Meet the Quality Assurance Department of Heartland Lions Eye Banks

Champion of Donation:Cindy Butler

Two-Year-Old Receives Gift of Sight After Cornea Transplants and Complex Eye Surgeries

SUMMER 2013

Meeting the Need: A Brief History of the Eye Bank’s Tissue Offerings

EBAA Awards Accreditation to Heartland Lions Eye Banks

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It takes a lot of people united toward a common goal to bring the gift of sight to our service area. In this issue of Perspectives, you can read about some of the people who are part of this important work – from the surgeons using Heartland Lions Eye Banks tissue for transplantation procedures to the Lions organizing donor registration drives in their communities, from the hospital staff educating their community about donation to our Quality Assurance team that ensures donor corneal tissue is safe for transplant. It is because of these people and more that Heartland Lions Eye Banks has provided more tissue for corneal transplants this fiscal year than last.

A lot of the Eye Bank’s success also can be credited to Tony Bavuso, our Chief Operating Officer. And it is because of his leadership capabilities and ambition in the field of vision health that I’m pleased to announce him as my successor as Executive Director of the Foundation. After learning that I will retire on March 15, 2014, the Board of Directors held a nationwide search and ultimately decided that Tony was best suited for the position due to both his 15 years of experience with the Foundation and his stature in the national eye banking community. Tony will begin in the role as Executive Director with our new fiscal year, July 1, 2013, and I will aid him in his transition until my retirement. I very much look forward to helping Tony adjust to his new responsibilities and have confidence he will do an outstanding job after my departure.

Times of transition can be strenuous for a nonprofit organization, and while it is my and Tony’s goal to make this particular transition as seamless as possible, we’d also appreciate your help in the upcoming fiscal year. Our ability to serve others is directly linked to the amount of support we receive from financial donors and volunteers like you. As we move into the 2013/2014 fiscal year and Tony’s tenure as Executive Director on July 1, I hope you will help us preserve and restore sight by making a financial gift and volunteering with one of our programs. To learn more, please visit www.mlerf.org.

It has been a privilege serving as Executive Director of this organization for 32 years, and I look forward to ensuring a successful future for the Foundation in the months to come.

Sincerely,

Ronald J. Walkenbach, Ph.D.Executive Director

From Our Executive Director

The Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation based in Columbia, Mo. The Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of sight through eye banking, community vision programs and the support of research. For more information on our programs, please visit www.mlerf.org.

DirectorsRonald Walkenbach, Ph.D.Executive Director

Tony BavusoChief Operating Officer

Tina LivesayChief Compliance Officer

Shelly RasleyRegional Director of Technical Operations

Emily TuttleDirector of Donor Services

Tamara OberbeckVision Services Program Manager

EditorialAnnie KuhlCommunications & Development Manager

Clayton Clark Communications & Development Specialist

Paul Coleman Graphic Designer

Office Locations Columbia, MO404 Portland St.Columbia, MO 65201Office: 573-443-1479Donor Hotline: 800-331-2636Fax: 573-443-1657

Hutchinson, KS 2 East 12th Ave.Hutchinson, KS 67501 Partner Relations: 620-259-7388 Office: 620-259-7300 Fax: 620-259-7323

Kansas City, MO10100 N. Ambassador Dr.Suite 200Kansas City, MO 64153Office: 816-454-5454Fax: 816-454-5446

Springfield, IL400 Chatham Rd.Suite 103 Springfield, IL 62704Office: 217-679-2987Fax: 217-670-0800

Springfield, MO3506 Culpepper CircleSuite D Springfield, MO 65804Office: 417-882-1532Fax: 417-882-8206

St. Louis, MO10801 Pear Tree LaneSuite 170 St. Louis, MO 63074Office: 314-428-4373Fax: 314-428-3751

ContactGeneral Information: 573-443-1471 or 1-800-753-2265

Media Inquiries: 800-283-1982 ext. 107 or ext. 115 Online at www.hleb.org & www.mlerf.org

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The Foundation thanks the Missouri Lions clubs that participated in the second annual Lions Sight Week this year. The week-long observance celebrated the Lions’ support of the Foundation’s sight-saving programs. This year’s participants volunteered at Children’s Vision Screenings and hosted donor registration drives in their communities to support eye, organ, and tissue donation. In fact, we screened 2,342 children for amblyopia and other vision problems thanks to these Lions’ support.

Participating Lions clubs:• Amazonia• Brentwood• Concordia• East Perry County• Fort Leonard Wood• House Springs• Jefferson City Breakfast

• Keytesville• Maplewood• Owensville• St. Charles• Smithville• Vandalia• Washington

Thank You to the 2013 Lions Sight Week Participants

It is with great sadness that we announce the recent loss of Jachin Misko, one of our key leaders at Heartland Lions Eye Banks. After serving for nearly eight years at the Eye Bank, most recently as the Regional Director of Clinical Services, Jachin passed away in early March 2013. Although we encounter death continuously in our work, the weight of his passing was not lessened for our staff.

Jachin’s accomplishments at the Eye Bank were many. He was a pivotal leader in establishing our DSAEK cutting lab and procedures, an achievement that considerably expanded the Eye Bank’s ability to provide tissues needed by recipients. Operationally, he streamlined our processes for preparing donor tissue for distribution to surgeons, and he served in a leadership capacity in communicating with surgeons. These leadership skills were apparent to others outside of the Eye Bank, as he was also a leader within the Eye Bank Association of America, serving on the Exam Committee, Continuing Education Committee, Medical Review Subcommittee, and Medical Advisory Board.

Perhaps most importantly, Jachin made contributions as an appreciated member of our staff. His absence will be felt dearly in our Kansas City office and throughout the organization. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.

Recently, the Eye Bank Association of America officially awarded renewed accreditation to Heartland Lions Eye Banks’ St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield, Missouri locations. EBAA is the nationally recognized accrediting body for eye banks, so they conduct site visits at least once every three years at eye banks throughout the country to ensure each eye bank operates under strict adherence to EBAA Medical Standards and procedures.

“The inspectors were very complimentary of the eye bank’s organization and the friendly cooperation they received during the inspection,” said Executive Director Ron Walkenbach. “Everyone in the organization deserves credit for this accomplishment.”

Adherence to EBAA standards helps ensure that every donor tissue provided for transplantation or research has been procured, processed, maintained, and distributed with the utmost care. The result of all of this hard work is better tissue for the grateful patients who receive the gift of sight. Heartland Lions Eye Banks is proud of its commitment to the highest quality standards and looks forward to a continued partnership with EBAA.

EBAA Awards Accreditation to Heartland Lions Eye Banks

In Our Hearts & Memories

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To make your wishes known, tell your family about your decision to donate and sign up on your state’s donor registry at www.donatelife.net or your local Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Champion of Donation: Cindy ButlerAt Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla, Missouri, Cindy Butler is a Champion of Donation. As Director of Critical Care, she manages the hospital’s intensive care unit and works closely with a small team of coworkers to educate and promote donation in the hospital and the Rolla community.

Butler became a registered nurse in 1991 and since then has worked in several departments, including emergency, pre-hospital, and the cardiac cath lab. She started at PCRMC in 1999 and quickly moved up to her current management role as Director of Critical Care. Soon thereafter, she became involved in the hospital’s donation efforts, partnering with Chaplain Phil Cox, Trish Unger, and Keri Heavin. They operate the PCRMC donor council; visit public schools, civic organizations, health fairs, and churches; twice per quarter Butler records public service announcements at the local radio station; and she audits charts to improve their donation processes. Butler’s commitment is evident at a personal level, too. “Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about donation,” Butler said. “At one family gathering, we all signed up as donors.”

When given the choice of an autologous bone graft or a bone from a donor to repair ruptured vertebrae in her cervical spine, Butler chose the latter for a faster recovery. “I was blessed through someone else’s gift,” she said. It might seem obvious that she, as a recipient of donor tissue, would advocate for donation, but she also knows firsthand how complicated it can be to make that choice for a loved one. “When my father passed away abruptly, we approached the point of a coroner’s case, with the possibility of an autopsy and the option

to donate,” she said. “I told them I’d climb on top of him to prevent this from occurring – he had been through so much already.” Butler looks back on her response and thinks she would have chosen donation if she had received more information at the time. “My father was a kind and giving man who would’ve been more than willing to help out others through donation,” Butler said. “This is what makes my drive to educate so intense.”

At the heart of Butler’s work is a fierce understanding that having the right information at the right time can make all of the difference. “If someone’s choice is not to donate, I respect that decision but offer to answer questions,” she said. “I am good with that choice as long as it’s an educated decision.” To best answer her community’s questions about eye, organ, and tissue donation, she has sought opportunities to educate herself. “I have watched the procurement process and was amazed at how professional and respectful [the technicians] were to the deceased,” she said. But for Butler, the most rewarding part of this work isn’t when she’s teaching others but rather when people teach her about their experiences. PCRMC and the Rolla community are fortunate to have such a committed advocate. Butler’s professional know-how and impactful personal experiences have yielded a kind of wisdom that is crucial to such work: “There is so much ‘bad’ in the world today and so much grief associated with death, but through the choice of donation, we are able to twist good within the braid of life.”

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Glaucoma is an eye disease most commonly associated with the elderly. High intraocular pressure, often occurring with advanced age, causes damage to the optic nerve and slowly limits peripheral vision. But the reality is that glaucoma affects people of all ages. In the case of Gentry from Raymore, MO, the disease was congenital and accompanied by both Peters’ anomaly and a protruding left cornea, all of which caused her to be born completely blind. That Gentry is a happy two-year-old today with ever-increasing vision is an achievement of modern ocular medicine and her parents’ enduring support. As Becky, Gentry’s mother, put it, “It’s amazing where we started at compared to what Gentry’s able to do now.”

Gentry’s first eye surgery took place on her second day of life, and she received her first cornea transplant at one month old in order to reconstruct her left eye and correct the Peters’ anomaly, a developmental disease that caused corneal opacity. The transplant was a success, correcting the cloudiness and enabling both eyes to move together, but the medical team was also working to reduce the heightened eye pressure caused by glaucoma. After six months, Gentry’s intraocular pressure spiked, necessitating the implantation of an Ahmed valve and the transplantation of a second cornea. This transplant, too, could not sustain her condition, and four months later she received a third corneal transplant at the age of one.

“The treatments took a huge commitment from her doctors,” Becky said of her daughter’s medical team, which consisted of ophthalmologists Dr. Erin Stahl of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and Dr. John Sutphin of University of Kansas Hospital. “Her case was so rare, they had to consult each other.” Finally, in August 2012, Gentry received a Boston Keratoprosthesis implant (or “Boston KPro” for short) in her left eye. The Boston KPro is an artificial cornea under development since 1960 that is now the most commonly used artificial cornea in the U.S. and the world. When standard corneal transplantation fails to return sight, the Boston KPro can be inserted into a donated corneal graft and then sutured into the eye like a standard transplant. Gentry numbers among the more than 7,000 people who have received the implant since 2000.

To date, Gentry has undergone twenty eye surgeries, including three traditional corneal transplants, two Ahmed valve implants, and the Boston KPro transplant. While her daughter has not attained full vision in the course of these complex medical interventions, Becky describes Gentry’s vision positively. “She can see fairly well out her right eye.

She gets around fine and can see things around her,” she said. “We’re not sure of about her depth perception, and she has light-sensitive vision, so she wears sunglasses outside. But we know she has light reception in her left eye. She’s just now at the point that she can develop vision in the left eye.”

In order to express her gratitude, Becky has written to the families whose loved ones donated the gift of sight to Gentry. “My daughter couldn’t see if it weren’t for donation and the generosity of people and families who agree to donation.” Though she had not encountered donation or transplantation before her daughter’s birth, Becky knows how important the gift of sight is to people of all ages. “There are babies and young children who have eye conditions. They have the opportunity to be able to see if given that gift at a young age.” Because generous donors and donor families said yes to donation, Gentry has the opportunity for a life she might not otherwise have had. “She has the chance to grow up like everyone else,” Becky said. “She doesn’t have perfect vision, but it’s functional. She’ll be able to read and play like every other child.”

Gentry’s visual development will be gradual and uncertain and, undoubtedly, monitored closely by her ophthalmologists. But thanks to the generosity of her donors and their families, the skill of her medical team, and the patience and support of her family, today Gentry gets to be a very active and intelligent two-year-old girl who sees.

Two-Year-Old Receives Gift of Sight After Cornea Transplants and Complex Eye Surgeries

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Meeting the Need: A Brief History of the Eye Bank’s Tissue OfferingsEye donation is the oldest form of organ and tissue donation, dating back to the first corneal transplant in 1905. Thanks to skilled surgeons across the U.S., more than 46,000 corneal transplants are performed each year. Heartland Lions Eye Banks has the opportunity to procure donated eye tissue and offer high-quality corneal tissue to those surgeons. In fact, in 2012 the Eye Bank provided tissue for 2,464 transplants.

The oldest and most common form of corneal transplant, and what most people probably think of when they imagine eye donation, is called Penetrating Keratoplasty (PK), meaning the full thickness of the donated cornea is grafted onto the recipient’s eye in place of the damaged cornea. Corneal transplant surgeons request full-thickness tissue from the Eye Bank for PK surgery, which accounted for 53 percent of U.S. cornea transplants in 2012. PK surgery is an ideal option for many recipients who suffer from thinning or perforation of the cornea.

In the past decade, surgeons have made significant advancements in corneal transplant techniques designed to improve patient experience. Various forms of Lamellar Keratoplasty, or partial-thickness corneal transplants, boost recipients’ overall sight regained

and reduce their post-op recovery times by being less invasive. Heartland Lions Eye Banks processes corneal tissues so as to be used in conjunction with these new surgical techniques. The most common processed tissue type is the Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK), a posterior corneal transplantation technique that replaces just the dysfunctional recipient endothelium with healthy donor tissue. By keeping the recipient’s outer corneal tissue intact, the procedure is less invasive than the traditional PK procedure that replaces the cornea’s full thickness. In 2012, Endothelial Keratoplasties accounted for 45 percent of all tissue provided for transplant by the Eye Bank. And in order to offer enhanced visual acuity, the Eye Bank became one of the first in the country to offer ultra-thin corneal grafts for the DSAEK procedure by utilizing the Moria double-pass technique.

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The Eye Bank offers specialized tissue for many other procedures, such as Deep Lamellar Endothelial Keratoplasty (DLEK), Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK), and Lamellar Keratoplasty (LKP). The Eye Bank even provides tissue for the rare Keratoprosthesis (KPro) procedure, in which the recipient’s cornea is replaced with a prosthesis, usually after several previous cornea transplants have proved unsuccessful. To adhere the prosthesis to the recipient’s eye, a donor cornea is needed. The surgeon will place the prosthesis in the middle of the cornea, after transplanting just the rim of the donor corneal tissue into the patient’s eye to hold everything in place. See Gentry’s story on page 5 to learn more.

At the forefront of corneal transplant surgery techniques today are Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) and Descemet’s Membrane Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMAEK) for partial-thickness surgeries and IntraLase Enabled Keratoplasty (IEK) for full-thickness surgeries. DMEK and DMAEK are much like DSEK/DSAEK except only the endothelium and Descemet’s membrane are transplanted. According to a multi-center study to evaluate DMEK tissue by the Cornea Research Foundation, DMEK “does provide significantly more patients with 20/20 and 20/25 vision. However, it is more difficult to get the graft to attach and it is more likely than in DSEK/DSAEK surgery that additional air will need to be injected into the eye sometime in the first few weeks to securely attach the donor tissue to the recipient cornea. The biggest hurdle with DMEK is preparing and handling the extremely thin donor graft.” DMAEK differs from DMEK in that the edges of the tissue are slightly thicker, making it easier for the surgeon to handle. IEK tissue, on the other hand, is specially cut with a laser to create a “zigzag” edge, resulting in a mushroom or top hat shape, and almost perfectly fits into the recipient’s eye. Through its partnerships, Heartland Lions Eye Banks can provide DMAEK, DMEK, and IEK tissues for surgeons pursuing these techniques for their patients.

Heartland Lions Eye Banks staff is enthusiastic about staying informed about preferred surgical techniques through communication with surgeons and continuing education. With all of these advances in transplant technique and technology, the Eye Bank and its staff remains committed to providing whatever kinds of tissue, be it traditional or cutting-edge, that will best help surgeons restore sight to their patients.

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Meet Heartland Lions Eye Banks’ Quality Assurance Department

The Quality Assurance staff at Heartland Lions Eye Banks strives to ensure every recipient receives safe and high-quality tissue. They do this by meticulously reviewing every donor chart, completing audits to ensure compliance to the Eye Bank’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), writing and revising SOPs to streamline and improve operations, and maintaining records of sterile recovery. “Our biggest focus is compliance with the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” said Emily Buckthorpe, Quality Improvement Manager. “Consistency throughout is something we really strive for.”

The eight staff members are located in different offices across the HLEB service area, which Buckthorpe thinks is the department’s greatest challenge. “Unless you’re there to ensure everything’s in compliance, it’s difficult,” she said. “But branch managers do a great job of communicating when this doesn’t happen, and they help make sure compliance does happen.” Because they can’t be everywhere all of the time, the QA team encourages staff to report their own deviations from the SOPs, which the QA department then investigates. “Sometimes the root cause of an error is procedural or the form or the workflow and not the technician’s fault,” said Buckthorpe, describing the approach’s success. “When the techs are open, these root problems can be fixed.” This strategy seems to be working because error rates have decreased by 77 percent in the past three years.

The Eye Bank recently passed an EBAA inspection thanks to the department’s stellar work (see page 3 for more details). “[The auditors] asked to look at 43 charts from the last three years, randomly selected,” said Buckthorpe. “The reviewers looked at 32 without seeing any issues and then decided not to look at the others, which is not something that happens often.” In addition, the QA team has succeeded in lowering the time between the procurement of donor tissue and when they are able to finish reviewing the donor’s records and approve the tissue for transplant. Their goal was to approve within 48 hours, but now their average time is closer to 30 hours. The reduced approval time enables surgeons to transplant corneas with higher cell counts, which means the tissue will yield better results for the recipients.

Buckthorpe and her coworkers can take pride in knowing they’ve helped drive the Eye Bank’s recent

improvements. “It’s really rewarding that our piece is to ensure that recipients get healthy, quality tissue,” Buckthorpe said of what’s at stake for her department’s work. “And I think it’s great to see that progression of quality over time – seeing the extra hours and small sacrifices result in fewer adverse reaction reports from surgeons, fewer errors internally, and great inspections.” Thanks to the QA staff, Heartland Lions Eye Banks is able to succeed in its role of providing safe tissue in a timely manner so corneal transplant surgeons can successfully give their patients the gift of sight.

Pictured from left: Tina Livesay, Chief Compliance Officer | Emily Buckthorpe, Quality Improvement Manager | Amanda Nerone, QA Coordinator | Erin Hawkins, QA Auditor Sarah Davis, Donor Review Coordinator | Kim Everitt, Donor Review Coordinator | Hilary Macias, QA Coordinator | Dianna Stoutenburg, QA Logistics

“It’s really rewarding that our piece is to ensure that recipients get healthy, quality tissue, and I think it’s great to see that progression of quality over time – seeing the extra hours and small sacrifices result in fewer adverse reaction reports from surgeons, fewer errors internally, and great inspections.”

-Emily Buckthorpe

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CIRCLE OF SIGHTThanks to our generous donors: July 1, 2012 - April 30, 2013

Champion Gifts of $2500 or moreEmployees Community Fund of Boeing St. LouisEstate of Ila SmithExpress Scripts FoundationPrime Health FoundationRichard E. Tharp TrustThe Mader FoundationThorp Foundation

Leader Gifts of $2499-$1000Mr. Danny ClemmerMr. Wayne & Lion Jene CrookMr. Dennis HadaMFA Foundation

Guardian Gifts of $999-$500Mr. Gerald BosMs. Justine DavidMs. Elizabeth GlassMs. Eleanor GoodwinMissouri Foundation for HealthMr. James MurrayNicholls Properties, Inc.Ms. Jane PhillipsPlusoptix IncMr. Robert SpierWalmart FoundationPDG Jerry & Lion Judy YoungMr. Robert Zorn

Defender Gifts of $499-$250G. BachusPDG Leo BergeronConcordia BankGascosage Electric CooperativeMs. Mary A. HillMs. Jane HoodKiwanis Club of Hays IncMr. Melvin KlaassenMr. & Mrs. Joe & Annie KuhlMs. Norma LockwoodMs. Vivian NortonMs. Rieta O’NealPickering Funeral HomeMs. Eleanor RamseyPDG John & Lion Kathy ReeseMs. Madonna RiesenmyMr. Jerome RoppelMrs. Wilma ShewhartSpencer Fane Britt & Browne LLPMr. Robert TaylorMs. Joyce Von McKnelly

Protector Gifts of $249-$100A & B Prescription ShopMs. Emily AgeeMr. Jose AguilarMr. Claus Altmann Yone AmimotoAshner Rentals & Virginia Lane ApartmentsAssociated Electric CooperativeMr. Ronald AveyMr. Rodney BaconMs. Carol BallardMs. Brenda BarberMs. Frances BarberMs. Margaret BarrowMr. & Mrs. Tony & Julie BavusoMs. Verdia BeardMs. Sheila BeckMr. Peter BeckersMr. Maurice BenskinBenton Class of 1965PDG Bill BoehmerMr. Jim BoldtMs. Phillis BosleyMs. Elizabeth BoyceMr. Glen BrandtMs. Ardith BrenemanMr. Fredrick CaldwellMs. Teresa CarterCentral Missouri Electric CooperativeMr. William ChisholmMr. Bobby ClarkW. E. ClarksonD.E. Garner & AssociatesMs. Luella DavinMr. George DavisMr. Richard DavisMs. Janet DeggingerMs. Betty DeLuceMr. Paul DunbarMs. Jean DyeMr. Jimmy EarlyMs. Mollie Jeanne EdwardsFamily Practice ClinicMs. Teresa FarmerMr. Thomas FeimanMs. Betty FeldhausenMr. & Mrs. Michael & Sheila FieldsMs. Rosaetta FieldsMs. Margaret FinkeMs. Charlene FriedmanMr. Mark Garges

Protector Gifts of $249-$100Mr. Henry GarnerMs. Lois GilhamMs. Kathleen & Walter GreenMs. Arlene GriffithsMr. Rex GumpMr. Jerry HaggMr. John HarperMs. Cornelia HildebrandtVDG Jeff HilkeMs. Mary Jean HirshMs. Mary HudnutMs. Judythe IsserlisMr. William JacksonMr. David JeffreyMs. Laurie JohnsonMr. John JonesMr. Melvin Jordan, Sr.Ms. Marilyn KelleyMr. Robert KileMr. Prentice KilgoreMs. Doris KinkerMs. Maurine KleinschmidtMs. Jerri KnightMs. Connie LammMr. John LeonardMs. Dan LewisMr. & Mrs. Lance & Tina LivesayLowman ChapelMs. Linda MamalisPDG Jon & Lion Linda MartinTerry McCallumMs. Doris McCannMs. Aura MelendezMs. Dorothy MerrillMs. Barbara MohrMs. Carol MorrisMr. James NealMr. Jack NicholsMs. Deborah NoldMs. Margaret NunesMs. Donnette OehmkePID W. R. and Lion Carole O’RileyMs. Martha ParkerMs. Yvonne PatonMs. Martha PetersenPDG Lyn & PCC Pat PorterfieldMs. Gene PotterMs. Joe PowersMr. Cecil ReidDr. & Mrs. Frank & Reggie RiegerMr. Loman Robertson

Protector Gifts of $249-$100Mr. Marvin O. RossPDG Ken & Lion Olivia SchimelMr. John SchiroMr. James SchmankMr. & Mrs. John & Jackie SettlageMs. Virginia ShainLion Jan SpencerMrs. Shirley SteinmeyerMr. Allen SternerMr. Joseph StockbauerMs. Betty StoutMr. John K. StringhamMs. Betty SwansonMr. Stephen TappmeyerMr. Samuel TarsonMs. Chestine TaylorMs. Mary TersinarMs. O’Leta ThomasThrivent Financial for LutheransMr. Alvin TocksteinMr. Mark TolmachoffMr. Russell TurnerVDG Roger & Donna UnruhMr. & Mrs. John & Christa ViznerMr. John VogelMr. Bill WaddellMr. David WalkerMr. Robert WallerMs. Marilyn WalsbergMs. Beverly WarnerMr. Henry Waters lllMs. Ila M. WattsMs. Beverly WilcoxMr. & Mrs. Russell & Casey WilliamsonMs. Mary WittMr. Edmond WolframMs. Mary Wright

Missouri Lions All-Star Football GameCome cheer on the Blue and Gold teams as graduating high school seniors play to raise funds for the Foundation! The game will be played at University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO on July 20, 2013. Tickets are available by contacting the Missouri Lions state office at (573) 635-1773.

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FRIENDS OF THE FOUNDATION Gifts of up to $99

Ms. Rita EmmerichMr. George EstabrookMs. Myra EvansMr. Carolyn FalcomataMr. Heath FarmerMr. Joe FarmerMr. Richard FedeMs. Brenda FischerMs. Edna FiteMs. Bernice FitzgeraldMs. Angela FlowersMs. Debra GachMr. Joseph GadberryMr. Albert GatesMr. Ronald GauerkeLion Lori GeissertMr. & Mrs. Terry & Teresa GentryMr. Ray GieslerMs. Hermania GilbertMr. David GilmanLion Mary GlimkaMs. Donna GouldMs. Ruth GrossMs. Shirley GroveNs, Patsy HallMr. Tom HamletMs. Judith HargisMs. Lynn HarmonMr. Max HarralMr. Russell HarrisMs. Bonnie HartyMs. Stephanie HeaterMs. Laura HederstedtMr. Robert HenryMs. Amy HenryMs. Virginia HodgesMs. Betty HoltMs. Betty HorinekMs. Dorlene HouseMs. Joan HughesMs. Max HullMs. Carla HuniganMs. Alice InmanMs. Leona JacobsMr. Albert JarosikJefferson City Medical Group PCPDG Ellis JeffriesMs. Joan JendrasMr. & Mrs. Cody & Anna Belle Wendell JohnsonMr. Theron JohnsonMs. Sue JohnsonJesse JoliviereSudarshan KapoorMs. Gloria KelleyMs. Bernadine KisselMs. Bernece KloeppelMs. Kelly KrugerMs. Mary Ann KuechlerMr. & Mrs. Edwin & Anna Marie KuhrMs. Diane KurtzMs. Linda LandelMr. William LandwehrMs. Dollene LangleyMs. Barbara LawsonMs. Patricia LeerMr. & Mrs. CA & Phyllis LeibrandtMr. Richard LeightyMs. Judith LeroMs. Kathleen Lewton

Mr. Richard LittonMs. Nancy LoydMs. Shirley LudlumMs. Melba MaechtlenMs. Jennifer MahnkenMr. & Mrs. John & Kathleen ManionMr. Jerry MannMr. Herbert MartinMs. Jane MartinMs. Peggy MartinMr. & Mrs. Scotty & Beverly MasseyRev. Raymond MasseyMs. Wanda MattesonMs. Linda McCabeMs. Patricia McConnellMs. Juanita McCreightMs. Ellen McDonnellMr. Bob McGeeMs. Shirley McKeeMs. Rebecca McKiverMr. Daniel McVeyMr. Paul McWilliamsMr. David MeachamMs. Carolyn MeyerMr. & Mrs. David & Carol MiddletonMs. Renee MitchellMs. Kim MizellMS. Jean MoelleringMs. Della MonsourMs. Joyce MorganLion Eugene & Lettie MorseMs. Gail MyersNational Antique Tractor Pullers AssociationMs. Pauline NelsonMs. Dianne NewellMs. Marian NicholsNorthwest Missouri Business Education AssociationMs. Tamara OberbeckMs. Linda O’ConnellMr. Stanley OettingMr. Donald OhrenbergMr. Eric OttenMs. Mary OvertonMs. Georgette PageMs. Jeanette PalmerMs. Jan ParsonsMs. Evelyn PavlicekMr. Jose PerezForest PharmaceuticalsMs. Margarite PianfettiMr. Darren PiperMs. Raquel PlathMr. & Mrs. Dave & Nicole PleggeMr. Warren PorterMr. Kyle PotterMr. & Mrs. Leon & Delphine PrengerMr. & Mrs. Leon & Linda RackersMs. Blanche ReadyMr. John ReedMr. & Mrs. Jerome & Rose ReinschMs. Jan RetherfordMs. Oleva RichardsonMs. Caroline RicheyMs. Marilyn RiderMr. & Mrs. Curtis & Karen RinkMs. E. Joan RobertsMs. Jane RosenbohmMr. Harold Rosner

Mr. William AbramsMr. Harold AdamsMs. Annie AdamsMs. Mary AdkinsMs. Marian AhlbergMs. Wanda AkinsMs. Martha AllenMs. Helen AlumbaughMr. John AndersonMs. Virginia AntweilerAvis ArellanesMr. Keith BaileyMs. Sue BakerMs. Corinne BarbarickMr. Albert BarnettMs. Rita BarronMs. Joyce BauerMs. Effie BeckettMs. Dorothy BeesleyMs. Karen BellisMs. Donna BirdsongMs. Lucile BithosMs. Janet BlackMs. Mary BlakeMs. Patricia Blakley-HopeMs. Lorna BlossMs. Norma BondMs. Lyla BowserMr. Jack BrantleyMr. & Mrs. Jon & Marcia BreedenMs. Ann BrownMs. Marilyn BrownMs. Clara BrunstromMs. Sharon BrysonMs. Elizabeth BudenbenderBurns, Taylor, Heckemeyer & Green, LLCMs. Nelda CampbellMs. Stacy CarrickMs. Miriam CarrollMs. Lillian CarterNs, Mary Ann CaryMs. Kathleen CaseMs. Janet CaseyMr. Ernest ChanceMr. Kirk ChapmanMs. Debra ClarkMr. Richard ClimesMs. Connie ColvilleMr. Vernon ColvisMr. William Frazier ConnerMr. Thomas CookMr. Paul CoulterMs. Mary CoxMs. Mary CoyneMs. Shirley CrabtreeMs. Marjorie CrumMr. John CulpMs. Marjorie CulpMr. Billy CumminsMr. Melvin DaleMr. Jimmie DavisMs. Janice DawsonMs. Susan DeanMr. & Mrs. Matt & Beth DevilleMs. Barbara DewMr. James DunbarMs. Dixie DutroMr. & Mrs. Dennis & Debbie EbersoldMs. Helen EggersMs. Mary Ellison

Elias RossMs. Marilyn RossMs. Maureen RowlandMs. Connie RuffcornMr. Robert SandersMs. Becky SandersMs. Venita SandersMr. Brian SchmidtbergerMs. Barbara SchmutzlerMs. Carol ShadwickDr. Krishna SharmaTauna SheltonMs. Sandra ShortMr. Gary ShupeMs. Katie SivilsMr. & Mrs. Randy & Marcia SmithMs. Elsie SmithMs. Linda SmithMr. & Mrs. Larry & Dorcas SnyderSt. Benedict’s AbbeyMs. Karen SteinerMr. Larry StellingMr. Thurman StewartMs. Sharon StinsonMs. Pearl StonebrakerMr. Kenneth StormerFrancis StreitmanMs. Susan SundermeyerMs. Patricia SutherlandTatlow, Gump, Faiella & Wheelan, LLC Law OfficesMr. & Mrs. David & Evelyn ThompsonMr. & Mrs. Keith & Karen ThompsonMs. Mary Lee TignerRobin TillMs. Linda TillinghastMs. Jo Ann TongayMs. Wilma TrachselPDG Chuck & Lion Cindy TrippMr. Jack TurnerMr. Matt UhrigUnion Baptist ChurchUS BankMs. Pamela Van SickleMr. William VanceMs. Donna VoepelMr. Richard VossDr. Ron & DeAnna WalkenbachMr. Timm WalkerMs. Dorothy WalkerMs. Nancy WalkerMs. Kathleen WardMr. Greg WarrenMs. Eupha WebbMr. Dennis WeinertMr. Larry WeldonMs. Sandra WelpmanWestern Extralite CompanyMr. James WilbanksMr. John WilcoxMr. L. Walter WilliamsPDG Steve & Lion Alice WiseMs. Barbara WomackMr. Harry WoodruffMr. Glen WrightPDG Robert O. & Marilyn YoungMs. Ruby Zabel

Perspectives | Page 11

LIONS CLUB GIVINGLion Sight Saver Gifts of $2000 and moreBoonville LionsBranson-Hollister LionsCape Girardeau LionsHermann LionsJefferson City Host LionsJonesburg LionsLions All-Star Basketball Classic - Dist. M6Lions Eye Foundation of District 26 M2Maryville Host LionsMissouri Lions Multiple District 26Owensville LionsParis LionsPast District Governor Association, District 26-M5Stockton LionsWebster Groves LionsWest St. Louis County Lions

Lion Patron Gifts of $1999 to $1000 Caruthersville LionsChesterfield LionsColumbia Rockbridge LionsConcordia LionsFirst Capitol LionsHarvester LionsHurricane Deck LionsJefferson City Evening LionsLa Grange LionsLake St. Louis LionsLake Winnebago LionsLemay Jefferson Barracks LionsMexico Host LionsMonett LionsMoscow Mills LionsO’Fallon LionsOld Monroe LionsPoplar Bluff LionsRolla LionsSedalia LionsSikeston LionsSt. Joseph East Side LionsSt. Louis South Side Lions

Lion Benefactor Gifts of up to $999 Alma LionsAuxvasse LionsBeaufort LionsBernie LionsBolivar LionsBonhomme LionsBrentwood LionsBrookfield LionsBrunswick LionsBuffalo LionsBunceton LionsCairo-Jacksonville LionsCamdenton LionsCameron LionsCape Girardeau Evening LionsCarrollton LionsChamois LionsCharleston LionsChillicothe LionsChristian County LionsClarksdale LionsColumbia Host LionsCorder LionsCosby LionsCuba LionsDiamond LionsEldon LionsElkland LionsEllisville LionsEssex-Gray Ridge LionsFairport LionsFarmington LionsFaucett LionsFenton LionsFerguson LionsFlorence LionsFulton Host LionsGainesville LionsGallatin Lake Viking LionsGalt LionsGentry LionsGilman City LionsGolden City LionsGraham LionsGranby LionsGrant City LionsGreen City LionsHale Lions

Hamilton LionsHartsburg LionsHartville LionsHigbee LionsHigginsville LionsHigh Hill LionsHouse Springs LionsHuntsville LionsIndependence Eastview LionsIndependence Host LionsIndependence Noland Road LionsJamesport LionsJefferson City Breakfast LionsJefferson City Capital LionsJoplin Host LionsKahoka LionsKansas City Red Bridge LionessesKansas City Red Bridge LionsKearney LionsKennett LionsKeytesville LionsKnob Noster LionsLamar LionsLebanon Host LionsLexington LionsLinn Creek-Osage Beach LionsLions Eyeglass Recycle Center of West MOLions International District 7-LLions of Illinois Dist. 1CSLohman LionsLouisburg LionsLudlow LionsMacon LionsMadison LionsMalden LionsMansfield LionsMarceline LionsMarionville LionsMarshall LionsMexico Noon LionsMiddletown LionsMiller LionsMissouri Lions District 26-M4Missouri Lions District 26-M6Moberly LionsNelson LionsNevada LionsNew Florence LionsNew Melle LionsNorborne Lions

Northwest Texas County LionsOrrick LionsPickering LionsPlatte City LionsPleasant Hill LionsRepublic LionsRosebud LionsSainte Genevieve LionsSalisbury LionsSeligman LionsSeymour LionsShelbina LionsSpringfield Alpha LionsSpringfield Evening LionsSpringfield Host LionsSpringfield Queen City LionsSt. Charles LionsSt. Joseph South Side LionsSt. Louis Cheltenham-Chouteau LionsSt. Louis Downtown LionsSt. Louis Harmony LionsSt. Peters LionsStover LionsTrenton LionsUnionville LionsValley LionsWappapello LionsWarrensburg LionsWarrenton LionsWaverly LionsWentzville LionsWestboro LionsWeston LionsWillard LionsWillow Springs LionsWoodson Terrace LionsRock Port LionsSalisbury LionsSpringfield Alpha LionsSpringfield Evening LionsSt. Charles LionsSt. Joseph South Side LionsSt. Louis Downtown LionsSt. Peters LionsUnionville LionsWappapello LionsWarrenton LionsWeston LionsWillard LionsWillow Springs Lions

Lion Mark AizziDon AncellJudy AufdenbergRonald BarnesPDG Glen BerningSarah BillingsleyRoger BoegerJames T. BootsGena BrownJack BrunstromArthur BurkemperWilla Fay BurnsBarbara CalvinPat CampbellLion Jerry CaterBotts CauthornDorothy K. CootsBob CristensenVicki Crum

Lawrence DalavirasGeorge DavidsonDora Davidson-WoodLion Patty DentonLila DewellMary DickenDonald EarlyDavid EnzbrennerPDG Jack FergusonCarolyn FritzPDG Gale GargesMary Ann GarnerRaymond GlausLion Merrell GravesGay GunningJames HaakeDorothy HamiltonLion Jim HartleyLion Tom Hayes

Dorothy HazlettIrene HeckmanDonneita HightshoeBetty HooverHarold IsserlisJerry JeffreyJuanita JettLillian JohnsonGirard KarstPDG Art KolkmeierBill KorsmeyerPaul Lavern McMannJoy LentzJean LieseDr. Walker LongJo Ann LongLeo MachmullerLori MartinoEdward C. Matthews, Jr.

GIFTS IN MEMORYSandra Matz McDermottJohn MayerRichard McCanGlen McDonaldWilliam V. McKnelly, Jr.Bob McQuirkJachin MiskoLyllis MonglerRoberta NealeLion LeRoy OsterlohPDG Robert ParkerViola ParsonsConnie B. PulliamKline T. RichardsonKent RickertsenLion Jerry RiefferTerra Renee RileyPDG Sinclair RogersEldon Rosenthal

George SchlutiusAlbert E. SchoenbeckGary SendelweckW. Jean SengstackenArthur ShoresIeleen SittonPDG E.B. SmithFreda Marie & Ray-mond SpencerDr. John SteinmeyerRoberta StuartLillie StudtBetty TauserSteve TaylorMary TignerHarvey TurnerDonald E. VanblackDavid WallerEugene Williams

Hospital / Hospice Name Donors Transplants

Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital (IL) 2 2Atchison Hospital (KS) 1 0Audrain Medical Center (MO) 1 0Bates County Memorial Hospital (MO) 2 2Boone Hospital Center (MO) 12 14Bothwell Regional Health Center (MO) 6 9Capital Region Medical Center (MO) 1 2Carlinville Area Hospital (IL) 1 2Cass Regional Medical Center (MO) 1 2Cheyenne County Hospital (KS) 1 2Christian County Coroner (MO) 1 1Citizens Medical Center (KS) 2 4Citizens Memorial Healthcare (MO) 2 4Clay County Hospital (IL) 1 1Cloud County Health Center (KS) 1 2Colmery - O'Neil VA Medical Center (KS) 2 1Comanche County Hospital (KS) 1 1Community Memorial Healthcare (KS) 1 0Community Memorial Hospital (IL) 1 0Cox Medical Center Branson (MO) 2 2CoxHealth Systems - Monett (MO) 4 4CoxHealth Systems - South (MO) 41 39Crawford Memorial Hospital (IL) 1 2Fayette County Hospital (IL) 1 2Fitzgibbon Memorial Hospital (MO) 1 2Fredonia Regional Hospital (KS) 1 2Freeman Health Systems - Neosho (MO) 1 1Freeman Health Systems - West (MO) 15 16Frontier Forensics (KS) 13 23Geary Community Hospital (KS) 3 4General Leonard Wood Army Hospital (MO) 1 2Girard Medical Center (KS) 2 0Great Bend Regional Hospital (KS) 2 2Great River Medical Center (IA) 1 1Hannibal Regional Hospital (MO) 2 0Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (MO) 1 0Heartland Regional Medical Center (MO) 16 21Hedrick Medical Center (MO) 1 2Hillsboro Community Hospital (KS) 1 0Hospice Compassus - Springfield (MO) 2 3Hutchinson Regional Medical Center (KS) 8 11Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care (MO) 2 4Kansas City Hospice House (MO) 3 3Kansas City VA Medical Center (MO) 2 2Kiowa County Memorial Hospital (KS) 1 2Labette Health (KS) 1 1Lafayette Regional Health Center (MO) 2 4Lake Regional Hospital (MO) 3 4Landmark Hospital of Columbia (MO) 1 2Landmark Hospital of Joplin (MO) 1 2Lawrence Memorial Hospital (KS) 2 4Logan County Coroner (IL) 1 0McPherson Hospital (KS) 1 2Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital (KS) 1 2Memorial Hospital - Abilene (KS) 1 1Memorial Medical Center (IL) 21 18Mercy Health Center - Fort Scott (KS) 3 4Mercy Hospital Independence (KS) 1 2

Hospital Statistics: January 1, 2013 - April 30, 2013Hospital / Hospice Name Donors Transplants

Mercy Hospital Jefferson (MO) 5 6Mercy Hospital Joplin (MO) 5 7Mercy Hospital Lebanon (MO) 1 2Mercy Hospital Springfield (MO) 45 35Mercy Hospital Washington (MO) 5 5Mercy McCune - Brooks (MO) 1 0Mercy Regional Health Center - College Campus (KS) 3 2Midland Hospice House (KS) 1 0Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems (KS) 2 0Moberly Regional Medical Center (MO) 2 2Morton County Hospital (KS) 1 2Nemaha Valley Community Hospital (KS) 2 4Ness County Hospital (KS) 1 2Nevada Regional Medical Center (MO) 1 0Newton Medical Center (KS) 1 2Northeast Regional Medical Center (MO) 2 4Northwest Medical Center (MO) 1 0Norton County Hospital (KS) 1 0Olathe Medical Center (KS) 8 12Ottawa County Hospital (KS) 2 4Ozarks Community Hospital (MO) 2 0Ozarks Medical Center (MO) 2 0Pana Community Hospital (IL) 3 4Paris Community Hospital (IL) 1 1Passavant Area Hospital (IL) 2 3Pershing Memorial Hospital (MO) 2 3Phelps County Regional Medical Center (MO) 2 4Phillips County Hospital (KS) 1 2Pike County Memorial Hospital (MO) 1 1Providence Medical Center (KS) 9 14Ransom Memorial Hospital (KS) 1 1Saint John Hospital (KS) 1 1Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System (IL) 4 6Satanta District Hospital (KS) 1 0Scotland County Hospital (MO) 1 0Sedan City Hospital (KS) 1 0St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital (IL) 5 4St. Catherine Hospital (KS) 2 0St. Francis Hospital - Maryville (MO) 2 4St. Francis Health Center (KS) 8 6St. John's Hospital (IL) 23 24St. Luke Hospital & Living Center (KS) 2 2St. Mary’s Good Samaritan - Centralia (IL) 4 6St. Mary's Health Center - Jefferson City (MO) 4 5Stafford County Hospital (KS) 1 2Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital (MO) 1 2Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital (KS) 2 0Taylorville Memorial Hospital (IL) 1 2University Hospital and Clinics (MO) 18 25University of Kansas Hospital (KS) 25 25University of Kansas Hospital (MO) 1 0Via Christi Health (KS) 4 4Washington County Hospital (KS) 1 2Washington County Memorial Hospital (MO) 2 4Webster County Coroner (MO) 1 0Western Missouri Medical Center (MO) 1 0Western Plains Medical Complex (KS) 4 2Wyandotte County Coroner (KS) 2 2

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Heartland Lions Eye Banks is a division of the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to preserve and restore the sight of people throughout Missouri and around the world. Heartland operates six branches in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois, with headquarters in Columbia, Missouri. Among the top five eye banks in the U.S., Heartland offers high-quality donor cornea tissue to transplant surgeons regionally, nationally and internationally. In addition, Heartland is committed to research for the causes and cures of eye diseases. For additional information, please visit www.hleb.org.

Hutchinson, KSDarin Manlove620-259-7388dmanlove@hleb.org

Kansas City, MOAmy Moss573-268-0145amoss@hleb.org

Partner Relations ContactsHeartland Lions Eye Banks partner relations staff members work to communicate with local hospitals, medical centers and hospices about donation. Listed below is the contact information and service area for each of our Partner Relations Coordinators.

Springfield, MOKharim Strayhorn 417-882-1532kstrayhorn@hleb.org

Springfield, IL Troy Reddick217-679-2987treddick@hleb.org

Nonprofit OrgUS Postage

PAIDSt. Louis MOPermit #4400

During August, the Missouri Lions Eye Research Foundation will celebrate Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month by offering free back-to-school Children’s Vision Screenings at events throughout Missouri.

According to Prevent Blindness America, 12.1 million school kids, or 1 in 4 children, experience vision problems, and 1 in 20 are at risk of losing their eyesight permanently.

Good vision is essential to a great school year. To learn more about kids’ eye health and safety, find a screening in your area, or sign up to volunteer at a screening, visit www.mlerf.org or call 800-283-1982.

Better Vision forBack to School