May 2014 issue 2 31st Corneal Society Meeting (And EBAANZ Meeting) With over 70 attendees from across Australia and New Zealand, the 31st Corneal Society Meeting, held in Brisbane, was attended by eye bank staff, scientists, ophthalmologists, pathologists, biostatisticians, nurses and practice managers. The EBAANZ AGM also took place the day prior to the main conference event, and eye bank host, the Queensland Eye Bank, arranged a tour of both the Queensland Eye Bank and the Bone and Skin Bank for those EBAANZ members who could attend. EBAANZ would like to send a special thank you to Nick Nuttall and the staff of both the Queensland Eye Bank and the Bone and Skin Bank for arranging the tour. Thanks also to our resident photographer, Raj Devasahayam. The 32nd, conference will be held in Perth next March 2015 —details to follow. www.ebaanz.org Message from the Chair—Graeme Pollock At the EBAANZ 2014 AGM, members endorsed a two year trial of a National Competency Framework. This must be considered our Association’s first step towards certification of eye banking staff and only the second of its kind in the world after the Eye Bank Association of America’s Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) qualification, albeit our approach is somewhat different. It should also be judged in the context of our desire to support and develop training programs and continued professional development in this field. Our longer-term aim is to encourage knowledgeable, expert and skilful staff, capable of analytical and independent thought; a professional workforce if you like. With such ambitions, why then is a competency approach, which is usually associated with vocational education rather than with a professional discipline, the way to go? The answer is two-fold. Firstly, the TGA cGMP approach to our regulation almost dictates a competency approach and recording of the same. This requirement actually says a lot about the regulations (mis)understanding of the important aspects of what we do. The TGA regards eye donation and eye banking as a technical undertaking that can readily apply principles of manufacturing in to a known and well-defined environment. While the TGA may regard our work in this manner, in reality we operate in an environment of ambiguity and many unknowns, and this requires staff that can take responsibility and make decisions based on their knowledge and expertise at a “professional” level. The second reason for the competency approach is that we need to lay some foundations upon which to build the profession. We need to first identify what knowledge and skills an eye banker requires before we can begin to teach it. Then, through professional development, we can encourage a person to dissect, analyse and question that knowledge, and to develop, and then apply, their newly developed skills and knowledge. Hopefully, the Competency Framework will be most valuable as a training tool and as a record of achievement. Further Education and Professional Development will build upon these foundations. Thank you, Graeme Message from the Secretary—Pierre George Dear colleagues, Another explosive start to the year! It all started with the TGA, again, asking us questions regarding the Dossiers we submitted in 2012 - Déjà vu! The recent AGM was a success, and it was pleasing to see most members attend. I would like to congratulate Lisa Buckland who is now our new Deputy Chairperson of EBAANZ, and I would also like to thank Nick Nuttall for his hard work and commitment to the role. All members voiced their support for Graeme Pollock as the best person to continue in the role of Chair and lead EBAANZ forward locally, building on the work started last year, as well as internationally, through the good work commenced with the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations. Lastly, I hope you all had a good break over the EasterAnzac period, and I am sure together we will continue to press forward and achieve our goals. Warm Regards—Pierre EBAANZ New Leadership Team Chair/Treasurer: Graeme Pollock (Acting) Deputy Chair: Lisa Buckland Secretary: Pierre George continue EBAANZ would like to express a special thanks to Nick Nuttall who has completed his term as Treasurer and has stepped down from the Leadership team. Up-Date: Eye Bank Dossiers February 13: Members from each Australian Eye Bank met with the TGA to discuss the development of the individual dossiers, inline with the TGA standards # 85, 87 and 88 plus the c-Good Manufacturing Guidelines. Now, 2 years on from the original discussion and subsequent original dossier submissions, the eye banks of Australia are continuing to address the requirements outlined by the TGA. Each dossier has been reviewed, individually by the TGA, and several areas, particularly with regards to microbiology, continue to be a point of difference. To date, a majority of the eye banks have submitted their responses to the TGA, with two eye banks expected to submit theirs shortly. Meeting with the TGA in Canberra. Lisa Buckland (WA), Jane Treloggen (NSW), Graeme Pollock (VIC), Stephen Pulbrook (SA), and Heather Machin (VIC) Changes to the EBAANZ Data Collection Welcome The monthly data submission template has been up -dated to address the data requirements discussed during the AGM in March. Data for 2014 (back dating January 2014) must now include the new data collection requirements. QEB: Earlier this year, QEB welcomed Gail Hargraves into the position of Clinical Coordinator at the Queensland Eye Bank. Changes include capturing of adverse reactions, re-graft rates (EK, PK & DALK) and export of tissue outside of the 6 EBAANZ eye banks. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EYE BANKING www.EyeBankingJournal.org Additionally, as per the authorities request, the data will now capture singular eye donations and individual donor numbers. This basically means that eye banks need to outline if a unilateral recovery occurred rather than a bilateral recovery. Additional data regarding exports outside of the 6 EBAANZ member eye banks will assist EBAANZ to understand their global export and bioethics position, and responsibilities, in relation to international eye banks and global mapping efforts of the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Association. www.ebaanz.org Up-Date: Global Alliance Developments Following on from our feature story in the last edition of the EBAANZ Newsletter, the Global Alliance of Eye Bank Associations has officially been launched. EBAANZ representatives, Graeme Pollock and Heather Machin, have worked alongside representatives from peer Eye Bank Associations in Asia, India, Europe, and North and South America to see the Global Alliance to fruition. Launching their new website (www.gaeba.org) as the platform for future international exchange, plus both Facebook and Linkedin groups, the aim is to develop international discussion, collaboration and the sharing of ideas and needs. establish the global priorities and develop key strategies, that are relevant on an international scale. The Global Alliance have prioritized global mapping of the eye bank community in order to ascertain the size, role and function of the eye banking community. From there, the Global Alliance can commence development of further projects to meet the needs of the community. Now on Facebook and Linkedin Get Involved: The Global Alliance is seeking enthusiastic members to support the Global Alliance objectives. Interested EBAANZ member are encouraged to contact Graeme or Heather. As the Global Alliance is still new, and finding its feet, the regional representatives are tasked to help Up-Date: National Competency Framework Victoria, as the pilot facility, has already incorporated the competency into their quality system and have commenced trial of the program with their newest employee. To date, Eye Banks; Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia have commenced the implementation of their local competency program based on the National Framework developed by EBAANZ. EB Managers are working hard to ensure resources and training opportunities are in place to facilitate the staff competency training. Western Australia, Queensland and New Zealand will follow suit mid-year, with the intent to have local competency drafts trialled within all EBANNZ facilities by the close of the year. While retaining the core framework of the national competencies, each individual facility is encouraged to adapt the framework to suit the needs of the local staff and services. It is expected that each employee will have 12 months to complete the competencies suitable to their position, with renewal every 24 months. An added benefit of the competency program is to support individual staff members with maintenance, advancement and transfer of their skills, by ensuring that competencies completed in one eye bank are nationally recognized and transferable to another eye bank. www.ebaanz.org Lions WA donates Specular Microscope to India With strong support readily available through The Lions Eye Bank of WA was the first to the newly established Global Alliance, a call answer the call, and in November 2013, they went out to help the Lions Eye Hospital in were privileged to be able to assist and Andhra Pradesh. The hospital would only be donated the microscope. granted recognition, and the status of an eye NSW corneal surgeon, Geoff Cohn, was bank, if they were able to source a specular instrumental in arranging the donation from microscope. the Lions Eye Bank, and delivered the device This vital piece of equipment is used for to Dr Sunil Thangaraj at the hospital in person. evaluating the endothelial cells of a cornea Dr Cohn said the specular microscope would prior to transplantation. serve the needs of rural and small town Indian This was especially important because their communities, analogue specular microscope, although fully services was extreme. functioning, was not compatible with their digital environment. where the need for such Lisa Buckland Left: Ribbon Cutting of the new Specular Microscope. Below: Post-graft patient. EVENTS 2014 May 12-14 7th World Congress on Tissue Banking. Melbourne, Australia. www.wctb2014.com October 18-21 Corneal Society/EBAA at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Conference. Chicago, USA. www.aao.org June 26—30 The Transplant Society. World Transplant Congress. San Francisco, USA. www.tts.org 25-28 53rd Annual Meeting, Eye Bank Association of America. Portland, USA. www.restoresight.org 2015 January 16—17 EEBA Annual Meeting. Venice, Italy. www.europeaneyebanks.org March September 4– 5 32nd Corneal Conference. Perth, Australia 26-28 6th National Eye Bank CME. Hyderabad, India. www.ebai.org Please contact Mr. G Ganesh, Executive Director, EBAI, email: [email protected] April 27—29 International Transplant Nurses Society Symposium. Texas, USA. www.itns.org 14 1st GAEBA Scientific Meeting. San Diego, USA. www.gaeba.org 15-17 World Corneal Congress, San Diego, USA. www.cornealsociety.org WEB conference in Rio—2013 In 2013, Lisa Buckland, Manager of the Lions Common Eye Bank of WA, attended the first World Eye thoughts and ideas were shared. Bank Symposium (WEBS), held in conjunction The Lions Save Sight Foundation was a with generous sponsor of Lisa’s trip. the Pan American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Lisa attended with Dr Graeme Pollock, Director of the Lions Eye Donation Service in Melbourne, and Louise Moffatt, Manager of the New Zealand National Eye Bank. The symposium was a valuable opportunity for these in attendance to meet face to face and facilitate a global discussion on transplantation. corneal problems were presented, and