Established in 2006, the mission of The Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation is to preserve and improve sight. CEIF provides access to eye care for vulnerable and under-served populations, including the operation of free charitable eye clinics, community outreach services, support for community and professional education, and granting research funds.
Creating a separate nonprofit organization was a long process that involved implementing various corporate social responsibility activities over the years at Cincinnati Eye Institute. "The decision to start a separate nonprofit organization is a bit atypical for a private eye care practice, but it was something that we felt was the right thing to do," says Michael Petersen, MD, PhD, a retina specialist and immediate past chairman of the board of directors for Cincinnati Eye Institute. "It takes the ideas of these activities to an entirely different level."
The doctors at Cincinnati Eye Institute saw that more could be done to address the eye care needs of the community, and that's when they made the decision and a commitment to create CEIF. The approach is three-pronged: education, prevention, and direct eye, vision and medical care. Most importantly, it builds leverage and effective collaborations, which are essential to addressing the eye care needs of the community, a task that is too great for one organization to tackle alone.
CEIF has received outstanding recognition for its services. In 2010, it was awarded the Ohio Nonprofit Excellence Award from the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and has also received five Health Care Hero Awards from the Cincinnati Business Courier throughout its existence.
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Amy Jones
President and CEO