RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (PRWEB)
May 26, 2020
Sidra Tree Foundation, a charitable organization focused on achieving equity in global eye care, is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the Humanitarian Project and Fellowship Awards. The Project Award supports a non-profit or academic institution that provides ophthalmic care and skills-transfer. The Fellowship Award provides medical mission travel support for a glaucoma fellow dedicated to humanitarian work.
Global Ophthalmology Emory (GO-Emory) is this year’s recipient of the Sidra Tree Foundation Project Award. The $50,000 grant will be used to expand their long-term commitment to provide ophthalmic care to Syrian refugees, the largest group of displaced people in the world. GO-Emory, which was established by Emory Eye Center, is working to enhance subspecialty ophthalmic care and establish a pediatric vision screening program in the Zataari refugee camp. The camp is the largest in Jordan with approximately 80,000 displaced Syrian refugees. GO-Emory’s program is designed to partner with local ophthalmologists to sustain these initiatives and improve Jordanian subspecialty training.
The Sidra Tree Foundation Fellowship Award recipient for 2020 is Erin Sieck, MD, a glaucoma fellow at Washington University. With the $5,000 grant, Dr. Sieck will fund travel for a minimum of one ophthalmic mission and use any remaining funds to obtain training that will enhance future efforts to deliver care to underserved populations. Dr. Sieck has consistently displayed her dedication to expanding access to care, serving as Clinic Director of the Kansas City Free Eye Clinic and the DAWN Free Health Clinic during medical school and residency, respectively. Following completion of her ophthalmology residency at the University of Colorado Sue Anschutz Rodgers Eye Center, Dr. Sieck commenced a glaucoma fellowship at the Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Access to screening and treatment for blinding diseases is scarce in many parts of the world. Thankfully, there is tremendous passion and innovation for change. That is why Sidra Tree Foundation is honored to announce our Project Award and Fellowship Award recipients for 2020, both of whom have consistently demonstrated the requisite resolve and hard work to enhance equity in eye care globally,” said Malik Kahook, MD, Co-Director of Sidra Tree Foundation. “Recipients were selected from an inspiring pool of international submissions, and we thank our selection committee for their incisive work.”
About Sidra Tree Foundation
Sidra Tree Foundation was established by New World Medical, a privately held ophthalmic company dedicated to developing cutting-edge glaucoma medical devices intended to alleviate the suffering of patients globally, to strategically focus its charitable efforts towards achieving equity in global eye care. New World Medical contributes 10% of its profits annually to seed Sidra Tree Foundation, which operates independently. Foundation resources target results-oriented investments that empower eye care professionals and organizations striving to preserve and enhance vision in developing health care systems. Current efforts are focused on several competitive annual awards for trainees, experienced eye care professionals and organizations with like-minded goals to help serve those in need. Sidra Tree Foundation also supports a free glaucoma educational platform, Kahook’s Essentials of Glaucoma Therapy(http://www.keogt.com), that is updated regularly by expert eye care educators around the world. Sidra Tree Foundation strives to direct resources in an efficient and focused manner while evolving and expanding to better support the needs of partners and patients around the globe.
To learn more about Sidra Tree Foundation’s efforts, please visit http://www.sidratreefoundation.com.
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