The EBAA 2021 Annual Meeting kicks off with an opening session that celebrates ocular donation and our community of compassion. 

Highlights include:

• Welcome from EBAA President
• The Chair's Address
• Our Why: Personal accounts about the gift of sight
• Presentation of the Crystal Cornea Award and the Gift of Sight Award
• Updates from our partners in donation: 
  • Donate Life America
  • The Association of Organ Procurement Organization
  • The American Association of Tissue Bank

Start off #EBAA2021 with a feel good session that will provide updates about EBAA and our donation partners and will include stories from a transplant recipient and a donor family member. 

We hope you will join us for this kick off session!

CEUs: 1.25

Sponsored by: 

Kevin Corcoran, CAE, Eye Bank Association of America, 

Noël Mick, Director of Communications, The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration

David Fleming, Donate Life America, President/CEO

Marc Pearce, President and CEO, American Association of Tissue Banks

Steve Miller, CEO, Association of Organ Procurement Organizations

Tony Bavuso, CEO, Saving Sight

Tamika McClaine, Donor Family Member, Saving Sight

Carol Munchoff, Cornea Recipient, Saving Sight

Eye banking is made up of many individuals performing different roles to help facilitate donation and provide ocular tissue for transplant, education and research.  Although everyone at an eye bank has a different role and doesn't always work with one another, it is important that everyone align with the culture of the organization and is able to successfully represent the organization any situation. 

Amy Leslie, CEO at Perspective Consulting, will discuss tools, data, and proven methods to deliver results by aligning your people with your organization. 

During this 60-minute session, attendees will how to do the following: 
Identify the elements of a high-performance culture
Align organizational culture with the organization’s brand and mission
Reinforce the organizational culture throughout the employees’ experience with your organization

CEUs: 1

Amy Leslie, CEO, Perspective Consulting

Representatives from two different organizations will share the tools their organization have developed to strengthen their relationships with their donation partners. 

Reducing Case Loss Through a Data-Driven Hospital Relations Approach 
Learn how Saving Sight's hospital development team has applied a systematic approach to gathering, analyzing and sharing data with donor hospitals. This practice has allowed us to identify and address case loss "hot spots," motivate external partners, and apply a "virtual rounding" technique during COVID-19 when hospital visits were limited. 

Developing a Relationship Management Process
Find out why Mid-America Transplant decided to create a process for relationship management, how to measure a relationship, and how it allows you to create more meaningful goals and action plans. 

Haley Lyne, Hospital Development Manager, Saving Sight

Darcy Ross, Hospital Development Manager, Saving Sight

Tori Weiss, Hospital Development Manager, Saving Sight

Lindsey Speir, Director, Hospital and Transplant Center Services, Mid-America Transplant

Teresa Ham, Chief Administrative Officer, Advancing Sight Network

Join us for a lively discussion on internal audits. This session will be hosted in Zoom Meetings, and attendees will be encouraged to participate in the discussion and share their own tips and tools for conducting internal audits. This discussion will be moderated by Kristen Pereira, Chair of the  EBAA Quality Assurance Committee. 

CEUs: 1

Kristen Pereira, Manager of Quality and Compliance, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Join us for a lively discussion on technical training. This session will be hosted in Zoom Meetings, and attendees will be encouraged to participate in the discussion and share their own tips and tools for training technicians. This discussion will be moderated by Troy Win'E and Ingrid Schunder, Chair and Vice Chair of the Technician Education Committee. Discussion topics will include designing a training program, utilizing training aids and virtual platforms, and creating video and photo libraries. 

If you are looking for some tips for your own technical training program, or you have some tools and best practices to share, be to sure to join us for this discussion!   

CEUs: 1

Troy Win'E, CEBT, Senior Director of Recovery and Partner Relations, SightLife

Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT, Vice President of Logistics, Miracles in Sight

“Necessity is the mother of invention” - COVID-19 has changed how we support our donor families, activate our supporters, and keep our staff connected to our mission. This session will highlight how four eye banks have used this period to get creative while also adding value to their programs. 

Join us for a lively discussion on successful COVID-19 pivots for Community Outreach, Marketing, Aftercare, and Relationship building with partners, donor families, and recipients. This session will be hosted in Zoom Meetings, and attendees will be encouraged to participate in the discussion and share their own successful pivots.  

CEUs: 1

Matt Webber, Partner Relations Manager, Lions VisionGift

Rebecca Grossman, Senior Manager of Family and Community Resources, SightLife

Jerilyn Giardina, Executive Vice President, AltruVision

Annie Kuhl, Chief Communications Officer, Saving Sight

How will we compete in the 4th industrial revolution? By disrupting industry norms to innovate, versus simply iterating to achieve our quarterly results. Innovation is no longer a trendy buzz word, for many legacy brands it's a matter of survival. So how do we embed a culture of innovation across an entire organization when we’ve all been told for so long that we're not creative and we don't think we’re capable of innovating. 

Duncan Wardle believes everyone is creative and can innovate and he is on a mission to prove it. During this highly interactive and entertaining keynote presentation, Duncan will present a tool kit made-up of a series of Creative Behaviors and Innovation Tools that makes innovation easy, creativity tangible and the process fun. With this keynote you will learn some of the tools and behaviors Duncan developed leaning in on his experience as the former head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney.

Be sure to attend this session and be ready to participate and to be entertained by Duncan’s unique creative process! 

IMPORTANT: This session will not be recorded and will only be broadcast live.

CEUs: 1

Duncan Wardle, Founder, iD8 (IDEATE)

Donors and their families make generous decisions that save and enhance the lives of others. Eye banks, tissue banks, and organ procurement organizations have developed various programs and resources for donor families to provide comfort, help guide them through the loss of a loved one, connect them with other donor families, and to help them honor their loved one. 

During this panel discussion, representatives from various eye banks and an organ procurement organization will share information about the aftercare programs at their organizations and some of the services that they provide and the initiatives that they have launched.  The speakers will discuss various ways to provide support to families following donation and how they provide opportunities to honor their loved one and the gifts that they gave to others. 

Pam Albert, RN, BSN, CPTC, CBF, Sr. Director, Tissue Donation & Aftercare Services, New England Donor Services

Patti Auch, Family Care Coordinator, Dakota Lions Sight and Health

Rebecca Grossman, Senior Manager of Family and Community Resources, SightLife

Deb Schuett, Family Services Coordinator, Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Penny Loy, PR/Communications Specialist, Miracles in Sight

Janice Sedgwick, M.Ed, CEBT, Manager, Public & Professional Relations, Georgia Eye Bank

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion- these are not just buzz words but instead are principles that should be incorporated into every aspect of an organization. 

Delight Deloney, Field Service Director for the Society for Human Resource Management, will discuss the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the impact it has on the bottom line of the workplace. Attendees will learn how to recognize and overcome bias, while creating opportunities for self-reflection and improved understanding of cultural differences.

Delight Deloney, Field Services Director, Society for Human Resource Management

Join us for a virtual networking event to catch up with long time friends and meet new colleagues. Although this is a virtual event, you will have the opportunity to have face to face conversations with others in the eye banking community.

There will be prize drawings, but you must be present to win! 

Sponsored by:

Sight restoration, corneal transplantation and eye banking are constantly evolving and rely heavily on research and innovation for continued advancements and improvement.  Research and innovation in sight restoration are made possible due to ocular tissue donation and the generous decision of individuals or of the loved ones of a deceased individual. This session will highlight ocular donation for research and how eye banks can promote donation for research and honor those who have impacted sight restoration through donation. 

During this panel discussion, presenters will discuss the following: 
• The innovations that have taken place in ocular transplantation and eye banking
• How various eye banks support and conduct research and recognize the research donors
• The merits of creating new knowledge in service to our donors, recipients, families, and communities
• Talking points for making the case for eye donation for research
• Processing requests for research tissue and matching tissue with the researcher
• The various types of ocular tissue that are provided for research
• Recommendations for how researchers are able to acknowledge ocular donors when sharing their research

Join us as we celebrate the advancements and innovation that have taken place in sight restoration, discuss the role eye banks have in research, share recommendations and best practices for promoting ocular donation for research and honor those who have contributed to ocular research and education. 

Sponsored by:

Greg Grossman, Chief Scientific Officer, Advancing Sight Network

Patty Stockdale, Partner & Community Relations Manager, Lions Gift of Sight

Esther Baker, Executive Director, Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Khoa Tran, Vice President of R&D, Lions VisionGift

Ching Yuan, Research and Development Director, Lions Gift of Sight

Jeremy Shuman, International Business Development Manager, Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research

Regenerative therapies could be in the future for eye banking, and with these advancements, there will be new regulations. As eye banks prepare for new technologies such as human corneal endothelial cell (HCEC) cultures, these stem cell therapies would be regulated as both drug and biological products under FD&C Act, and section 351 of the PHS Act regulations. Seth Olson, the FDA/Life Sciences Associate for LATHAM & WATKINS, LLP, compares and contrasts these requirements to prepare organizations for expanded regulations and provides insights for various regulatory pathways.

The presentation will cover FDA’s oversight and requirements for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/P’s) as well as Biological Products, which require a biologics license application (BLA). Seth will discuss at a high level the general data requirements for a BLA, along with other considerations comparing the two regulatory pathways.

J. Seth Olson, JD, Associate, Latham & Watkins

What needs to be #Ignited to increase & sustain PEAKs in your life? 

Are YOU stressed, burnt out, or managing a team who needs to find their fire and joy?  

Will you allow yourself to push the pause button long enough to figure out how to reignite your life changing it from ho-hum COVID-19 doldrums to full of passion? 

In this 60-minute power session, Michelle will change your life forever!  TOTALLY Kidding... and definitely impossible!  But isn't it perfectly apropos that burnout prevention and stress management is featured on day three of a conference in mid-June when you might rather hit up happy hour, head out early for a long weekend, or go on vacation?   This lightning round of info will cover the research on risk and resiliency factors in healthcare burnout and help address this vital topic of burnout prevention, stress management, and the need to strategize ways to sustain PEAK performance in the busy eye bank world.  Participants will be provided tricks, tips, and 2 practical tools that can be implemented back in the office. Plus, the tools can also be used for staff, donor families, patients, or recipient families dealing with stress.  

Join Michelle for some good info, great tools, and hopefully, laughs to launch us toward an enjoyable weekend.

Michelle Post, CEO & President, Post International, Inc.

Engaging with local residency and Cornea Fellowship programs is a great way for eye banks to build relationships with local programs, introduce eye banking to ophthalmogists, educate physicians on where their tissue comes from, and develop relationships with physicians. Speakers will discuss best practices for establishing contact with local programs, tools for educating physicians about eye banking, suggestions for an itinerary when hosting visits at the eye bank, and additional resources and information for best practices when engaging with resident and Fellows. 

Jennifer Li, MD, Medical Director, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Michelle K. Rhee, MD, Medical Director, The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration

Shahzad Mian, MD, Medical Director, Eversight

Eric Meinecke, President/CEO, Georgia Eye Bank

Join EBAA for a social hour unlike any other, featuring SongDivision. World-class musicians and facilitators, well-versed in organizational culture and team engagement, utilize scientific principles of music to strengthen social bonds and deepen our connection. You won’t want to miss this musical experience with your peers!

Stem cell-derived products have the potential to provide ocular tissue and therapeutic factors to treat a variety of ocular diseases. Steven Becker, PhD,  Associate Director of the National Eye Institute (NEI) Office of Regenerative medicine will highlight NIH-funded regenerative medicine programs and will discuss the implications they may have for vision research and the development of future therapies. A Q&A session will be moderated by Jennifer Li, MD. 

Steven Becker, Associate Director, NEI Office of Regenerative Medicine

Jennifer Li, MD, Medical Director, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

The Technical Skills Workshop will feature presentations with information about the technical aspects of eye banking and will include case study discussions. 

Presentations include:
Ocular Infectious Disease
Tissue Processing: DSEK and DMEK and a Peak at PDEK
Taking Photos of Corneal Tissue
Process Validation: What a Technician Needs to Know
Case Studies: Donor Eligibility

Mark Soper, CEBT, CTBS, Director Surgical Education and Innovation, VisionFirst

Andrea Crosson, CEBT, Senior Director of Donor Operations, SightLife

Kerry Hennessey, Senior Donor Eligibility and Efficiency Specialist, SightLife

Paul Graves, CEBT, CTBS, Vice President of Clinical Services, Advancing Sight Network

Wayne Dietz, CEBT, Quality Assurance Director, San Diego Eye Bank

Troy Win'E, CEBT, Senior Director of Recovery and Partner Relations, SightLife

Ingrid Schunder, MBA, CEBT, VP of Logistics & Development, Miracles in Sight

Alan N. Carlson, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University

Current practices in training, operations and quality measures of screening and post-processing evaluations will be presented.  Standard slit lamp evaluation, specular microscopy techniques, use of OCT, wide field dual imaging, and challenging evaluation cases will be discussed by means of lecture and panel discussions.  

Jonathan Lass, MD, Professor, CWRU Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and University Hospitals Eye Institute

Ahmed Omar, MD, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals of Cleveland Medical Center

Adam Stockman, MBA, CEBT, Director of Clinical Operations, Iowa Lions Eye Bank

Anthony Vizzerra, CEBT, Director of Clinical Services, Saving Sight

Jameson Clover, CEBT, Senior Vice President of Surgical Services, VisionGift

The Scientific Symposium will highlight the latest research and innovation in eye banking and corneal transplantation. All attendees are welcome to join. Be sure to view the Symposia Book before the session.

Attendees will hear actual recordings of R. Townley Paton, witness heated debates about the best methods for treating fungal infection following endothelial keratoplasty, listen to presentations on scientific abstracts, and will hear the announcements of the recipients of the Pilot Research Grant and the Best Paper of Session Award.  Highlights of the session are listed below.
 
Invited Sessions:
R. Townley Paton: A Portrait of His Own Times, in His Own Words (Live Presentation Only)
Launch of the Diabetes Endothelial Keratoplasty Study (DEKS): Impact of Diabetes on Corneal Transplant Success and Endothelial Cell Loss
Prevention of Fungal Infection after Keratoplasty: The Great Debate 

Scientific Abstract Presentations
COVID-19 Pandemic and Eye Banking: Impact of the Second Wave
A Novel Virtual Wet Lab – Using a Smartphone Camera Adapter and a Video Conference Platform to Provide Real-Time Surgical Instruction
Bowman Layer Onlay Grafting: Proof-of-concept of a New Technique to Flatten Corneal Curvature and Reduce Progression in Keratoconus
Eye Bank Prepared Nanothin DSAEK Tissue: 3-year Processing Experience
Safety of Eye Bank Prepared Pre-stripped, Pre-stained, Pre-loaded Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (p3DMEK) Tissue
Comparison of Donor Cornea Endothelial Cell Density Determined by Eye Banks and by a Central Image Analysis Reading Center
Smoking Associated with Repeat Keratoplasty after Endothelial Keratoplasty
Investigation of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response in ex vivo Corneal Endothelial Cells during Cell Culture and Expansion
The Impact of Amphotericin B Fortified Preservation Media on Donor Rim Cultures and Post-Transplant Infection

Amedco LLC has approved this activity for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM 

Marjan Farid, MD, Clinical Professor, University of California, Irvine

Joshua Hou, MD, Assistant Professor/Medical Director, University of Minnesota/Lions Gift of Sight

Mark Mannis, MD, Medical Director, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

Jonathan Lass, MD, Professor, CWRU Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and University Hospitals Eye Institute

Bennie Jeng, MD, MS, Chair of Ophthalmology, Penn Medicine

Elmer Tu, MD, Medical Director, Eversight

Anthony Aldave, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute

Francis Price, MD, Founder and President, Price Vision Group

Mark Terry, MD, Director of Corneal Services, Devers Eye Institute

David Ritterband, MD, Professor and System Director, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH)/ Northwell Health

Clara Chan, MD, Medical Director, Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division)

Soledad Cortina, MD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Physician attendees are invited to join this lively discussion to share and discuss clinical cases. The discussion will be moderated by Sadeer Hannush, MD. 

CME: 1

Amedco LLC has approved this activity for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM 

Sadeer Hannush, Medical Director, Lions Eye Bank of Delaware Valley

The Medical Director Symposium will include presentations and discussion on topics of relevance to eye bank Medical Directors, physicians and eye bank professionals. All attendees are encouraged to attend. 

Sessions include: 
Mini-Symposium: COVID-19 and the Cornea
Accreditation Board Update and Preparing for Inspections in a Pandemic
Determination of Graft Failure and Early Re-Grafts
Medical Director Dilemmas: What Would You Do?

Learn the latest guidelines for donor eligibility, updates from the Accreditation Board, information for determining and reporting graft failures, and participate in lively discussion about real cases.  

Medical Directors are required to attend the Medical Director Symposium once every three years. 

Amedco LLC has approved this activity for AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM 

Beverly Forsyth, Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Anthony Aldave, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute

Shahzad Mian, MD, Medical Director, Eversight

Brian Philippy, CEBT, Director of Transplant and Research, Lions Medical Eye Bank and Research Center of Eastern Virginia

Michelle K. Rhee, MD, Medical Director, The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration

Divya Srikumaran, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute

Susan Hurlbert, CEBT, Project Manager, Quality Improvement and Compliance, Eversight

Winston Chamberlain, MD, PhD, Director of Cornea Service/Co-Medical Director, Lions VisionGift

Sean Edelstein, MD, Associate Medical Director, Mid-America Transplant

Jennifer Li, MD, Medical Director, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank

David Warner, MD, Medical Director, Arkansas Lions Eye Bank & Laboratory

Roheena Kamyar, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Joshua Hou, MD, Assistant Professor/Medical Director, University of Minnesota/Lions Gift of Sight

The Accreditation Board will meet to discuss issues related to eye bank accreditation. The public portion is approximately 30 minutes, and then the meeting will move into a closed session. View the Agenda prior to the meeting.

The Medical Advisory Board will meet to discuss issues in eye banking and proposed changes to the Medical Standards. This meeting is open to Annual Meeting registrants. View the Agenda before the meeting.

Eye Bank Medical Directors are required to attend every 3 years. 

The House of Delegates will meet to discuss issues in eye banking and vote on proposed changes to the Bylaws and candidates for the Board of Directors.