screening cameras in 52 primary care practices throughout western PA. This community outreach has resulted in screening nearly 7,000 patients per year, finding that at least 20% of patients test positive for diabetic Retinopathy and 8% for Glaucoma. Over the last several years, the Eye & Ear Foundation has supported the Department of Ophthalmology by partially funding a Coordinator to address these issues. The Coordinator worked to ease communication among primary care teams,
patients, and families to report results and to provide education and simplify appointment scheduling. As a result, the number of patients who completed the process of vision screening for necessary care increased dramatically. As the need to facilitate access to all, and especially the underserved, is posing numerous challenges, the Department of Ophthalmology, in addition to the Guerilla Eye Service, is taking several transformative steps. The Department, with support from the generous donors to the EEF, has recruited a patient advocate that will facilitate access to care for all and help to identify barriers and solutions. Beyond looking to expand the telemedicine capabilities to reach those patients who are unable to attend in-person appointments, models for remote testing and asynchronous visits have been implemented. This was planned a year ago by the Department leadership (Drs Dansingani, Martel, and Jhanji), but it became is more crucial than ever, due to the risks posed by COVID-19 exposure to the frail. The Department is also working to outfit and mobilize a Mobile Eye Clinic. Our strategies to overcome limitations to accessible care for all will be conducted in coordination with local organizations to reach critical groups of underserved patients in neighborhoods around the county. All of these activities are part of a larger plan designed over the past couple of years to improve Access to Care by employing many methods of outreach and education for patients, especially those who are more at risk for vision loss due to social determinants of health. The COVID crisis has demonstrated the urgency and importance of these efforts.
Survivorship in Head and Neck Cancer The Survivorship Clinic was founded in 2016 to address the complex symptoms that many head and neck and cancer patients face during and after chemotherapy and radiation treatment. What sets our clinic apart, and is a source of great pride for clinic founders Jonas Johnson, MD, and Marci Nilsen, RN, PhD, is that patients are able to see several different providers in one appointment, for only one copay. The financial burden that cancer survivors face when undergoing treatment and post-treatment care can be significant. Research has shown that the financial burden associated with treatment is linked to reduced quality of life, decreased adherence to treatment recommendations, and increased risk of death. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Nilsen have sought ways to help patients address the financial harms of treatment to prevent patients from forgoing medically necessary treatment because of cost. Over the years, EEF has received generous donor support to help the Survivorship provide comprehensive care to survivors and even no-cost treatments in extreme circumstances.
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412.647.2100 If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, please submit requests to our mailing address, or email optout@eyeandear.org The official registration and financial information of the Eye & Ear Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. For more information, please contact Katherine@eyeandear.org.
The Eye & Ear Foundation offers insightful resources to learn more about the research advances and educational efforts within the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Register at eyeandear.org for our Sight + Sound Newsletter, Blog, and Webinars for the latest information. You can also like and follow EEF on FaceBook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Sight + Sound Newsletter: A semi-annual newsletter featuring faculty, research, and donor stories. Sight + Sound Blog: An email blog featuring a clinician or scientist, detailing current research. Sight + Sound Bites: A webinar with EEF’s CEO, Lawton Snyder, along with a clinician and scientist team presenting their research advances; followed by a Q&A session. Register at eyeandear.org to receive invitations to the Sight + Sound Bites Webinars and to view the current schedule. Social Media: EEF posts updates on faculty, research advances, and articles on our social media accounts. Visit eyeandear.org and click on the social media icons to follow us. 203 Lothrop Street, Suite 251 EEI • Pittsburgh, PA 15213 O 412.864.1300
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The Eye & Ear Foundation, a non-profit 501(C)(3), is the sole support organization for the education and research efforts of Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh.