Saving Sight Impact Report - 2022

IMPACT

it all begins with CULTURE

A focus on accountable stewardship sets a direction for growth.

Dear Friends and Mission Partners,

I am happy to report that in the past fiscal year, Saving Sight grew significantly in its capacity to serve others. From increasing our service area to include the entire state of Kansas to expanding our laboratory to gain efficiencies in providing the gift of sight, we are poised to continue to provide services to more people than ever. This growth is a great accomplishment for our team, considering the past 12 months presented many challenges of a continued pandemic, supply chain issues, and an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.

What got us here? I believe that it is our sincere dedication to the concept of accountable stewardship. Our organizational culture is rooted in the idea that we will do everything possible to fulfill our mission. We are accountable stewards of each eye donor’s gift, and we are committed to fulfilling their decision to restore sight.

One fact remains: we would not be able to achieve our mission of changing lives by saving sight without the support and collaboration of partners like you. Thank you on behalf of our staff, our board of directors, and the thousands of individuals we served last year! Your commitment to sight restoration is helping us make a huge impact in the lives of others.

Sincerely,

Antonio Bavuso, CEO, Saving Sight

Celebrating and Honoring the Gift of Sight

In November, Saving Sight joined the Eye Bank Association of America with the eye banking community to celebrate Eye Donation Month. During this month we acknowledged and commemorated the lives of those who have given the gift of sight through donation. This year, we celebrated with the continuation of the 2020 theme “A Community of Compassion” putting a focus on the passion element of “Compassion”

During the month of November our Hospital Development team made in-person visits to many of our hospitals, dropping off a box of goodies while personally thanking the staff. The goodie box was filled with snacks and spa goods focused on relaxation. This was our way of providing a break for health care workers who are tirelessly caring for patients.

In addition to celebrating Eye Donation Month in November, Saving Sight also takes part in National Donate Life Month in April. This year, our team found some creative ways to participate in Donate Life Spirit Week. Some activities included painting rocks, participating in Donate Life flag raising ceremonies, and decorating for National Blue and Green Day.

During Donate Life Spirit Week in April, the Saving Sight team showed their creative side by painting rocks in support of donation!

a community

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic agencies were able to gather to celebrate a pinnacle of remembrance and advocacy Month in April, is a time for celebrating the

This year, families and recipients gathered legislators. Later in the day, a memorial ceremony donors where read aloud, and certificates Missouri’s first lady, Teresa Parson. Additionally, Rick’s, gift of eye donation.

Theresa shares the impact that her husband, Rick’s, decision to become an eye donor had on her life.

community of

COMPASSION

Celebrating the legacy of eye, organ, and tissue donors at Missouri’s Donor Day at the capitol.

pandemic hit in 2020, Missouri’s Department of Health and partner organ, tissue, and eye recovery celebrate Donate Life Month. Missouri’s annual Donor Day at the capitol in Jefferson City has become advocacy for many donor families and recipients. The day-long event, held in the middle of Donate Life the lives of donors and recipients in a heartfelt way. gathered at the capitol rotunda and had the opportunity to tour the building, as well as visit with their local ceremony was held at the nearby Truman building, where names of Missouri eye, organ, and tissue certificates were presented to families. Several speakers addressed the audience at the event, including Additionally, Saving Sight volunteer and donor wife, Theresa McClellan, shared about her husband,

honoring the GIFT OF SIGHT

Restored Sight Brings Life into Focus for Sydni

As a person living with Down syndrome, Sydni had suffered from vision loss due to keratoconus for years. While her mother, Cheri, knew Sydni’s vision needed correction and regularly took her to visit a vision care provider, she did not realize the extent to which her daughter’s vision had deteriorated. She would have never imagined Sydni would soon be a candidate for a sight-restoring corneal transplant. Keratoconus is a vision condition that occurs when the sides of the cornea, or the eye’s clear outer window, become thin, and the front begins to bulge out in a cone shape. The vision condition can cause distorted and blurry vision and light sensitivity. In the disease’s later stages, one of the best ways to restore vision is through a corneal transplant, replacing the patients diseased cornea with a deceased donor’s cornea.

Doctors estimate that between 5 and 30 percent of people with Down syndrome suffer from keratoconus. However, the reason for this prevalence is generally unknown. What is known is that for many people living with Down syndrome, it can be harder to communicate to a caregiver about vision problems that they’re experiencing. As a result, frequently, problems like keratoconus can go undetected for years. Cheri counted down the days until Sydni could receive her life-changing gift. When Wichita-area ophthalmologist Dr. Martin de la Presa joined Grene Vision Group in 2021 after finishing his corneal fellowship, Sydni was on his waiting list. However, Cheri knew her daughter would gain the gift of sight after another family’s loss. “This is something that cannot be done without organ donors. It just warms my heart,” said Cheri. “From the bottom of my heart, my whole family thanks you for being able to do that for us.”

Since her transplant, Sydni can now see clearly again and enjoy her favorite activities like doing puzzles, watching TV, and looking at her phone. Cheri and Sydni were so grateful for their donor’s gift that they shared their experience in an interview with KSN-TV in Wichita in early 2022.

celebrating our CHAMPIONS

Recognizing Champions in Sight Restoration

The act of facilitating eye donation and transplantation involves more than Saving Sight, the donor, and the recipient. It takes a community of external parties with a shared vision to come together to make eye donation happen. From hospital personnel like nurses, chaplains, transport, and morgue staff to community partners like medical examiners, coroners, and funeral home directors – eye donation and cornea transplantation is the result of collaboration.

CHAMPION OFSIGHT

In early 2022, Saving Sight launched a new program, the Champion of Sight Award, to recognize the many individuals and partners that work to bring the gift of sight to others. The award recognizes those who work tirelessly to support donation, often behind the scenes. We award the Champion of Sight Award every quarter to partners who exhibit an extraordinary dedication to advocating and assisting in making eye donation possible.

All nominees for Saving Sight’s Champion of Sight Award come from those who work closely with them. Our Hospital Development, Donor Services, and Recovery teams nominate individuals they have seen work as donation advocates. Additionally, our partner organizations can submit a nomination for a team member on our website. An internal group of staff reviews those nominations and chooses one individual to receive the Champion Award quarterly.

“We hope this level of recognition is just one more way to thank our collaborative partners who go the extra mile to support donors, their decisions, and their families,” said Annie Kuhl, Chief Communications Officer.

If you wish to nominate someone to receive the Champion of Sight Award, please visit our website at www.saving-sight.org/champion-ofsight/ to learn more.

WICHITA-AREA FUNERAL HOME AWARDED

In May 2022, Saving Sight named its inaugural recipient of the Champion of Sight Award, Downing and Lahey Funeral Home. The funeral home’s open communication with Saving Sight and support of the eye, organ, and tissue donation process has played an instrumental part in allowing those in their community to give the gift of sight. Read more about the nomination and award here www.saving-sight.org/2022/05/02/ champion-of-sight-downing-lahey-funeral-home/

increasing service for

GROWTH

Serving the entire state of Kansas through a new strategic partnership

This year Saving Sight grew even more with the expansion of our territory in Kansas. In June of 2021, Saving Sight and Kansas Eye Bank & Research Center integrated operations and now operate a location in Wichita as Kansas Eye Bank, a division of Saving Sight. With this acquisition we continued growing our reach as good stewards of the gift of sight.

The partnership between Saving Sight and Kansas Eye Bank brings together two nonprofit organizations with a rich history of serving the community, ocular transplant physicians, vision researchers and area hospitals. Both organizations share the mission to restore vision to individuals needing a corneal transplant.

With the addition of Kansas Eye Bank’s Wichita facility, Saving Sight added new donor hospitals to our network of partner hospitals. Saving Sight was able to increase the number of corneal tissues provided to physicians for transplantation.

This new partnership allowed Saving Sight to expand its efforts in supporting the choice of eye donors and their families to leave a lasting legacy through the gift of donation.

“We’re excited about what this new partnership means in providing sight to even more people across Kansas, the Midwest and beyond,” said Tony Bavuso, CEO of Saving Sight.

Ways Hospital Staff Can Support Eye Donation

Hospital Referral Partners

Adair Acute Care at Osawatomie State

AdventHealth Ottawa

Atchison Hospital

Anderson County Hospital

Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department

Ascension Via Christi Hospital - Fort Scott

Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg

Ascension Via Christi Hospital St. Francis

Via Christi Hospital St. Joseph

Ascension Via Christi Hospital St. Teresa

Ashland Health Center

Atchison Hospital

Bates County Memorial Hospital

Bob Wilson Memorial Grant County Hospital

Boone County Medical Examiner (MO)

Boone Hospital Center

Bothwell Regional Health Center

Callaway Community Hospital

Cameron Regional Medical Center

Capital Region Medical Center

Carle Richland Memorial Hospital

Area Hospital

County Memorial Hospital

Regional Medical Center

Cedar County Memorial Hospital

Center for Behavioral Medicine

CenterPointe Hospital of Columbia

County Hospital

Christian County Coroner

Medical Center

Memorial Healthcare

Barton Hospital

County Coroner

Clay County Hospital

County Medical Center

County Health Center

Coffey County Hospital

Coffey County Hospital

Coffeyville Regional Medical Center

Medical

Comanche County Hospital

Hospital

Hospital

Hospital

Hospital

Memorial

Barton County Hospital

Medical Center

Medical

100%

45% 33% 1

60% 25%

75%

78% 78%

N/A 0% 1

2 100% 100% 4

53% 41% 4

16 50% 52% 2

4 8 67% 57%

50%

N/A

Hospital Referral Partners

Hospital

Cox Medical Center South

Cox Meyer Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital

Cox Monett Hospital

Crawford Memorial Hospital

Cypress Surgery Center

Decatur County Hospital

Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center

Edwards County Medical Center

Ellett Memorial Hospital

Ellinwood District Hospital

Ellsworth County Medical Center

Excelsior Springs Hospital

F.W. Huston Medical Center

Fayette County Hospital

1

N/A N/A 3

40% 36% 3

50% 23% 4

N/A N/A 1

75% 75% 1

N/A 0% 2

N/A 0% 1

N/A N/A 2

0% 0% 1

0% 100% 1

2 2 40% 18% 2

0

N/A N/A 2

1 1 43% 10% 4

Fitzgibbon Hospital 11 5 4 83% 45% 2

Forensic Medical of Kansas 15 7 10 80% 47% 2

Fredonia Regional Hospital 5 2 2 50% 40% 3

Freedom Behavioral Hospital of Topeka

Freeman Hospital East

Freeman Hospital Neosho

0 0 N/A N/A 1

0 2 N/A N/A 3

2 2 22% 15% 3

Freeman Hospital West

Geary Community Hospital

General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital

Girard Medical Center

Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare

Goodland Regional Medical Center

Gove County Medical Center

0 0 N/A N/A 4

73 91 53% 45% 3 Fulton State Hospital

8 12 41% 28% 2

4 2 57% 57% 3

2 4 50% 33% 3

2 2 29% 29% 2

2 4 100% 67% 1

0 0 N/A N/A 1

Graham County Hospital 1 1 2 100% 100% 1

50% 1

Greeley County Health Services

Greene County Medical Examiner MO

0% 3 Greenwood County Hospital

Grisell Memorial Hospital

Hamilton County Hospital

Hannibal Regional Hospital

Hanover Hospital

Harrison County Community Hospital

Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice

Harry S. Truman Veterans’ Hospital

Hays Medical Center

Hedrick Medical Center

Herington Municipal Hospital

Hermann Area District Hospital

Community Hospital

Hillsboro Area Hospital

Hillsboro Community Hospital

Hodgeman County Health Center

Holton Community Hospital

Hospital

20%

N/A 1

33% 1

N/A

100%

40%

Get more than one contact number for the patient’s next of kin. 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:

Hospital Referral Partners

Hospital Name

Hospice Care of Kansas

Hospice Compassus Springfield

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Effingham

HSHS St. Francis Hospital Litchfield

HSHS St. John’s Hospital

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center

Irwin Army Community Hospital

Jackson County Coroner

Jacksonville Memorial Hospital

Jewell County Hospital

Johnson County Coroner

Kansas City Hospice House

Kansas City VA Medical Center

Kansas Heart Hospital

Kansas Medical Center

Kansas Spine and Specialty Hospital

Kansas Surgery and Recovery Center

Kearny County Hospital

Kingman Healthcare Center

Saline eye drops in each eye,

Kiowa County Memorial Hospital

Kiowa District Hospital

KPC Promise Hospital of Overland Park

Labette Health

Labette Health Independence Healthcare Center

Regional Health Center

Lake Regional Hospital

Landmark Hospital of Columbia

Landmark Hospital of Joplin

Elevate the head to 30 degrees, Eyelids closedplease no ice packs placed on the eyes

Lane County Hospital

State Hospital

Lawrence County Memorial Hospital

Lincoln County Hospital

Lincoln Memorial Hospital

Lincoln Prairie Behavioral Health Center

Lindsborg Community Hospital

LMH Health

Logan County Coroner

County Hospital

Hospital

Meade District Hospital

Rehabilitation Hospital

Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital

Hospital Abilene

Mercy Hospital

Mercy Hospital

Mercy Hospital Cassville

Hospital

Hospital

0

N/A N/A 1

0 0 N/A N/A 3

2 4 67% 33% 4

4 5 30% 16% 4

6 10 70% 50% 4

98 103 53% 38% 4

16 24 71% 53% 1

0 0 N/A N/A 2

0 0 N/A N/A 2

18 26 65% 44% 4

0 0 100% 0% 1

83 119 75% 46% 2

1 2 100% 100% 2

10 6 55% 42% 2

6 8 55% 55% 1

8 9 57% 53% 1

N/A N/A 1

N/A N/A 1

100% 100% 1

0% 1

N/A N/A 1

N/A N/A 1

N/A N/A 2

17 53% 45% 3

10 86% 75% 3

25%

Hospital Referral Partners

Hospital Name

Mercy Hospital Joplin

Mercy Hospital Lebanon

Mercy Hospital Moundridge

Mercy Hospital Springfield

Mercy Hospital Washington

Mercy St. Francis Hospital

Miami County Medical Center

MidAmerica Rehabilitation Hospital

Minneola District Hospital

Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems

Moberly Regional Medical Center

Morris County Hospital

Morton County Hospital

Mosaic Life Care

Mosaic Life Care Long Term Acute Care

Mosaic Medical Center - Albany

Mosaic Medical Center - Maryville

Nemaha Valley Community Hospital

Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center

Ness County Hospital

Nevada Regional Medical Center

3

50% 4

43% 33% 3

25% 2

0% 2

50% 50% 1

63% 50% 1

55% 55% 2

75% 75% 1

75% 43% 1

43% 41% 2

100% 100% 2

0% 0% 2

67% 67% 2

N/A 0% 2

10 13 100% 91% 3

N/A N/A 1

7 12 53% 41% 3

Newman Regional Health

Noble Health Audrain Community Hospital

Northeast Regional Medical Center

Norton County Hospital

Olathe Hospice House

Olathe Medical Center

Osage Beach Center for Cognitive Disorders

Osborne County Memorial Hospital

County Health Center

Ozarks Healthcare

Pana Community Hospital

Paris Community Hospital

Health Center

Pawnee Valley Community Hospital

Pershing Memorial Hospital

Phelps Health

Phillips County Hospital

County Memorial Hospital

Pinnacle Regional Hospital

Regional Medical Center

Hospital of Overland Park

Medical Center

Putnam County Memorial Hospital

Rawlins County Health Center

Ray County Memorial Hospital

Rehab and Healthcare

Republic County Hospital

5 10 50% 45% 1

5 5 67% 45% 1 NMC Health

4 6 67% 50% 4

3 4 27% 23% 2

1 0 100% 50% 1

12 16 67% 100% 2

32 41 47% 46% 2

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 800331-2636 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 the Saving Sight Hospital Development team.

Hospital Referral Partners

Hospital

Rice County Hospital

Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center

Rock Regional Hospital

Rooks County Health Center

Rush County Memorial Hospital

Rusk Rehabilitation Center

Russell Regional Hospital

Sabetha Community Hospital

Saint John Hospital - Leavenworth

Saint Luke’s Hospital of Allen County

Salem Memorial District Hospital

Salina Regional Health Center

Salina Surgical Hospital

Samaritan Memorial Hospital

Sangamon County Coroner

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center

Satanta District Hospital

Scotland County Hospital

Scott County Hospital

Sedan City Hospital

Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center

Select Specialty Hospital - Topeka

Select Specialty Hospital - Wichita

Select Specialty Hospital Kansas City

Select Specialty Hospital Springfield

Shawnee County Coroner

Sheridan County Health Complex

Signature Psychiatric Hospital

Smith County Memorial Hospital

South Central Kansas Medical Center

Medical Center

Memorial Hospital

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Centralia

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Jefferson City

St. Catherine Hospital

St. Luke Hospital and Living Center

Stafford County Hospital

Stanton County Hospital

Genevieve County Memorial Hospital

Stevens County Hospital

Vail Health

Sullivan County Memorial Hospital

Sumner County Hospital District

B. Allen Memorial Hospital

Taney County Coroner

Taylorville Memorial Hospital

Texas County Memorial Hospital

Center at Waterfront

Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital

1 2 67% 33% 1

4 5 67% 44% 1

1 2 50% 50% 1

1 0 50% 33% 1

0 0 N/A N/A 1

0 N/A N/A 4

1 1 33% 25% 1

0 0 N/A N/A 2

5 6 45% 36% 2

5 8 63% 56% 3

4 5 50% 27% 3

36 44 67% 62% 1

0 0 N/A N/A 1

6 6 78% 55% 2

1 0 100% 100% 4

17 29 51% 31% 4

0 0 N/A 0% 1

1 2 25% 25% 4

0 0 N/A N/A 1

N/A N/A 3

15 83% 69% 1

N/A N/A 2

4 50% 50% 1

4 44% 29% 2

7 6 86% 44% 3

N/A N/A 2

N/A N/A 1

N/A N/A

40%

County

County

Derby

Medical

Rehabilitation

Woodlawn

Missouri

Plains

County

Newton Hospital

Medical

Memorial Hospital

County

increasing our CAPACITY

Lab Addition Expands Opportunities

The expansion of our lab in 2021 was one of the greatest visual pieces of evidence of Saving Sight’s significant growth in the last year. Last March, our staff had the opportunity to participate in the start of demolition, using sledgehammers to remove the drywall in the previous space.

The expansion is not just important for our patients but for our dedicated lab techs. By building a new lab, our techs are seeing the impact of their work and the necessity for a bigger working space.

“It really shows that when we are dedicating a new space for them, then it becomes a reality because we get to see it change right in front of them.” Anthony Vizzera, Director of Clinical Services

The new lab consists of multiple work cells in which our techs have access to a modular clean room and bio safety cabinet to process the Vital Tears.

Saving Sight’s Kansas City Team prepares for the lab expanesion.

updated tools for

This year the lab in the Kansas City office upgraded its equipment with a new Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) microscope. This new microscope allows us to be better stewards of the gift of sight while delivering the highest quality to our partner surgeons.

“The OCT microscope measures the thickness of the cornea, and we use it to measure our corneas before we start processing for our DSAEK or ALK processing,” says Debora Van Klinken-Muntz, Lead Laboratory Technician. This new machine allows technicians to take images after processing so the surgeon can see what the processed tissue looks like.

It also gives the technicians more insight on the quality of the tissue and if it will be suitable for the surgery type we are offering it for. Debora Van Klinken-Muntz says, “Using the OCT machine as an eye bank saves us a lot of time. I don’t know how we could do eye banking without the OCT machine.”

This new piece of equipment is just another sign of continued success and growth we have experienced this year at Saving Sight. The old OCT machine was over 15 years old, and we hope this one helps us to continue being good stewards of the gift for 15 years and beyond!

An updated microscope helps our laboratory to ensure quality with every tissue cut.

EXCELLENCE

to

SAVING SIGHT