Trainee Testimonial
Our Mission
To bring sight-restoring cataract surgery to those in greatest need
Our Vision
A world where no one is needlessly blinded by cataract and everyone has access to high quality, affordable eye care in their own community.
Our Strategy
We partner with local surgeons, institutions, and government leaders to build sustainable eye care delivery systems through infrastructure development, intensive hands-on training, high-volume cataract outreaches, and advocacy
Video collection from past outreaches
Bolgatanga, Ghana
4
740
Cataract surgeries performed:
25
Nurses/eye care personnel trained
Surgeons trained
“The Presbyterian Eye Clinic in Bolgatanga, Ghana serves a vast, remote population in Ghana’s Upper East Region, near the Burkina Faso border. This is a very high need area where the rate of bilateral cataract blindness is remarkably high.”
January 10 - January 14, 2022
What we do
We bring high-quality, cost-efficient cataract surgery to those in greatest need, while providing intensive hands-on training to the next generation of surgeons, nurses, and eye health personnel
High Volume Cataract Outreach
“Our first priority is to ensure that every patient achieves their best possible outcome.”
John Welling, MD
Co-Founder | CEO
Patient-Centered Practices And Innovations
Wristband ID number
Helps ensure the correct patient receives the correct lens implant in the correct eye - every time.
Personalized lens implant calculations
Measurements are performed on each patient to determine the lens implant power that will give them their best visual outcome.
Prevention of post-operative infection
Each patient receives an injection of moxifloxacin (a powerful antibiotic), resulting in a 4-fold reduction of post-operative infections.
Surgical Outcomes Data
We measure every patient outcome and report this by surgeon. This allows each surgeon to track their improvement over time and also know where they stand compared to other surgeons. This transparency is part of our shared commitment to providing the best possible patient outcomes.
Intensive Hands-On Training
Training the next generation is at the heart of sustainability. We aim to provide each resident trainee with an immersive, mentored surgical experience that will broaden their knowledge base, strengthen their skill set, and elevate the quality of care they provide throughout their career.
John Welling, MD
Co-Founder | CEO
It has been such an impactful week. It has made a mark on my career. I wish and pray that other residents also get this opportunity to hone and sharpen their skills.
Edinam Akude, MD
Resident Trainee, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
Trainee-Centered Practices and Innovations
Senior Surgeon Teaching Rotation
Senior Surgeon Teaching Rotation - Each senior surgeon dedicates two half-days per outreach (a total of 1 day out of 5) to full-time resident training. Senior surgeons sit with the resident surgeon, observing, teaching, and coaching them through their cases, taking over when needed to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Download our Excellence in Learning and Teaching Agreement.
What the residents are saying:
How would you rate the helpfulness of having a “Senior Surgeon Teaching Rotation” where for every half day, there is a senior surgeon assigned exclusively to resident surgical training?
100%
Not helpful at all
Slightly helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
Dedicated operating tables and microscopes for Resident Trainees
Enables residents to operate full-time throughout the course of the outreach, providing the repetition and feedback needed to accelerate their progression.
What the residents are saying:
How would you rate the helpfulness of having operating tables dedicated exclusively to resident surgical training?
100%
Not helpful at all
Slightly helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
Pre-Outreach SICS Video Roundtable Discussion
The senior surgeons talk through cataract surgery videos with the resident trainees, sharing insights and pearls for each surgical step. Download our SICS Pearls
What the residents are saying:
How would you rate the helpfulness of having a “Senior Surgeon Teaching Rotation” where for every half day, there is a senior surgeon assigned exclusively to resident surgical training?
Not helpful at all
Slightly helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
N/A
Daybreak Vision Project SICS Video Library
Prior to outreach, resident trainees are required to review our library of surgical videos narrated step-by-step by expert SICS surgeons.
What the residents are saying:
How would you rate the helpfulness of the Daybreak Vision Project SICS surgical video library that was distributed to the residents prior to the outreach?
Not helpful at all
Slightly helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
N/A
High Volume Outreach Orientation
Resident trainees are taught the principles and practices that enable delivery of efficient, high-quality cataract surgery in areas of great need.
What the residents are saying:
To what extent do you agree with the following: “I am likely to participate in cataract outreach activities in the future because of my experience with Daybreak Vision Project”
* Reference: Resident Trainee Post-Outreach Evaluation Survey, January 2022.
100% of residents rated these aspects of their Daybreak Vision Project training experience a
10 out of 10.*
How would you rate the overall quality of the outreach training provided by Daybreak Vision Project?
10
/10
To what extent do you agree with the following: "The outreach training experience with Daybreak Vision Project greatly increased my SICS surgical skills"?
10
/10
To what extent do you agree with the following: "The outreach training experience with Daybreak Vision Project increased my confidence that I can provide high quality visual outcomes to my patients"?