IN THIS ISSUE
Elizabeth’s visit to Saving Sight
Vision Share All Staff Meeting
Kerify: A New Frontier in Quantitative Endothelial Damage Assessment
The Insider | Volume 1 Edition 4
AAO Orlando Recap: Conversations that Shape 2026
Orlando Florida
by Phil Fasone
The Vision Share team exhibited at AAO in Orlando, meeting with leading domestic and international surgeons to discuss tissue supply, pre-loaded devices, and goals for 2026. Our client development team is actively following up on new requests, and we appreciate meeting with eye bank members to gather feedback on how we can best support their work in the year ahead.
One of the highlights of AAO was a conversation with Dr. Jyotee Trivedy, a longtime Vision Share client and partner. We spoke with her about her work as a corneal surgeon in Kenya, where preventable blindness is widespread, corneal tissue is limited, and many patients arrive without the resources – or the hope – they need.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr. Jyotee for her recent recognition as the recipient of the 2025 Women in Ophthalmology Humanitarian Award – honoring her remarkable service and impact on global eye care.
Celebrating Our 2025 Stand Out Award Recipient: Melanie Howell
by Phil Fasone
The Standout Award is a special honor at Vision Share that is presented only in years when someone’s extraordinary, personal, and persistent contributions elevate our entire organization. The previous winner was Tony Dang, in 2023.
While our team routinely goes above and beyond, one colleague faced circumstances that demanded an extra level of commitment and met the moment with excellence. This year, we’re proud to recognize our Marketing Manager, Melanie Howell, as the 2025 Standout Award recipient.
In just one year, Melanie established Vision Share’s first Marketing Department and transformed how we communicate and operate. She rebuilt internal processes, built, tested and launched our new website, created and published our first newsletter, The INSIDER, and implemented our first in‑house CRM system.
Most importantly, she began telling our story through blogs and videos. We’re grateful to have Melanie on our team and excited to see what she does next.
Elizabeth’s visit to Saving Sight
by Elizabeth Grenier
Ocular Client Services, Supervisor at Vision Share
L to R: Elizabeth Grenier, OCS Supervisor, Vision Share and Sergio Rodriguez, Cornea Lab Technician, Saving Sight.
My time at Saving Sight, one of our member eye banks, was a truly rewarding experience. The staff were incredibly warm and welcoming, and it was amazing to finally meet everyone in person.I spent time with the processing team and had the opportunity to observe Preloaded DMEK and Precut DSAEK preparation in action.I learned more about the distribution side and saw firsthand how much work goes into getting tissues to recipients for life-changing corneal transplants. It takes an entire coordinated team to verify each detail, prepare the materials, and ensure everything is safely packaged and ready to ship. I’m thankful I had the chance to talk with several staff members about how Vision Share can continue supporting our member eye banks.
A special thank-you to Mark, Nicole, Marisa, Jenna, Griffin, and the entire staff for ensuring I had a positive experience. I am very grateful for the time I was able to spend at Saving Sight.
Congratulations, Tony!
by Phil Fasone
I’m pleased to share that Tony Dang has been promoted to Director of Client Services. Over nearly a decade at Vision Share, Tony has been instrumental to the success of OCS and our broader organization.
In his new role, he will oversee daily operations and lead client development initiatives. Tony is a vital member of our team, and we are fortunate to benefit from his leadership and expertise.
Please join me in congratulating Tony on this well‑deserved promotion.
Vision Share All-Staff Meeting
by Phil Fasone
L to R: Phil Fasone, Melanie Howell, Brian Keenan, Salvatore Moore, Angela Horne, Elizabeth Grenier & Tony Dang
This year, our team gathered in Orlando for our annual in‑person meeting. We centered the week on a simple, powerful theme: Integrity. Doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking. It’s the standard our team brings to every interaction.
Vision Share employees have true autonomy in their day-to-day work, and that trust shows up as personalized service that anticipates needs and solves problems before they arise. The time together was a chance to recognize that commitment and build momentum for 2026.
What Our Clients Are Saying
by VS Team
L to R: Prof. Claude Kaufmann, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital & Tony Dang, Director of Client Services, Vision Share
We’re honored when our clients take a moment to share their experience working with Vision Share. This testimonial captures the trust and collaboration we aim to deliver every day:
“Vision Share manages to combine friendliness, commitment, the highest quality, accessibility, efficiency, customer focus, and reliability. It is always a pleasure to get in touch with Vision Share, and it is always reassuring to know that this organization is there for you: if a problem can be solved, Vision Share will solve it.”
Prof. Claude Kaufmann, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital
Lucerne, Switzerland
Kerify: A New Frontier in Quantitative Endothelial Damage Assessment
Since endothelial keratoplasties were introduced to the United States in 2005, eye banks have relied on post-processing specular microscopy to estimate endothelial health—typically using a small central image that captures only a fraction of the graft and is often influenced by selection bias. Kerify, developed by Lions Gift of Sight (LGS) in partnership with imaging experts ADCIS and supported by the EBAA, represents a significant leap forward.
Kerify provides a fast, full-graft view with quantitative mapping of endothelial cell damage—bringing a level of precision and reproducibility that traditional methods cannot match. Using a small microscope stationed within the processing environment, Kerify also introduces speed and efficiency, representing an alluring innovation.
Recently, we spoke with the LGS team behind Kerify—Peter Bedard (Research Scientist), Amy Vallen (Director of Public and Partner Relations), and Brian Philippy (Director of Business Development)—to learn how the technology began, how it’s being used, and what it may mean for the future of eye banking and corneal transplantation.
How Kerify Began: From a Lab Tour to a Commercialized Platform.
Kerify’s story began six years ago when a local Lion, formerly a geology professor turned machine-vision engineer, toured the LGS lab in St. Paul, Minnesota and asked a simple question: Do you need help with machine vision?
Read the full article here – https://visionshare.org/kerify-an-overview/
Whats Happening Behind the Scenes
by Tony Dang
We are excited to announce that we are in the process of automating several QA components of Vision Share’s tissue placement system to provide a streamlined, user-friendly experience for our clients, member eye banks and any other partner eye bank that we work with.
Be on the lookout in 2026 for details on the automation of recipient information follow-up, 3-6 month post operative checks, and facilitation of quality events.
Building Brand Momentum
by Melanie Howell
As we close out the year, Vision Share is carrying real momentum into 2026. From great conversations at conferences and new partnerships to stronger storytelling and increased engagement across our digital channels, our community has helped generate great year-end activity.
What’s been most exciting is seeing surgeons, researchers, and member eye banks jump into the conversation – sharing wins, swapping insights, and supporting the mission of global sight restoration.
Thank you for fueling the forward motion that’s helping our brand grow, evolve, and reach more people who care about sight restoration. We can’t wait to bring needed resources to more communities worldwide facing reversible blindness. We look forward to expanding that impact with you in 2026.
Research Insights
by Brian Keenan
Research is revealing that the eye’s internal fluids hold far more diagnostic and therapeutic insight than once believed. The two major intraocular fluids —aqueous and vitreous humor—play essential roles in ocular health. Aqueous humor maintains intraocular pressure and nourishes the cornea and lens, while vitreous humor fills most of the eye, preserving its shape and supporting the retina and lens.
These fluids are becoming valuable sources for diagnostics, therapeutic innovation, and systemic health research. Advances in imaging, proteomics, and metabolomics are enabling scientists to identify new molecular markers within both fluids. Aqueous humor, for example, is emerging as a promising “liquid biopsy,” offering potential to detect indicators of AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and other conditions.
As this field grows, eye banks are uniquely positioned to support future discoveries. If your team is interested in supporting upcoming research needs or would like guidance on recommended specimen collection and storage procedures, please reach out.
Expanding access to these samples strengthens our network’s ability to advance understanding of preventable blindness and drive innovation in ophthalmology.
Congrats, Chris Hanna!
by VS Team
Congratulations to Chris Hanna, Executive Director of Utah Lions Eye Bank (ULEB), on being selected as the 2026 recipient of the EBAA Heise Award. This distinguished honor recognizes individuals who exemplify exceptional leadership, vision, and service within the eye banking community—and Chris’s contributions continue to set a high standard for our field.
As a valued member of the Vision Share network, Chris brings a spirit of collaboration and problem-solving that benefits our teams, our partners, and the global communities we serve. We are grateful for his dedication and proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition alongside the ULEB team.
Coming Up
by Phil Fasone
Vision Share will end the year displaying at the Twelfth Annual Evolving Practice of Ophthalmology Middle East Conference (EPOMEC) in Dubai from December 4-6th at the Dubai Trade Center Exhibition Hall at Booth B-4.
Ranked as one of the best two Ophthalmological conferences in the Middle East North Africa Region, attendance at the program continues to grow year over year. In addition, the Vision Share Board of Directors has approved the proposed Budget and Strategic Goals for 2026. We are eager to get started and excited about supporting our Eye Bank Members’ missions next year.
The team at Vision share wishes everyone a Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year!
An Update From Our Member Eye Banks
Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank
Pictured: Wyatt Pensis, Donor Hero
For 50 years, Sierra Donor Services Eye Bank (SDSEB) has been facilitating the gift of sight in their community. They are committed to honoring the donors and their families as well as the healthcare professionals who are involved in the various aspects of donation and perform life-changing work every day.
In recognition of Eye Donation Month this November, SDSEB embraced the theme “Everyday Heroes” and celebrated the remarkable legacy of donor hero, Wyatt Pensis.
His mother, Ashley, shared some heartfelt words about her son: “Wyatt was the kindest seven-year-old we knew. A gentle, thoughtful soul who always looked out for others. Wise beyond his years, Wyatt found joy in the simple things: fishing trips with his dad, building imaginative LEGO creations, and racing Hot Wheels cars across the living room floor.
We honor Wyatt in everything we do, but this month holds special meaning as we celebrate the incredible gift he left behind. Through the donation of his corneas, Wyatt gave two women the priceless ability to see again. His compassion and generosity continue to shine through others, a lasting reminder of the love and light he brought into the world.”
Wyatt’s story continues to inspire SDSEB’s mission to “save and improve lives” – reminding everyone of the profound impact donor families have and the lives transformed through the gift of sight.
UT Southwestern Transplant Services Center
L to R: Donna Drury, Executive Director, (through 2025) and Sharlene Rupp, Incoming Executive Director (effective 2026), UT Southwestern Transplant Services Center
UT Southwestern Transplant Services Center (TSC) provides services to hospitals and physicians throughout Texas, the nation, and worldwide. It is a clinical and academic service center of UT Southwestern Medical Center which “Completes the Circle of Care” from donation to transplantation by providing a full-service eye and tissue bank which recovers, processes, stores, and distributes ocular and tissue allografts.
These transplantable tissues include corneas, sclera, skin, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular allografts, which restore function, improve the quality of life, and in some cases even save lives.
On December 31, 2025, TSC will experience its second leadership transition since its founding in 1972. Ellen Heck served as the center’s first Director for 38 years before retiring in 2010. Donna Drury, who has dedicated 33 years to TSC and led as Director for the past 15 years, will retire at the end of this year.
Stepping into the role is Sharlene Rupp, who brings more than 18 years of expertise in eye and tissue banking with Donor Network of Arizona. With a decade of focused leadership in eye bank operations, Sharlene is deeply committed to driving innovation that restores sight, promotes healing, and honors the legacy of donors while supporting their families.
Under her leadership and through continued collaboration with Vision Share, TSC will remain committed to delivering exceptional services that restore vision and improve lives across Texas, the nation, and around the world.
