Global Development leaders Collin Ross and Erik Hellier were honored this summer in Pakistan where Eversight is developing an eye banking system to serve an estimated 250,000 corneal blind patients.
Ross and Hellier each received International Invited Speaker Awards, and Ross, Vice President of Global Development for Eversight, was presented with a Distinguished Service Award from the Cornea Association of Pakistan.
As two of the leading authorities in international eye banking development, Ross and Hellier are helping to lead a collaborative project that is building three fully functional eye banks in Pakistan run by local professionals using Eversight best practices.
“The awards were a great honor and a sign of the strong partnerships we’ve built in the region,” Ross said. “But the real highlight was seeing the eye banking network that is being built. After years of planning and preparation, we are at the point where we can start expanding access to cornea transplants in a place where access to this sight-restoring therapy is severely limited.”
Along with providing guidance for setting up clinical laboratories in Pakistan, Eversight is connecting with hospitals and surgeons for hands-on training with the latest transplant techniques.
“Providing the knowledge, resources and tools for surgeons to more effectively treat their patients is an important part of our mission,” Hellier said. “Whether it’s tissue preparation, facility questions or donation programs, we have the technical know-how to give our partners what they need.”
Hellier is a certified eye bank technician and a former Eversight laboratory manager. A highly skilled technician, Hellier has 13 years of experience in eye banking and is committed to providing surgeons, surgical centers and hospitals the very best in quality tissue.
Ross has nearly 20 years of experience running Eversight clinical and administrative facilities and a long history of developing, implementing and managing successful strategic plans for new programs and service lines.
