A Message Regarding COVID-19

 

Southern Eye Bank has served south Louisiana for over 70 years and in this challenging time, let us all reflect that our communities have always worked together to support each other. Whether hurricanes, floods, disease, or grief, together we can and do accomplish miracles.

• Last year 686 families said yes to eye donation.
• They shared the gift of sight with 974 recipients and
• 326 donations were made to research.

To keep our families, recipients and communities safe:

Southern Eye Bank continues to monitor and adhere to both the federal and local government suggested preventative actions that include suspending all travel to work related conferences, providing remote work options when possible this would include or referral coordinators, recovery, processing and distribution staff. Our focus is to continue to honor donor’s wishes and protect the recipient as we navigate through this time.

Southern Eye Bank continues to follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) standard safety precautions to protect both the technicians and the tissue that is recovered and processed for the recipient. Our referral coordinators continue to be vigilant in screening for diagnosed or possible COVID-19 in accordance with expanding federal guidelines and the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA). We have refined our donor criteria to help with both the screening process and limiting the amount of tissue we recover.

We anticipate this refinement will not disrupt our quality of services we provide but do recognize that some of our services may be limited during this time. The administrative team and I will continue to monitor state and federal guidance, meet with our medical directors and adjust our operations accordingly as COVID-19 develops.

We have asked all staff to continue to be conscious of the areas they can control which would be performing hand washing on a regular basis, cover their cough and practice social distancing. Staff has been made aware that if they begin to show any signs or symptoms to self-isolate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We have asked non-essential staff to work from home and for those that are needed to come into the eye bank that they limit their time and interaction with others.

Thank you,

Kyle Mavin, BS, CEBT
Interim Executive Director
Southern Eye Bank