The Academy has formed the Task Force on Haiti Recovery to respond the urgent and ongoing need for quality eye care in Haiti and to coordinate ophthalmic recovery efforts.
About the Task Force
The task force is led by former Academy president Michael W. Brennan, MD, a military veteran with unique humanitarian experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will work in close collaboration with the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO), the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad.
Task force members include:
- Michael W. Brennan, MD, Chair
- David W. Parke II MD, ex-officio
- Robert Butner, MD
- Claude Cowan, MD
- Mildred Olivier, MD
- Daniel LaRoche, MD
- Richard Lee, MD
- Stephanie Marioneaux, MD
- Nelson Marques, chair, Pan American Ophthalmological Foundation
- Kaz Soong, MD
All of the task force members have direct connections and experience in Haiti or with strategic partners in humanitarian relief.
Initiatives of the Task Force
In the coming months, the task force will work closely Haitian leadership – the Haitian Society of Ophthalmology and the University of Haiti Eye Hospital -- in a cooperative effort to facilitate the recovery of ophthalmic practice and delivery of eye care.
Portable Eye Units
Through financial and equipment donations and in conjunction with PAAO, the Academy is undertaking a campaign to provide five portable eye units to ophthalmologists in Haiti.
What are portable eye units?
Portable eye units can be carried by an individual ophthalmologist and will facilitate microscopic evaluations of the eye, treatment of lacerations, removal of foreign bodies, injections and other severe eye conditions, outside of a clinic or university setting. The units will include:
- direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes
- handheld slit lamps
- surgical loupes
- rentinoscopes
- tonometers
Contribute
To support the campaign, the Foundation of the Academy has established a Disaster Relief Fund to provide ophthalmic resources and facilitate much-needed patient care. All of the funds collected will be used for Haitian recovery efforts.
Volunteerism
The task force is working to coordinate the deployment of ophthalmologists interested in volunteering with federal and private sector organizations responding to the earthquake. Interested in volunteering? Sign up via the Haiti Volunteer Registry.
News from Haiti
The Academy is working to maintain contact with ophthalmologists working in Haiti. Read member updates from Haiti and view a list of updates from first response organizations.
Are you an ophthalmologist in Haiti? Let us know how we can help.
haitiearthquake@aao.org
+1 415.516.8500
