SEE International

Surgical Eye Expeditions International, or  SEE International, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization based in Santa Barbara, California. Founded in 1974 by Dr. Harry S. Brown, SEE connects over 700 volunteer ophthalmologists and other allied health professionals with host clinic sites around the world. Its objective is to provide quality eye care and sight-restoring surgeries in communities that are overwhelmed with large populations of individuals who cannot afford, or do not have access to, this form of medical care. Since 1974, SEE has screened over 4 million individuals and completed over 500,000 surgeries in over 85 countries. SEE’s programs focus on preventing blindness by treating an array of eye diseases and vision impairments. Since 2006, SEE has facilitated courses to train ophthalmologists in the Manual Small Incision Cataracts Surgery (MSICS) technique.[1]

SEE International
FoundedAugust 26, 1974
Typenon-profit, non-governmental organization
FocusEliminating Preventable Blindness
Location
Area served
International and Local
Key people
Harry S. Brown
Websitewww.seeintl.org

SEE’s funding comes from individual donors, corporate donors, and foundation grants. In the United States, it is classified by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity.[2] It is also a GuideStar Platinum Participant.[3]

Programs

International
SEE Patient in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. January 2019.

SEE coordinates short-term medical expeditions all over the world at the request of ophthalmologists in host countries where access to vision care is scarce. SEE’s volunteer ophthalmologists work with the host eye surgeons.[4] In 2018, SEE performed over 38,000 surgeries in 40 countries.[5]

U.S.

SEE partners with various U.S. clinics that offer comprehensive eye exams, including A Promise to Peru, Artists for World Peace, California CareForce, Vision Health International, and VOSH International. SEE’s surgical partners include the Alicia Surgery Center and Harvard Eye Associates.[6]

Santa Barbara Vision Care

Established in the 1980s, SEE’s Santa Barbara Vision Care (SBVC) provides free eye care at clinics held two or three days per week. Per day, each clinic serves 10-15 uninsured individuals, providing glasses, surgeries, eye exams, and treatments. In 2012, SBVC provided care to 1,247 patients; in 2017, it provided care to more than 2,500. SBVC has clinics in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Oxnard, and Santa Maria, CA.[7]

SBVC runs several campaigns such as Children’s Sight Week and Veterans Week throughout the year that target specific demographics. In August 2019, SEE held its third annual Children’s Sight Week, providing 1,832 eye screenings and 54 comprehensive eye exams to local children.[8]

Notable Volunteers

Awards and recognition

In the December 10, 2001 issue of Forbes, SEE International was cited in the Charity Investment Guide for its 99% efficiency as a charity, meaning that financially almost nothing is lost to overhead.[9]

On June 22, 2015, the United Nations General Assembly announced that SEE affiliate Dr. Helena Ndume was selected to receive the first-ever United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. According to General Assembly President Sam Kutesa:[10]

The prize recognizes the achievements of those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity by promoting UN purposes and principles while honouring Nelson Mandela's extraordinary life and legacy of reconciliation, political transition and social transformation.

In 2016, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) recognized SEE volunteer Dr. Janak M. Shah, M.D., as an Eye Health Hero. Dr. Shah has collaborated with SEE on over 140 ophthalmic expeditions worldwide, the most out of any SEE surgeon to date. The purpose of the Eye Health Heroes program is "to celebrate eye care practitioners and front line staff whose everyday efforts behind the scenes are making a real difference towards Universal Eye Health." Dr. Shah and other Eye Health Heroes will be recognized at the 10th General Assembly of the IAPB, in Durban, South Africa, October 27–30, 2016.[11]

Global Partners

Below is a list of corporate and foundation partners that provide SEE with funding, in-kind donations, and volunteers.[12]

Foundations:

  • The Alcon Foundation
  • Allergan Foundation[13]
  • American Friends of Jamaica[14]
  • Anait Foundation
  • Errett Fisher Foundation
  • Latkin Charitable Foundation
  • Henry E. Niles Foundation[15]
  • Hutton Parker Foundation[16]
  • The Juliet Rosenthal Foundation
  • The Lehrer Family Foundation
  • The Levenson Family Charitable Fund
  • MKM Foundation
  • New Horizons Foundation, Inc.[17]
  • Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North Charitable Foundation[18]
  • The Sondheimer Family Charitable Foundation
  • St. Francis Foundation[19]
  • Towbes Foundation
  • Turpin Family Charitable Foundation
  • Ventura County Community Foundation[20]

Corporations:

  • Alcon Laboratories, Inc.
  • Cencal Health[21]
  • Impulse Advanced Communications[22]
  • Mission Wealth[23]
  • Montecito Bank & Trust[24]
  • MUFG Union Bank
  • Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center[25]
  • Sight Supply[26]
  • Waveborn, Inc.[27]
  • Yardi Systems Inc.[28]

Corporate In-kind Donors:

gollark: I'm sure eventually you'll be able to get lab-grown basically-equivalent beef, thanks to the power of technological advancement™.
gollark: I assume lab-grown meat will probably improve eventually™.
gollark: The "death to animals for the satiation of my hunger" thing, that is.
gollark: I can't even tell if you mean that ironically or not.
gollark: I'd just like to preemptively say that moving things between channels is doomed to failure.

References
  1. Manual Small Incision Cataracts Surgery (MSICS)
  2. About SEE International
  3. SEE International GuideStar Profile
  4. International Programs
  5. 2018 Annual Report
  6. US Programs
  7. SBVC
  8. Noozhawk: SBVC
  9. "Clarity Of Vision"
  10. "General Assembly awards first-ever UN Nelson Mandela Prize to nationals of Namibia and Portugal"
  11. IAPB - Eye Health Heroes
  12. Corporate & Foundation Supporters
  13. Allergan Foundation
  14. American Friends of Jamaica
  15. Henry E. Niles Foundation
  16. Hutton Parker Foundation
  17. New Horizons Foundation, Inc.
  18. Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North Charitable Foundation
  19. St. Francis Foundation
  20. VCCF
  21. Cencal Health
  22. Impulse Advanced Communications
  23. Mission Wealth
  24. Monetcito Bank & Trust
  25. SBHIC
  26. Sight Supply
  27. Waveborn
  28. Yardi
  29. Advanced Vision Science
  30. Bausch & Lomb
  31. Blue Planet Eyewear
  32. Bio-tissue
  33. Charmant
  34. Cottage Health Systems
  35. Glaukos
  36. Goodr
  37. Geisinger
  38. IRIDEX
  39. Leiters
  40. Lenstec
  41. Medline Industries
  42. MicroSurgical Technology
  43. New World Medical
  44. Ocular Instruments
  45. Omeros
  46. Power Vision
  47. PentaVision
  48. Reliance Medical Products
  49. Shepard Eye Center
  50. Tecfen Medical
  51. USIOL
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