 IEF President Honored International
Eye Foundation's President and CEO Victoria M. Sheffield received the
prestigious Prince Abdulaziz Ahmad Al-Saud International Prevention of
Blindness Award
on October 17, 2010 at the opening session of the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (AAO) and the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology
(MEACO) joint meeting in Chicago. This award, the highest given by MEACO, recognizes
an outstanding individual who has made a substantial contribution to
the global fight against blindness and visual disability and helped to
further MEACO's mission to unite and strengthen the relationship of
ophthalmologists and ophthalmic societies in the Middle East and Africa. Ms. Sheffield noted that "I am thrilled and humbled to be recognized in this way by my colleagues. The
award also honors the International Eye Foundation and the motto of our
founder, Dr. John Harry King, Jr. who felt that our collaborative work
reflects the promotion of peace through the prevention of blindness. I'm
extremely proud of MEACO's achievements and the major role it now plays
in elevating the standards of ophthalmology in the region". Ms.
Sheffield is shown at the Opening Session with MEACO's President Dr.
Abdulaziz AlRajhi. |
| 50th Anniversary Gala
Join
old friends and new on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the glorious
Organization of American States in Washington DC to celebrate IEF's
anniversary! Tickets are $250 per person and festivities begin at 7:00 p.m. with dining, dancing and silent auction. For details and reservations, contact Calvin Baerveldt by phone at 240-290-0263 ext 118, email at cbaerveldt@iefusa.org, or online at
http://www.iefusa.org/eventstickets.shtml.
|
 Computer Management Information System installed in Mexico and PeruA
user friendly Computerized Management Information System (CMIS) has
been developed in Spanish by Visualiza in Guatemala which enables
hospital managers in developing countries to track and monitor patient
statistics, management information, and financial data. The
system, developed with IEF support, is designed to improve the
efficiency of all aspects of managing an eye clinic. Together, IEF and
Visualiza staff have installed the CMIS in eye clinics in Mexico
and Peru with other countries in Latin America coming on line soon. Raheem
Rahmathullah, IEF's Training & Development Manager, says that
"..the installation is going smoothly and the clinic will be better able
to manage and analyze its patient services in the future." Visualiza's administrator, Juan Francisco Yee, is shown at right with the CMIS I.T. developer. |
 Clinica "Divino Nino Jesus" IEF's
new sustainability partner, Clinica Oftalmologica "Divino Nino Jesus"
in Lima, Peru is a very active faith based social eye clinic with big
plans for the future. The Clinic Administrator, Ing. Alberto D. Lazo Legua, has committed to expanding
eye care services bv adopting IEF's sustainability model and promoting
the approach to other clinics in Latin America. The entire staff is
supportive and dedicated to helping the poor in Peru. "Divino Nino Jesus" now has the new CMIS installed and running. Assisted
by IEF's Raheem Rahmathullah and Ing. Juan Emanuel Echeverria, the
clinc's staff have been trained in the use of the management software. Juan Francisco Yee is pictured demonstrating the CMIS to the enthusiastic staff. |
| Controlling River Blindness in Cameroon
IEF
has been an active partner in the fight to eliminate River Blindness
since the miracle drug MectizanŽ became available in 1989. In
collaboration with Cameroon's Onchocerciasis Control Programme, the
African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), and the Lions
SightFirst Program, 867,247 people were treated in 2010 in Adamaoua
and South Provinces with their annual dose of MectizanŽ. That number represents 94% of the eligible population at risk of irreversible blindness. The MectizanŽ tablets are donated by Merck & Co., Inc. through the Mectizan Donation Programme at the Carter Center.
|
4th Annual IEF Educational Tour - BULGARIA - July 2011
 Four
years ago, IEF's President Victoria Sheffield began educational visits
to our eye hospital partners to see first hand the blindness prevention,
sight restoration and training that is being done in other countries.
The tour includes visiting the iconic and unique historical sites as
well as special receptions
that introduce the participants to the challenges faced and the unique
cultures of each country. At their own expense, IEF Board members,
donors, friends, and people interested in international affairs have
joined these unique tours.
2008 - Guatemala 2009 -Tanzania 2010 - Egypt 2011 - Bulgaria
This year the tour will visit Bulgaria from 3-14 July 2011. We start
with a presentation and tour of the Pashev Center for Sight by Director
and IEF County Representative, Prof. Petja Vassileva, followed by a
visit to the International Eye Bank Sofia.
We explore the famous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and museums followed by a celebration of July 4th with Americans in Sofia. Traveling south to Blagoevgrad,
we are received at the American University of Bulgaria and tour the
10th century Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its
unique architecture and famous icons. Onward to Bansko in the mountains
for special folklore receptions with Prof. Vassileva and IEF Board
member Vladimir Ossenov and his family. We will spend a night in the spa
city of Velingrad and the ancient city of Plovdiv dating back to 4,000
BC on the Ottoman trade route with its Turkish architecture and Roman amphitheatre. We will climb to Perpericon,
the 5th and 6th millennium Thracian ruins dating to the Bronze and Iron
Ages. On to the glorious Black Sea coast visiting Sozopol and the
UNESCO World Heritage Site at Nessebar. The bustling city of Varna with
its beaches, gardens, castle and cathedral will afford some rest in the
sun. Heading back to Sofia, we tour the ancient Tsarevets Fortress at Veliko Tarnovo where King Baldwin, a Knight of the Crusades, is said to have been imprisoned and hear the tragic and victorious history of Bulgaria in the evening sound and light show.
The tour is limited to 20 people. $2,100 per person double occupancy, $2,500 single occupancy. Deposit of $1,000 due by April 30. For details and to register,
email vsheffield@iefusa.org or call Victoria at 240-290-0263 x 114. |
|
History of the IEF Peace & Vision Awards
The
Promotion of Peace and Vision Awards were created in 1997 to recognize
individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the
International Eye Foundation's mission of restoring sight and preventing
blindness through their active involvement and support. Each
year, the award is presented to an Ophthalmologist and a second
award is given to a Community Member for their service to IEF. In
2009, a third category was introduced to be awarded to an organization
or corporation whose support has furthered IEF's mission. The
inaugural Corporate Award was presented to Merck & Co., Inc. in
recognition of their outstanding contribution to eliminating River
Blindness.  The Awards are dedicated to the vision expressed by IEF founder Dr. John Harry King, Jr. "...the promotion of peace through the prevention of blindness". Photo: Michael Rabinowitz, Global Brand Leader of Ophthalmics receiving Award on behalf of Merck & Co., Inc. |
| 2010 Promotion of Peace & Vision Recipients
Ophthalmologist
-- Dr. Floyd L. Wergeland, Jr. received the 2010 Promotion of Peace
& Vision Award for an Ophthalmologist at the joint meeting of the
American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology in Chicago last October.
Dr. Wergeland's distinguished career as an ophthalmologist
in the US Army Medical Corps began in 1959 with his ophthalmology
residency at what was then called the Walter Reed General Hospital in
Washington, DC.
As
Chief Ophthalmologist at Letterman Army Medical Center in San
Francisco during the Viet Nam war, he later served in Germany &
Pakistan. Dr. Wergeland served in President
Eisenhower's "People to People" program providing eye care to the
underserved in Peru, and conducted educational trips to Australia and
New Zealand, China, Jordan, Kenya, South Africa, and Viet Nam.
Community Member -- Kathryn D. Leckey, Esq. is the recipient of the 2010 Promotion of Peace and Vision Award for a Community Member. An
attorney, Ms. Leckey pursued her pre-law studies at Queens College,
Oxford University in England. After receiving her law degree from George
Mason University School of Law, she served as a legislative assistant
to Congressman Philip Crane.
A
partner since 2003 in the Magee Law Firm. PLLC in McLean, VA
specializing in Family Law, Ms. Leckey is active in community affairs. She
is a member of Child Help/USA, and a board member of the International
Eye Foundation, the International Opera, and the Beethoven Society. Her
service in support of the IEF extends over two decades, including twice
Chair of the Eye BallŽ and over 12 years as a member of the Board of
Directors.
|
 Ambassador on Board A
benefit of being located in the metropolitan area of our nation's
capital is being able to draw upon so many talented and dedicated
professionals from around the globe. The ambassadors who serve on our Board represent countries where IEF is working. At
the December Board meeting, His Excellency Steve Matenje, SC,
Ambassador of the Republic of Malawi, was elected as the newest member
of the Governing Board. An
attorney, Excellency Matenje has served with distinction as Ambassador
and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United
Nations, and as Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary for Justice of
Malawi. In 2004, he was appointed by the President of Malawi as Senior Counsel, a rare honor for lawyers in Commonwealth countries. Excellency Matenje is the fourth consecutive Malawian ambassador to serve on IEF's Board. Welcome Ambassador Matenje! |
| Looking Back
Dr. John Harry King, Jr., IEF's founder and a corneal transplant pioneer in the 1950's, retired as Chief of Ophthalmology at the Walter
Reed Army Hospital and began teaching corneal transplant surgery and
encouraging the Lions to build Eye Banks in the Washington, DC area. At
the urging of Dr. Tom Dooley, a medical missionary in Thailand, Dr.
King sought to address the high rates of blindness in the developing
world and established the International Eye Bank in 1961 under the auspices of CARE/Medico. US
eye surgeons were posted to the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem to
perform corneal transplant operations, train local surgeons, and
ultimately receive the formal support of His Majesty King Hussein for
this innovative sight restoring surgery. Dr. King
soon realized however, that much of the blindness in the developing
world was preventable and care could be provided before people became
blind. He changed the name in 1965 to the International Eye Foundation and focused on blindness prevention and primary eye care.
|
| Eye Facts
Do You Know that Eyes:
ˇ Are composed of more than two million working parts.
ˇ Can process 288,000 bits of information in an 8 hour working day
ˇ Can see the light of a candle from a distance of over 10 miles
Eyes are your most precious sense...
Care for them properly...
Have regular eye exams!
|
|
|
|
|
