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INDIANA LIONS EYE & TISSUE TRANSPLANT BANK Who We Are |
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INDIANA LIONS EYE & TISSUE TRANSPLANT BANK Who We Are |
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The Indiana Lions Eye & Tissue Transplant Bank (ILEBTTB) is a not-for-profit organization that was founded and chartered by the Lions Club of Indiana in 1959 on the campus of Indiana University Medical Center. Since the conception of the ILEBTTB it has provided sight to thousands of Hoosiers over its 40 year history with the first transplant being performed in 1961.
In 1990, the Indiana Lions Eye Bank became a member of TBI/Tissue Banks International, a nonprofit network of eye and tissue banks with 26 affiliates from coast to coast. As a member, we have access to TBI's Tissue Distribution and Information Center (TDIC) which uses a specialized computer tracking system to coordinate tissue from all locations within the TBI network. Utilizing the TDIC services enables us to secure corneas for Indiana patients from other TBI eye banks in the event of a local shortage. This ability to acquire tissue from the TBI network ensures that surgeon and patient needs are met in a timely manner.
TBI also provides our eye bank with centralized support services related to administration, human resources, public information, fund raising and financial/accounting functions. This assistance permits us to concentrate on our primary goal-recovering and preparing critically needed tissue for sight-saving transplantation and research into the causes and cures for all types of blindness.
Over the years the ILEBTTB has made significant progress in expanding and growing its program. Currently we have a full-time staff of 13 and part-time staff of 25 with offices in Dyer, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville and Indianapolis.
The ILEBTTB provides over 90% of the corneal tissue needed throughout the state of Indiana, with the need growing more and more.
The ILEBTTB is the only certified eye bank in the state of Indiana. Ronald J. Blanchett, Executive Director, served on the Board of Directors for the Eye Bank Association of America. The ILEBTTB is fortunate to have representation on the Board of Directors for Eye Bank Association of America. This enables ILEBTTB to stay on the "cutting edge" of the eye bank industry.
For calendar year 2000 the ILEBTTB provided 847 eyes/corneas for transplant.
