As part of the WAEH, members have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience during Community of Practice (CoP) meetings. These meetings allow members to share their expertise, exchange personal experiences, and offer valuable resources, fostering a supportive environment for continuous growth in our roles. Currently we have six running CoPs, focused on Fundraising, Finances, FAIR images in Ophthalmology, Human Resources, Nurses and Allied Health Staff and Innovation.
Please note that your eye hospital must be a member of the WAEH to join these meetings.
Community of Practice – Fundraising
Would you like to know more about fundraising in eye hospitals worldwide? Please join the CoP – Fundraising, which will bring together fundraising professionals worldwide to exchange experiences, share best practices, and explore strategies to strengthen sustainable fundraising in eye care.
The CoP is led by Juliette Fahlenbrach, Fundraising professional at Fondation Asile des aveugles – the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Lausanne, Switzerland).
Want to join? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 22 January 2026, 01.00 PM CET
- Thursday 2 July 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
Juliette Fahlenbrach
Community of Practice – FAIR Images in Ophthalmology
FAIR data stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These are principles for managing, storing, and publishing research data in such a way that both humans and computers can easily find, understand, and reuse them, making scientific research more efficient and reliable. This CoP will discuss how the FAIR principles can be implemented in ophthalmic care.
This group is led by Dr. Ciara Bergin, Chief Data Officer at the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Lausanne, Switzerland).
Interested? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 26 February 2026, 01.00 PM CET
- Thursday 27 August 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
Ciara Bergin
Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
The Community of Practice – Nurses is for all nurses and allied health staff working in eye hospitals worldwide. Topics like task differentiation, pain medication and ophthalmic training for nurses worldwide are discussed.
This group is led by Tendai Gwenhure, Senior Clinical Educator from Moorfields Eye Hospital (London, United Kingdom) and Diana Malata, Advanced Nurse from Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin, Ireland).
Interested? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 30 April 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- Thursday 29 October 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
Tendai Gwenhure
Diana Malata
Community of Practice – Finances
The Community of Practice – Finances focuses on the key elements of achieving and maintaining financial health in eye care facilities. Experts will discuss best practices ranging from day-to-day financial management to long-term strategic planning.
This group is led by Mee Chee (Macy) Thong, Chief Financial Officer at Singapore National Eye Centre (Singapore).
Want to join? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 25 June 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
- Thursday 28 January 2027, 01.00 PM CET
Mee Chee (Macy) Thong
Community of Practice – Human Resources
The Human Resources Community of practice meets to discuss topics such as Handholding – From Volunteer to Career, Employment model(s) in ophthalmology, Task differentiation and Burn out prevention. The group will share best practices and learn from each other.
This group is led by Jos Hubers, HR manager from The Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and Sue Steen, Chief People Officer at the Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (London, United Kingdom).
Want to join? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 26 March 2026, 01.00 PM CET
- Thursday 24 September 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
Jos Hubers
Sue Steen
Community of Practice – Innovation
The Community of Practice – Innovation will bring together healthcare professionals and researchers to highlight new innovations in ophthalmology. By sharing advancements in the field, for example on the topics of diagnosis or treatment, this CoP aims to improve patient care worldwide.
This CoP is led by Nathalie Popken, Manager Innovation & Research at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and Dr. Deepak Edward, Ophthalmologist at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital & Research Center (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).
Want to join? Register here!
Meetings of 2026:
- Thursday 28 May 2026, 01.00 PM CEST
- During the Annual Meeting in Brasil, 9-13 November 2026
- Thursday 17 December 2026, 01.00 PM CET
Nathalie Popken
