HelpMeSee announces Dr. Bonnie An Henderson as president and CEO

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HelpMeSee, the global mission to end cataract blindness by vastly expanding access to high quality, affordable treatment, has elected Dr. Bonnie An Henderson as its President and CEO effective immediately.

Dr. Henderson is an internationally recognized expert in cataract and refractive surgery, with a distinguished career that includes past presidency of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. She has also been a clinical professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed her ophthalmology residency at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary after graduating with high honors from Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Medical School. She serves as the associate editor of the Journal of Refractive Surgery and is a valued member of the editorial board of Ophthalmology. Her extensive publication record includes numerous publications, 5 textbooks, and over 300 invited lectures worldwide. She has also played a crucial role in empowering women leaders in medicine by creating the EnVision Summit, an international ophthalmology meeting.

Dr. Henderson's research endeavors have been instrumental in advancing cataract surgery outcomes and innovative teaching methods. Notably, she developed a cognitive simulation program for teaching cataract surgery, supported by a Department of Defense TATRC grant. All royalties from her textbooks and instruments are generously donated to charity.

Dr. Bonnie An Henderson said, "My entire professional career as a cataract surgeon and educator has led me to HelpMeSee. I am honored to be selected to lead this humanitarian mission."   

Jim Ueltschi, founder, and chairman of the board of directors at HelpMeSee stated that "We are delighted and flattered that Bonnie is our CEO and President. She has succeeded in everything she has attempted. We are all excited that she will be dedicating her many talents and limitless energy to vastly increasing our cataract training footprint around the world. She brings an unparalleled wealth of experience in cataract surgery, simulation-based training, and a proven track record of innovation and strategic leadership.   She will accelerate further development of our simulator-based training systems and will tirelessly work to restore sight for millions of individuals suffering from blindness and visual impairment due to cataract."

HelpMeSee is excited to continue its mission under Dr. Henderson's leadership, and her permanent appointment reflects the organization's commitment to combating cataract blindness and making life-changing eye care accessible to all.

ABOUT HELPMESEE
In a world where 100 million people are blind or visually impaired due to cataract, HelpMeSee, a not-for-profit under IRS 501(c)(3), is the global mission to eradicate cataract blindness by massively increasing the training of Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS). This quick (as little as five minutes), sutureless procedure is high quality and very low cost. The HelpMeSee MSICS training system features very high-fidelity, virtual reality simulation with precise haptic feedback, sophisticated courseware, trained instructors, learning management systems and e-book. 

HelpMeSee was founded by Al and Jim Ueltschi, who imagined building the MSICS training system by incorporating many of the methods and techniques used so successfully in commercial pilot training. As co-founder of Orbis International and founder of FlightSafety International, Al Ueltschi was an icon in the aviation industry and was devoted to treating preventable blindness in the developing world. HelpMeSee trains cataract specialists to ensure that all communities have access to highly trained MSICS specialists. With more than 40 simulators and 11 training centers worldwide, HelpMeSee partners with governments, hospitals, universities and innovators to fight the global cataract blindness crisis. For more information, visit http://www.helpmesee.org. 

CONTACT: Kelly Denny, [email protected] 

SOURCE HelpMeSee