The Eye-Bank Today
The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration made history
in 1944 when it opened its doors as the world’s first transplant
organization. Now in its 60th year, The Eye-Bank, located at
120 Wall Street in lower Manhattan, continues its
mission of collecting, processing and distributing quality donor
eye tissue for sight-restoring surgeries. Each year, The Eye-Bank
provides the gift of sight to more than a thousand men women and
children throughout New York City, Long Island, and the lower Hudson
Valley.
During the six decades since it was founded, The
Eye-Bank has provided sight-restoring eye tissue for cornea transplant
surgery to more than 52,000 individuals who would have otherwise
been blind.
The Eye-Bank also provides eye tissue to patients
in need of life-enhancing, reconstructive surgery. Last year alone,
over 100 individuals received donor eye tissue from The Eye-Bank
for such procedures.
Research Efforts
Medical research is a critical part of The Eye-Bank’s
commitment to the restoration of sight. And through the recent launching
of its Ophthalmic Tissue Research Project, The Eye-Bank is now contributing
important resources toward finding innovative treatments and cures
for other widespread blinding eye diseases such as glaucoma and
macular degeneration
State-Of-The Art Laboratory
An on-site state of the art laboratory operates
24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is staffed by trained technicians
that adhere to the highest medical standards for testing and evaluation.
The Eye-Bank is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
licensed by New York State Department of Health and accredited by
the Eye-Bank Association (EBAA) of America. The Eye-Bank trains
and certifies its technical staff to perform the required procedures.
Continuing education is provided as an ongoing process. Senior technicians
are encouraged to pursue certification through the EBAA as a certified
eye bank technicians (CEBT).
Public and Professional
Education
In addition to providing quality donor eye tissue,
The Eye-Bank conducts public and professional education programs
to raise awareness about the need for increased eye donations. The
Eye-Bank participates in health fairs, school education programs
and community outreach projects, and produces print and broadcast
information designed to educate the community about their important
role in sight restoration.
Our Professional
Education Program is the link between The Eye-Bank and the health
community. Our dedicated hospital liaisons, educate health professionals
in over 110 hospitals in our service area about the critical need
for eye tissue, and maintain the actual donation process-from donor
to recipient. They are aided in these efforts by The Eye-Bank’s
dedicated group of volunteers, including recipients who are willing
to share their personal stories of regained sight.
The Eye-Bank’s Young Ambassadors Program is
a volunteer initiative that enables young cornea transplant recipients,
between the ages of 4 and 17, to share their own personal experience,
and encourage others to become donors.
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