The Connecticut Eye Bank was established, another eye bank that will later comprise the Eversight network.

The EBAA standardized eye banking, establishing requirements for facilities, tissue handling, documentation and ethics. In addition, the Association has played a critical role in legislative matters. Today, EBAA fosters eye banking technical skills development, knowledge sharing and collaboration across more than 50 member eye banks.

Before Eversight became the eye bank serving Northeast Ohio, the Cleveland Eye Bank, founded in 1964, served Ohioans for decades until it merged with Eversight in 2012.

The Illinois Eye-Bank joins with the Michigan Eye-Bank to form the Midwest Eye-Banks and Transplantation Center (MEBTC). Together, they provided more comprehensive and efficient care to both communities, their surgeons and patients. 

The former Upper Peninsula Lions Eye Bank in Marquette, Michigan affiliates with MEBTC. 

Marilyn R. Lindenauer, MPH, served as President/CEO of Eversight from 1989 to 1998. She was instrumental in establishing the standards of professionalism that have made Eversight a leading eye bank organization. Her collaborative approach to other agencies and organizations led to the development of the Michigan donor registry and the widespread growth of cornea donation. Throughout her career, she was noted for her commitment to both professional and public education to expand access to cornea transplantation. Eversight established the Marilyn R. Lindenauer public health internship to continue her legacy of academic excellence. Lindenauer is honored as CEO Emerita in perpetuity and received the Leonard Heise Award in 1999.

The BroMenn-Watson Gailey Eye Bank in Illinois becomes a division of MEBTC, allowing the organization to serve both northern and central Illinois. 

Florence M. Johnston, MS, served as Eversight CEO from 1998 to 2004, formalizing clinical operations and quality improvement programs to the highest professional standards. Her expertise in legal and regulatory compliance firmly established a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to quality and safety at Eversight. Johnston is honored as CEO Emerita in perpetuity and received the Leonard Heise Award in 2004.

Midwest Eye-Banks and Transplantation Center changes its name to Midwest Eye-Banks.  

The Lions Eye Bank of New Jersey joins Midwest Eye–Banks. 

Cleveland Eye Bank joins Midwest Eye-Banks.

Midwest Eye-Banks rebrands, and the organization’s name is changed to Eversight. That same year, the Connecticut Eye Bank becomes an affiliate of Eversight, and Eversight establishes the first U.S.-owned and operated eye bank outside of the United States in South Korea. This network works together as a unified operation to deliver the highest quality services to surgeons and their patients and to continue to grow our impact around the world. 

Based in Cleveland, Ohio, the Eversight Center for Vision and Eye Banking Research is pioneering research that promises new therapies and discoveries to prevent blindness, including a new focus on retinal procurement, preparation and research to one day treat and prevent non-corneal vision loss. 

Eversight expands eye banking services in Arizona in collaboration with Donor Network of Arizona, the state’s federally designated organ procurement organization.