Newsletter WAEH | May 2026

Join the WAEH 20th Annual Meeting!

🎉Our 20th Annual Meeting is coming up, and this year we are celebrating our Jubileum Year!

This year the meeting will be in São Paulo (Brazil) from 9 – 13 November to share best practices in eye hospitals worldwide. There will also be facultative visits to Londrina (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile) from 14 – 16 November.

Hosts of the meeting

• Instituto Suel Abujamra, São Paulo, Brazil
• Hoftalon Eye Hospital, Londrina, Brazil
• Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur, Santiago, Chile

Itinerary

Register now!

Registration for our 20th Annual Meeting is open for members & non-members.
Registration deadline: 31 August 2026

Hotels

We have listed several recommended hotels for your stay in São Paulo, Londrina and Santiago on our website. Please book as soon as possible, as there is limited availability!

Posters

We invite you to submit a poster for the upcoming annual meeting of the WAEH! You can submit posters about for example new developments or innovative projects of the last year, plans for 2027, or an overview of your eye hospital. For more information about submission and potential topics, check out our website!

Previsit: explore the Amazon!

Explore the Amazon before the 20th Annual Meeting begins by joining a special pre-meeting trip organized by our host, Instituto Suel Abujamra!

This excursion offers participants the opportunity to experience the unique nature and culture of the Amazon region ahead of the official program. More information about the itinerary and registration can be found below.

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Maaike’s visit to Brazil and Chile

In April, Maaike van Zuilen, Global Lead of the WAEH, traveled to Brazil and Chile in preparation for the Annual Meeting. She explains:

“Returning home from Brazil and Chile, I am filled with inspiration after visiting the incredible teams at Suel Abujamra in São Paulo, as well as Clínica Pasteur and CLDO Fortaleza. Seeing firsthand how they combine innovation, high-quality eye care and, in some cases, free access for patients, while creating inspiring workplaces and strong, dedicated teams, was truly impressive. The warm hospitality and the passion of everyone I met made this visit unforgettable. I am more convinced than ever that our 20th Annual WAEH Meeting will be a unique opportunity for all of us to discover different models of eye care and to learn from these outstanding organizations together.”

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WAEH Community of Practice –
Finances | 25 June 2026

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).

Mee Chee (Macy) Thong will start off the Community of Practice with a presentation about the financial organization of the Singapore National Eye Centre. Subsequently, Jessica Dollé, Chief Financial Officer of the Hôpital national des 15-20 (France), and Urs Winkler, Chief Financial Officer at the Fondation Asile des aveugles – the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Switzerland), will join her to discuss value-based care transformation: the transition from volume-driven healthcare delivery to outcome-driven healthcare that improves patient health, experience, and cost efficiency.

Moreover, Mireille Wolleswinkel, CEO, and Els Steijger, Head of Marketing and Health Care Procurement at the The Rotterdam Eye Hospital (the Netherlands), will discuss that they have commissioned a cost-benefit analysis for their hospital.

🗓️ Thursday, June 25, 2026

🕐 01:00 PM CEST

💻 Online (Zoom)

Are you interested in participating in this Community of Practice? Register now!👇🏼

After registration you’ll receive an e-mail with the link to join the meeting on Thursday, June 25.

Please note that this session is only open to staff working at WAEH member eye hospitals. Not a member yet? Join the global WAEH community via our website.

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WAEH Community of Practice –
Fundraising | 2 July 2026

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, Head of Philantropy and Donor Relations at Fondation Asile des aveugles – the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Switzerland).

The meeting will feature a presentation by Kally Ooi, Director, Development & Community Engagement at the Singapore National Eye Centre (Singapore). Her presentation will offer an overview of SNEC’s fundraising approach, anchored by VisionSave – a unifying platform connecting people, purpose and philanthropy to advance sight-saving care.

• 🗓️ Thursday, July 2, 2026
• 🕐 01:00 PM CEST
• 💻 Online (Zoom)

Are you interested in participating in this Community of Practice? Register now!👇🏼

After registration you’ll receive an e-mail with the link to join the meeting on Thursday, July 2.

Please note that this session is only open to staff working at WAEH member eye hospitals. Not a member yet? Join the global WAEH community via our website.

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WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation | 28 May 2026

On Thursday 28 May 2026, the WAEH held its first Community of Practice on Innovation, led by Nathalie Popken, Manager Research & Innovation at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (the Netherlands) and Joy Adesanya, Assistant Divisional Manager at the Moorfields Eye Hospital (United Kingdom). The session brought together ophthalmic nurses and allied health professionals from Australia, Brazil, Chili, France, the United Kingdom, India, Ireland, Rwanda, the United States of America, the Netherlands and beyond.

Maaike van Zuilen, global lead of the WAEH, gave a warm welcome to everyone joining this first meeting of the CoP on Innovation. Nathalie Popken then continued by outlining the distinction between research and innovation in healthcare, emphasizing that innovation often focuses on practical solutions that can be implemented more rapidly in clinical settings. She also introduced the Rotterdam Eye Hospital’s upcoming “Eye Innovators Lab,” which aims to involve blind and visually impaired patients in testing new technologies designed to improve accessibility and workforce participation.

Joy Adesanya presented Project Hercules, an operational innovation initiative developed at Moorfields Eye Hospital following the COVID-19 pandemic. The project transformed a vacant retail space in Brent Cross shopping centre into a diagnostic hub for glaucoma and medical retina patients, aimed at increasing patient capacity and reducing waiting times. Using iterative clinic redesigns and patient-flow tracking technology, the project identified more efficient models of care delivery and has since evolved into a permanent service model supporting multiple ophthalmic subspecialties.

Alan Kastner, Ophthalmologist Glaucoma Surgeon and Research Director from the Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur from Santiago (Chile), presented an update on the WAEH Project ‘Anaesthetic modalities, cost and patient-reported intraoperative pain in ophthalmic surgery’. The project investigates how different anesthetic modalities in cataract surgery affect patient pain perception and complication rates. This multicenter study includes already several hospitals within the WAEH network, including the Aravind Eye Care System (India), the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (the Netherlands), Hoftalon Eye Hospital (Brazil) and Moorfields Eye Hospital (United Kingdom). Alan stressed that the study is designed to be simple and minimally disruptive to clinical workflows, and he encourages WAEH members to join this research project, as a large amount of data will be extremely valuable to draw conclusions about which anesthetic modality in cataract surgery has the best outcomes. Indeed, several of the participants, including the University Eye Center Maastricht (the Netherlands) and theThe Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Ireland), indicated great interest to join the study, and more are always welcome!

The meeting concluded with a brainstorming session led by Nathalie Popken and Joy Adesanya on future collaboration within the Community of Practice. Participants discussed sharing pilot projects, operational innovations, and implementation experiences, while also highlighting common challenges such as limited staff capacity and funding. Artificial intelligence emerged as an important future topic, particularly regarding implementation, governance, and digital infrastructure. Together with Frank van den Biggelaar (University Eye Center Maastricht, the Netherlands), Nathalie will send a survey to the global network to assess the current state of innovation progress and capacity. Overall, the launch of the Community of Practice demonstrated strong international interest in creating a collaborative platform for ophthalmic research and innovation.

Read the full report and watch the full recording on the Knowledge Hub website (for members only)👇🏼

Are you a member but do not have a login code for the Knowledge Hub? Send an email to  by clicking the button below! 👇🏼

The Community of Practice for Innovation will come together online again on site during the 20th WAEH Annual Meeting from 9 – 13 November 2026 in São Paulo (Brazil), and on 17 December 2026.

Source: LVPEI

Countdown to opening begins as NHS takes keys for new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital

News from our full member South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Leaders at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust today took their first steps inside the region’s new specialist eye hospital as construction partner Kier officially handed over the keys.

Set to open later this summer, NHS leaders have also confirmed the new name as ‘Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital’, reflecting the proud history of eye care in Sunderland and the city’s reputation as a leading specialist eye centre.

With the build completed on schedule in just over two years, the NHS will now enter a mobilisation phase and start making final preparations, over the coming weeks, to get the building ready to welcome patients later in the summer.

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Source: LVPEI

LVPEI Monthly Note: Therapy Dogs | May 2026

News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute

This past Wednesday, something unusual happened at our Kallam Anji Reddy campus in Hyderabad. The campus’ pediatric cancer ward has over 10 beds and every bed was occupied by a child receiving chemotherapy for their eye cancer. All the kids were under 5, some mere infants, and their parents sat by them. The room was heavy with anxiety.

Four mini poodles–Espresso, Choco, Milo, and Peach–were led into the ward by their handler, and a couple of therapists and volunteers.

Almost instantly, there was a palpable shift in the mood. A look of wonder and joy lit up on the kids’ faces. The therapists gently guided the poodles from one child to another, encouraging the children to rub a poodle’s back. Tiny hands reached out hesitantly at first, and then with more confidence. Soon the room was filled with the kids’ toothy grins and delightful chatter. A nurse began to insert a fresh bottle of IV fluids into a child’s hand, while the poodle held his attention. For a few precious moments, fear gave way to wonder…

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Source: Wilmer Eye Institute

Wilmer in Focus Newsletter | May 2026

News from our full member Wilmer Eye Institute Johns Hopkins Medicine

Read the most recent issue of the Wilmer in Focus newsletter with the latest news, staff updates, awards and honors, and upcoming events! This issue features inspiring stories, including:

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Vision Lost, Hockey Found

John O’Connell was sitting in the office of Robert Chun, O.D., then a low-vision specialist at the Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation Center at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, when he saw a photo of the United States Blind Hockey Team. Hockey was the sport O’Connell had played starting at age 6 and through his time in the military in his 20s, but he stopped playing when he became a pilot because he was concerned about getting an eye injury that could end his career.

It had been many years since O’Connell laced up his skates and played competitively, but ironically, it was an eye disease that led him back to the ice…

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Read the full story and newsletter below!👇

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Source: Kabgayi Eye Unit

Phacoemulsification Training in Rwanda: How an intensive phacoemulsification training program helped develop advanced ophthalmic procedures in the country.

News from our associate member Kabgayi Eye Unit

The idea of running an intensive phacoemulsification training program in Rwanda began with a simple email exchange. Olivia Earley reached out to ask if there was any way she could support the work in Rwanda. The conversation quickly turned to a practical question: could she come and help train two Rwandan ophthalmologists in phacoemulsification, who were recently graduated from the residency programme. They had established microsurgical skills, including manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS).

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Photo: Gauti Jóhannesson and Sten Kjellström. Picture by Karin Dahlström/St. Erik Eye Hospital

New clinical center for vision research launched in Stockholm

News from our full member St. Erik Eye Hospital

Sweden’s first clinical research center dedicated to ophthalmology has been established at St. Erik Eye Hospital in the Stockholm Region, in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet.

The center combines specialist expertise, advanced imaging, and modern infrastructure, with access to large and diverse patient populations, enabling efficient and high-quality clinical studies.

“With this center, we are taking an important step forward for patients with eye diseases. It enables early access to new treatments while strengthening Sweden’s role in advancing future eye care,” says Sten Kjellström, Hospital Director, St. Erik Eye Hospital.

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2026

June
─

Thursday, 11 June | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org

Thursday, 11 June
Wilmer Eye Institute Grand Rounds: Neuro-Ophthalmology

Friday, 12 June
Workshop by Moorfields Education: DALK wet lab

Thursday, 18 June
Wilmer Eye Institute Grand Rounds: Koplowitz Lecture

22-24 June
Workshop by Moorfields Education: New to Ophthalmology

Thursday, 25 June | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Finances

Saturday, 27 June
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Retinal laser course

July
─

Wednesday, 1 July
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Nd:YAG laser for posterior capsulotomy training for nurses and ophthalmic health care professionals

1-17 July
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Community Outreach and Social Marketing of Eye Care Services

Thursday, 2 July | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Fundraising

2-4 July
Workshop by Moorfields Education: 60th Ophthalmic Oncology Group (OOG) Meeting

Tuesday, 7 July
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Dilemmas in periocular and orbital tumour management

Friday, 10 July
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Non-medical intravitreal injection course

14-15 July
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Vitreoretinal wet-lab simulation course

21-24 July
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Eyexcel – Excellence in Eye Care Training

24-26 July
SNEC 35th Anniversary International Meeting | Singapore

July 29 – August 4
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Ophthalmology Summer School

August
─

July 29 – August 4
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Ophthalmology Summer School

Thursday, 27 August | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – FAIR images in Ophthalmology

September
─

September 1, and onwards
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Clinical electrophysiology of vision 2026

Friday, 4 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Joint ocular oncology and vitreo retinal symposium for nurses and ophthalmic health care professionals

Wednesday, 9 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Nd:YAG laser for posterior capsulotomy training for nurses and ophthalmic health care professionals

Friday, 11 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Lacrimal assessment for nursing & allied professionals study day

Saturday, 12 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Basic slit lamp and Goldmann Tonometry study day

14-16 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: New to Ophthalmology

Saturday, 19 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Biometry study day

Thursday, 24 September | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Human Resources

October
─

Thursday, 8 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org

Thursday, 29 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel

November
─

9-16 November
20th Annual WAEH Meeting in Brazil
Please check out the event website and register yourself.

All CoP’s have their meeting during the Annual Meeting.

Tuesday, 10 November
WAEH Board Meeting – in person meeting in Brazil
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org

December
─

Thursday, 3 December | 13.00 PM CET
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org

Thursday, 17 December | 13.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation

2027

January
─

21-28 January
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Management Priorities in Eye Care Delivery for Heads of Eye Hospitals

Thursday, 28 January | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Finances

February
─

17 February – 2 March
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Management Training for Eye Care Programme Managers

March
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17 February – 2 March
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Management Training for Eye Care Programme Managers

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Questions? Share news?

Do you have a special request? Would you like to organize a webinar or share news? Would you like to be (digitally) connected to a certain person in one of our member eye hospitals? Please feel very welcome to share your questions via the new Community Tool or contact Maaike van Zuilen: Maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org