Eversight

EVERSIGHT IS A 501(C)3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH THE MISSION TO RESTORE SIGHT AND PREVENT BLINDNESS THROUGH THE HEALING POWER OF DONATION, TRANSPLANTATION AND RESEARCH. THE EVERSIGHT NETWORK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RECOVERING, EVALUATING AND PROVIDING HUMAN EYE TISSUE FOR TRANSPLANTATION; ADVANCING RESEARCH INTO THE CAUSES AND CURES OF BLINDING EYE CONDITIONS; PROMOTING DONATION AWARENESS THROUGH PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION; AND PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN AID TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD IN NEED OF CORNEAL TRANSPLANTATION. FOUNDED IN 1947, EVERSIGHT MAINTAINS ITS COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AS AN ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE EYE BANK ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (EBAA) AND BY MEETING THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS SET BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THE NONPROFIT OPERATES 24/7/365 IN CONNECTICUT, ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN, NEW JERSEY, OHIO AND SOUTH KOREA, AND COLLABORATES WITH SURGEONS, RESEARCHERS, ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTERS AND EYE BANKS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. EVERSIGHT WORKS WITH THE

RESORING SIGHT 2021 WAS ANOTHER EXCEPTIONAL YEAR. EVERSIGHT CONTINUED TO MEET THE TISSUE DEMANDS OF U.S. SURGEONS AND THEIR PATIENTS, WHILE CHANGING THOUSANDS OF LIVES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN SOUTH KOREA, PAKISTAN AND BEYOND. GLOBALLY, WE CONTINUE TO TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TOWARD TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE OF VISION CARE BY SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE EYE BANKING INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDING PRICELESS CLINICAL EDUCATION. IN 2021, EVERSIGHT PROVIDED THE GIFT OF SIGHT TO MORE THAN 6,600 PEOPLE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD. EVERSIGHT'S WORK BEGAN IN 1947 WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FOURTH EYE BANK IN THE UNITED STATES, THEN KNOWN AS THE ILLINOIS EYE-BANK. OVER TIME, NONPROFIT EYE BANKS WERE ESTABLISHED IN EVERY STATE TO MEET THE CRITICAL DEMAND FOR CORNEAL TISSUE TO TREAT PREVENTABLE BLINDNESS. IN 1985, THE ILLINOIS EYE-BANK AND MICHIGAN EYE-BANK FORMED A PARTNERSHIP- ONE THAT WOULD EARN A REPUTATION FOR CLINICAL EXCELLENCE MADE POSSIBLE BY SOME OF THE FINEST MEDICAL DIRECTORS, STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS IN THE EYE BANKING FIELD. THE SUCCESS OF THE ORGANIZATION ATTRACTED AFFILIATIONS WITH OTHER REGIONAL EYE BANKS FORMING ONE OF THE LARGEST NETWORKS OF EYE BANKS IN THE U.S. IN 2015, THE NETWORK BECAME KNOWN AS EVERSIGHT, ALL WORKING TOGETHER AS A UNIFIED OPERATION TO DELIVER THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICES TO SURGEONS AND THEIR PATIENTS AND TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD. EVERSIGHT BEGAN 2021 WITH RENEWED HOPE IN SIGHT. VACCINES WERE BECOMING AVAILABLE IN THE UNITED STATES TO OUR HEALTHCARE HEROES AND STEADILY ROLLED OUT TO THOSE MOST IN NEED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. DESPITE CONTINUED PANDEMIC CHALLENGES, EVERSIGHT AND ALL OUR PARTNERS REMAINED COMMITTED TO CHANGING LIVES THROUGH DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT, AND TRAINING AND CLINICAL EDUCATION. EVERSIGHT PROVIDED 12,036 TISSUES FOR TRANSPLANTATION, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GLOBALLY. WE WORKED OR PLACED TISSUE WITH PHYSICIANS AND RESEARCHERS IN 29 COUNTRIES, AND FACILITATED TRAINING FOR NEARLY 900 CLINICIANS-A 40 PERCENT INCREASE OVER OUR 2020 IMPACT. TOGETHER WITH ALL OUR PARTNERS-ADVOCATES, DONOR FAMILIES, TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS, SURGEONS, LIONS, FELLOW EYE BANKS, HEALTHCARE LEADERS, PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORTERS AND MANY OTHERS-WE WERE UNITED BY THE GIFT TO MAKE VISION A REALITY FOR MORE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE.

FINDING A CURE IN THE PURSUIT TO ELIMINATE BLINDING EYE DISEASES, EVERSIGHT ESTABLISHED THE EVERSIGHT CENTER FOR VISION AND EYE BANKING RESEARCH IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, TO PROVIDE LEADING OPHTHALMOLOGY RESEARCHERS WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO FIND CURES AND TREATMENTS FOR EYE DISEASES SUCH AS AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION, DIABETIC RETINOPATHY AND GLAUCOMA. EVERSIGHT PROVIDED MORE THAN 3,400 TISSUES FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PURPOSES IN 2021. OUR IN-HOUSE RESEARCH TEAM ALSO PROVIDED EVERSIGHT PARTNERS WITH VALUABLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND PIONEERED NEW EYE BANKING PRACTICES. IN 2021, EVERSIGHT MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONS TO FIND CURES AND TREATMENTS FOR BLINDING EYE DISEASES AND IMPROVE CORNEA TRANSPLANT PATIENT OUTCOMES. EVERSIGHT PROUDLY RECEIVED THE 2021 HIGH IMPACT GRANT FROM THE EYE BANK ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TO SUPPORT OUR WORK WITH LIMBAL STEM CELL PROCUREMENT. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO MAKE POSSIBLE THE EYE BANK PREPARATION AND STORAGE OF TISSUE FOR USE IN SIMPLE LIMBAL EPITHELIAL TRANSPLANTATION TO TREAT LIMBAL STEM CELL DEFICIENCY, A BLINDING EYE CONDITION. OUR RESEARCH CONTINUES FOR ALL THOSE IN NEED OF SAFE SIGHT-RESTORING TRANSPLANTS AND FOR ALL THOSE AWAITING A CURE FOR NON-CORNEAL BLINDNESS. EVERSIGHT HAS A LONGSTANDING TRACK RECORD OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO DATE AWARDING MORE THAN 4 MILLION IN GRANTS THAT STIMULATE PIONEERING CLINICAL AND BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH AIMING TO DEVELOP NEW WAYS TO RESTORE SIGHT, PREVENT BLINDNESS AND ULTIMATELY HELP PATIENTS LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST. SINCE 1980, OUR EYE & VISION RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM HAS SUPPORTED RESEARCHERS AT LEADING ACADEMIC MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING HARVARD, TUFTS, CLEVELAND CLINIC, CASE WESTERN RESERVE, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, NORTHWESTERN AND MORE. BY DESIGN, EVERSIGHT'S GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES CRITICAL, EARLY-STAGE FUNDING THAT IS INTENDED TO DRIVE FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY. MANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE STIMULATED LARGER-SCALE STUDIES AND WON FURTHER FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH. IN THE 2021-2022 FUNDING CYCLE, EVERSIGHT AWARDED GRANTS TO ADVANCE STUDIES ON EFFECTS OF HYPERGLYCEMIA ON THE CORNEA; DRUG EFFECTS ON STABILIZATION OR PREVENTION OF PROTEIN MISFOLDING THAT CAUSES CORNEAL DYSTROPHIES; THE ROLE GRANZYME B PLAYS IN OCULAR GRAFT VERSUS HOST DISEASE; AND THE MECHANICAL EFFECT OF INCREASED INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE ON THE CELLS OF THE EYE THAT CAN BE A RISK FACTOR FOR GLAUCOMA. THESE INVESTIGATIONS ARE LED BY RESEARCHERS AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN KELLOGG EYE CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. EACH YEAR, RECIPIENTS ARE SELECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL OF ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS AND OPHTHALMOLOGISTS. THIS DISTINGUISHED PANEL AWARDS PROPOSALS THAT ALIGN WITH EVERSIGHT'S MISSION TO RESTORE SIGHT AND PREVENT BLINDNESS THROUGH MEANINGFUL SCIENTIFIC INQUISITION.

SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL IMPACT EVERSIGHT PROVIDED TISSUE OR WORKED WITH SURGEONS IN 29 COUNTRIES IN 2021 TO PROVIDE THE GIFT OF SIGHT THROUGH SURGICAL TISSUE PROVISION. EVERSIGHT IS FOCUSED ON MEETING THE HUMANITARIAN NEED FOR CORNEA TISSUES IN COUNTRIES WHERE SIGHT-RESTORING CORNEAL TRANSPLANT PROCEDURES WOULD OTHERWISE BE COMPLETELY UNAVAILABLE. THE BENEFICIARIES OF OUR SURGICAL TISSUE PROVISION AND COMMUNITY EYE BANK DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES INCLUDE THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM EYE INJURIES AND BLINDING EYE DISEASES THAT CAN BE TREATED THROUGH CORNEAL TRANSPLANTATION. ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON IMPROVING EYE HEALTH IN UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS GENERATES A FOUR-FOLD RETURN ON INVESTMENT. TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC UNMET NEED, EVERSIGHT ACTIVELY WORKS WITH MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, GOVERNMENTS, VISION HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER NGOS IN REGIONS LACKING EYE BANKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE MIDDLE EAST, PAKISTAN AND SOUTH KOREA. WITH PROVEN EYE BANKING AND TECHNICAL TRAINING PRACTICES-AND HAVING PLAYED A PART IN THE ELIMINATION OF THE U.S. CORNEA TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST-EVERSIGHT UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO WORK WITH COUNTRIES LACKING TRANSPLANT PROGRAMS TO HELP THEM ESTABLISH A NATIONAL NETWORK FOR EYE BANKING AND CORNEA DONATION WITH CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE DONATION MODELS AND STATE-OF-THE-ART CLINICAL CAPABILITIES. EIGHTY-NINE PERCENT OF VISION-IMPAIRED PEOPLE LIVE IN LOW- AND MIDDLE- INCOME COUNTRIES. IN 2019, EVERSIGHT WORKED WITH PAKISTAN TO OPEN ITS FIRST STATE-OF-THE-ART EYE BANKS AS PART OF A NEW NATIONAL EYE BANKING NETWORK. THE PANDEMIC SUSPENDED MOST OF OUR PLANNED WORK FOR 2020 AND 2021 TO HELP PAKISTAN DEVELOP ITS EYE BANKING AND COMMUNITY DONATION PROGRAM. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN PAKISTAN HAVE CONTINUED THE WORK OF PROMOTING DONATION, AND PREPARING FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LOCAL DONATION SYSTEMS AS SOON AS CONDITIONS PERMIT. THE WORK CONTINUES-AND IT HAS GENERATED A NATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR ORGAN, TISSUE AND EYE DONOR REGISTRATION LED BY LOCAL PROFESSIONALS WHO TIRELESSLY EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE FOR THE GIFT OF SIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, EVERSIGHT PROVIDED 671 TISSUES FOR TRANSPLANT IN PAKISTAN IN 2021. BLINDING EYE DISEASES AFFECT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS WORLDWIDE. GLOBALLY, AN ESTIMATED 285 MILLION PEOPLE ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED-MANY WITH TREATABLE CONDITIONS, BUT WITHOUT ACCESS TO CARE. THAT MEANS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CANNOT SEE THEIR LOVED ONES, LET ALONE WORK TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. VISION LOSS RESULTS IN SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACT WORLDWIDE DUE TO THE INABILITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VISION IMPAIRED TO CONTRIBUTE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. EVERSIGHT ENVISIONS A WORLD WITHOUT BLINDNESS-A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE IN EVERY COMMUNITY CAN LEAD INDEPENDENT, PRODUCTIVE LIVES THROUGH THE GIFT OF SIGHT. WHILE PROVIDING FOR IMMEDIATE GLOBAL CORNEA TRANSPLANT NEEDS WITH U.S. DONOR TISSUE, EVERSIGHT CONTINUES TO EMPOWER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES TO TAKE MEANINGFUL, SUSTAINABLE STEPS EVERY DAY TO MAKE VISION A REALITY FOR ALL.