MD-10

11 MoonSwatch Suitcases Are Sold at Sotheby's, Raising Over $600K for Orbis

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 27, 2024

This generous gift from OMEGA will contribute to Orbis's mission to build strong and sustainable eye care systems.

Key Points: 
  • This generous gift from OMEGA will contribute to Orbis's mission to build strong and sustainable eye care systems.
  • "I am incredibly grateful to OMEGA and their continued support of Orbis," said Derek Hodkey, President and CEO of Orbis International.
  • I even had the privilege to view one of the beautiful suitcases on display at the OMEGA store in New York City.
  • Orbis thanks OMEGA and everyone who took part in the auction and appreciates the great interest shown in the support of Orbis.

Orbis and FedEx Team Up to Train Eye Care Professionals in Vietnam

Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 8, 2023

NEW YORK, May 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, May 8th, Orbis International, with generous support from FedEx, will launch its first surgical program since 2020 on board the Flying Eye Hospital – a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane. For three weeks, Orbis's clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) will provide in-person, hands-on training to 52 eye care professionals, including ophthalmologists, nurses, biomedical engineers, and anesthesiologists, from the Can Tho region, building their skills to treat the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in their own communities.

Key Points: 
  • In addition to hosting now 12 Flying Eye Hospital projects, Orbis Vietnam has helped establish screening and treatment centers for retinopathy of prematurity and other pediatric eye care, hospitals, vision centers, a wet lab, and an eye bank.
  • In addition, the Orbis Vietnam team has contributed to developing national-level eye care policies, guidelines, and protocols, as well as collaborated with neonatal intensive care units to improve eye care for babies born prematurely.
  • The eye care community in Vietnam has fully embraced Cybersight and has accessed more virtual courses than any other country.
  • Orbis Vietnam continues to improve access to eye care across the country and will continue to focus on expanding quality pediatric eye care services, strengthening human resources for eye health and increasing the availability of community-led primary eye care services.

Orbis Announces Five-Year Partnership Renewal with OMEGA

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 19, 2022

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, eye care nonprofit Orbis International announced its renewed partnership with the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA, which will provide the organization with $2.5M over the next five years. The generous support will bolster Orbis's work to train eye care teams in areas with the greatest need so they can provide quality care to patients.

Key Points: 
  • OMEGA has been a proud supporter of Orbis since 2011, when it became a Global Corporate Partner.
  • Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA said, "It's an honour to extend our partnership with this life-changing organisation.
  • For more than a decade, OMEGA has been witnessing the incredible work of Orbis, who embrace our own values of innovation, pioneering spirit, and meaningful change.
  • OMEGA also works in cooperation with its brand ambassadors – including Daniel Craig, Cindy Crawford, and others – to increase awareness of Orbis and its mission.

Orbis Becomes Part of Aviation History at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 13, 2022

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Sight Day, eye care nonprofit Orbis International is pleased to announce the inclusion of artifacts from the second-generation Orbis Flying Eye Hospital DC-10 aircraft in a new permanent exhibition opening on Friday, October 14, 2022, at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. An example of humanitarian flight that combines innovations in medicine and aviation, Orbis will be featured in the new "Thomas W. Haas We All Fly" exhibition, which celebrates the breadth and depth of general aviation and its deep impact on society.   

Key Points: 
  • The simulator was used to train eye care professionals on cataract surgery, the leading cause of blindness in the world.
  • We are grateful to the National Air and Space Museum for shining this important spotlight on our work."
  • "The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is a wonderful example of the use of general aviation for humanitarian purposes, something we wanted to highlight in the"Thomas W Haas We All Fly"gallery," said Dorothy Cochrane, National Air and Space Museum curator.
  • In 2022, Orbis earned "accredited charity" status from the Better Business Bureau by meeting all 20 of their standards for charity accountability.

Orbis and UC Davis Team Up to Train Eye Care Teams from Latin America to Fight Avoidable Blindness

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 10, 2022

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In the leadup to World Sight Day, global eye care nonprofit Orbis International and UC Davis Health announce the launch today of a two-week training project on board the Flying Eye Hospital – a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane. Orbis's clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) along with UC Davis Medical Health physicians and staff will share their knowledge with nearly 50 ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents, nurses, and biomedical engineers from Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, helping them build skills to fight avoidable blindness in their communities.

Key Points: 
  • "Orbis has a long history of training eye care professionals in Latin America.
  • "At UC Davis Health, we are committed to health equity and successful outcomes for patients everywhere," said Dr. David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health.
  • The people Orbis trains go on to provide sight-saving care in their communities and, in many cases, go on to train eye care professionals themselves.
  • Our more than 24,000 associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with Eye Care Professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care.

Orbis and Alcon to Kick Off Two-Week Training for Caribbean Eye Care Teams to Help Fight Avoidable Blindness in Local Communities

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 4, 2022

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, August 8, Orbis International, with generous support from Alcon, the global leader in eye care, will kick off its first in-person training project on board the Flying Eye Hospital – a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board a plane – since the pandemic began. Over a two-week period, Orbis's clinical staff and Volunteer Faculty (medical experts) along with Alcon bioengineers and trainers will share their knowledge with nearly 50 ophthalmologists, ophthalmology residents, nurses and biomedical engineers from several countries throughout the Caribbean,1 helping them build skills to fight avoidable blindness in their communities.

Key Points: 
  • Simulation training allows the visiting eye care teams to grow their confidence in a training environment before moving on to real-life surgical procedures.
  • Since 1982, three generations of the Flying Eye Hospital have taken training to eye care teams in over 95 countries around the world.
  • In 2020, Orbis reimagined in-person Flying Eye Hospital trainings as virtual ones to ensure that eye care teams could still access critical training safely during the pandemic.
  • Our more than 24,000 associates are enhancing the quality of life through innovative products, partnerships with Eye Care Professionals and programs that advance access to quality eye care.

New Study Finds Children with Vision Impairment More Likely to Suffer from Depression and Anxiety

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 20, 2022

In addition, findings indicated that surgery to correct strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.

Key Points: 
  • In addition, findings indicated that surgery to correct strabismus (misalignment of the eyes) significantly improved symptoms of depression and anxiety in children.
  • The study, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Ophthalmology, builds our understanding of the link between vision impairment, strabismus and children's mental health.
  • The new study builds our understanding of the link between vision impairment, strabismus, and children's mental health.
  • Globally, an estimated 19 million children below the age of 14 years have vision impairment or are blind.

First-of-its-Kind Study Finds Artificial Intelligence Screenings Improve Eye Care Access in Sub-Saharan Africa

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 6, 2022

NEW YORK, June 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbis announces new research findings demonstrating that diabetic retinopathy screenings supported by artificial intelligence (AI) enhanced patients' speed and uptake of referral services in Rwanda, which can help reduce vision loss due to diabetes in the region. The study is the first globally that explores the use of AI for diabetic retinopathy and referral uptake and also includes results that are broadly applicable across other settings for AI-supported diabetic retinopathy screenings. The study is published in a special issue of Ophthalmology Science on big data and artificial intelligence in ophthalmic research.

Key Points: 
  • The study is published in a special issue of Ophthalmology Science on big data and artificial intelligence in ophthalmic research.
  • The study looked at whether the use of Orbis's Cybersight AI tool to detect diabetic retinopathy in images taken of the eye during routine screenings would lead to patients' increased uptake of diabetic retinopathy referral services.
  • The screenings were conducted in partnership with the Rwandan International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO) at four diabetes clinics in and around Kigali, Rwanda, in 2021.
  • Cybersight, Orbis's award-winning telemedicine platform, gives eye care professionals in areas with the greatest need free virtual access to training and other resources to better help their patients.

Orbis International Launches Virtual Flying Eye Hospital Program in Ethiopia

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 10, 2022

NEW YORK, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Eye care nonprofit Orbis announces the launch of a new virtual Flying Eye Hospital program that will provide tailored training to eye care professionals in Ethiopia on treating glaucoma and cataract, leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in the country. With a population of roughly 120 million, Ethiopia is in desperate need of more qualified eye care professionals. However, only a handful of academic institutions offer training opportunities for a small number of ophthalmology residents each year. The lack of eye health specialists has translated to challenges in providing equitable eye care services in the country, including effective treatments to reduce visual impairment caused by glaucoma and cataract.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Eye care nonprofit Orbis announces the launch of a new virtual Flying Eye Hospital program that will provide tailored training to eye care professionals in Ethiopia on treating glaucoma and cataract, leading causes of blindness and visual impairment in the country.
  • Two courses will be offered during the ten-week virtual Flying Eye Hospital program.
  • In 2020, Orbis reimagined in-person Flying Eye Hospital trainings as virtual ones to ensure that eye care teams could still access critical training safely during the pandemic.
  • Orbis reached nine countries in 2020 and 34 countries in 2021 through virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects.

New Virtual Training Takes on Vision Loss Due to Glaucoma

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, May 3, 2022

NEW YORK, May 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbis International, with generous support from FedEx, launched a new virtual Flying Eye Hospital project that will train eye care professionals across Vietnam on ways to prevent the worsening of vision loss due to glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. The number of glaucoma cases in Vietnam is increasing, especially among the younger population, as the country continues to face shortages of skilled eye care professionals and limited access to quality eye care, particularly in rural areas.  

Key Points: 
  • Glaucoma is the result of damage to the nerve connecting the eye to the brain caused by pressure from fluid buildup in the eye.
  • In 2020, Orbis reimagined in-person Flying Eye Hospital trainings as virtual ones to ensure that eye care teams could still access critical training safely during the pandemic.
  • Orbis reached nine countries in 2020 and 34 countries in 2021 through virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects.
  • FedEx has played an indispensable role in helping Orbis achieve its mission by providing aircraft parts, maintenance and pilot training.