Lions World Vision Press Release

A sample of content in this file:

Contact:

Sharon Boyes

Foundation Executive Director
Sharon.Boyes@LWVI.org
813-289-1200, ext. 714

Art Kurz

Chief Clinical and Marketing Officer
Art.Kurz@LWVI.org
813-289-1200, ext. 721

SO THE WORLD CAN SEE:

Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research and SightLife are now Lions World Vision Institute
LWVI is the largest combined eye bank, tissue recovery, preventative care, and ocular research center in the world
TAMPA, FL. (May 5, 2023) – Today, Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research and SightLife have come together under a new name: Lions World Vision Institute. Combined, the global nonprofit brings over 100 years of resources, experiences, and innovations restoring sight to more than 500,000 people worldwide.

Now as one organization, Lions World Vision Institute offers a broader, worldwide network of eye banks, physicians, researchers, and community-based services to exponentially increase our impact. Each year, LWVI restores sight for more than 20,000 men, women, and children who needlessly suffer from corneal blindness or impaired vision.

“We are thrilled to officially come together under one shared name, which better reflects our global impact and vision for the future,” said Jason Woody, LWVI CEO. “As a global nonprofit dedicated to honoring vision as a basic human right, Lions World Vision Institute will continue to serve those who are needlessly suffering from corneal blindness in the U.S. and beyond while also sharing our expertise honed over decades to help surgeons and their patients worldwide.”

This transition marks the full integration of the two nonprofit eye banks, which came together in August 2022 and now serve as the largest eye bank, tissue recovery, preventative care, and ocular research center in the world with nearly 300 employees.
“More than ever before, the LWVI team is uniquely positioned to offer powerfully transformative sight services to even more people across the globe,” said Doug Pace, LWVI board chair. “Bringing together two of the world’s leading eye banks will undoubtedly create efficiencies, allowing us to provide state-of-the-art services to all those we serve.”

LWVI’s world-class services are grounded in three focus areas:

• Donation and Transplant Services: LWVI is a global leader in transplant facilitation, working closely with donor families, hospitals, surgeons and their patients to provide hope and healing through cornea and tissue transplantation.
• 
  Research & Innovation: LWVI’s state-of-the-art tissue processing innovations and research breakthroughs improve surgical efficiencies and promote cornea transplant clinical outcomes. Additionally, LWVI’s cooperative research with third parties will lead to significant advances in restoring sight for millions of patients with impaired vision.
• 
  Prevention & Education: LWVI’s nationally recognized community programs are creating real social change as the leading authority on pediatric vision health and by providing thousands of children free access to eye care every year – protecting their right to clear sight.

The newly named organization will be headquartered in Tampa, Florida with satellite offices throughout Florida, Louisiana, Washington state, California, and Pennsylvania and additional tissue recovery services in Montana, Idaho and Wisconsin.
Lions World Vision Institute recovered ocular tissue from more than 10,000 donors and musculoskeletal and cardiovascular tissue from 650 donors in 2022, enhancing up to 50,000 lives through tissue transplantation and restoring sight to over 20,000 people throughout the United States and in over 70 countries around the world. Anyone can save and transform lives by registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor today.

About Lions World Vision Institute

Lions World Vision Institute is a global nonprofit dedicated to honoring vision as a basic human right. Our work reaches around the globe and includes compassionate donation and transplant services, innovative research and technologies, vision services and education in local and international communities. With our worldwide network of supporters, surgeons, and research leaders, we work tirelessly to honor donors’ gifts by protecting and restoring sight for hundreds of thousands of people. Together we are transforming lives around the world. Support our life-changing work so the world can see.