John A. Moran Eye Center physicians will restore vision to 12 Utahns in need on Saturday, October 24, by performing free cataract surgery during Moran’s Operation Sight Day.
Moran Eye Center doctors identify patients for the annual event through charitable clinics held throughout the year with partnering community organizations including the Fourth Street Clinic, Maliheh Free Clinic, People’s Clinic, Salt Lake City’s Project Homeless Connect, the Refugee and Immigrant Center – Asian Association of Utah, the International Rescue Committee, and the Utah Navajo Health System.
Operation Sight Day is one of several ongoing efforts by Moran’s Global Outreach Division to assist uninsured, low-income Utahns. The work is funded solely by generous donors.
"We are continuing to safely assist members of our local community during the pandemic," said Jeff Pettey, MD, MBA, outreach division co-medical director. "We have precautions, protocols, and testing in place for this day and for ongoing outreach work. The need for eyesight that allows people to keep their jobs, care for family members, and participate in the community is still there. We will be, too."
The event is dedicated to Alan S. Crandall, MD, founder and senior medical director of Moran’s Global Outreach Division and a driving force behind local outreach across the state. Crandall passed away on Oct. 2 after dedicating himself to restoring vision for people in need in Utah and around the globe. Under his direction, the Operation Sight Day event has restored sight for more than 200 Utahns since it began in 2012.
Moran surgeons donating their skills at the event are Amy Lin, MD; Brian Stagg, MD; Rachel Patel, MD; Theresa Long, MD; and Ashlie Bernhisel, MD. More than 40 Moran medical personnel and staff will volunteer their time for Operation Sight Day.
Stagg, Pettey, and University of Utah medical students first created a charity surgery day with volunteer physicians, staff, nurses, and technicians in 2012. The event was later adopted as a national model by the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Foundation’s Operation Sight network.
Following Operation Sight Day, Moran will have restored sight to 26 Utahns in need during 2020. Since the inception of Operation Sight Day, the event has restored sight for more than 200 people.