Pictured, from left, are Mike GeRue, chief operating officer, Parkview Heart Institute; DeWayne Richardson, nursing services manager, ICU, Parkview Hospital Randallia; Brooke Kinzer, nursing services manager, Supportive Care Unit, Parkview Hospital Randallia; Laurie Berghoff, director of nursing services, Parkview Hospital Randallia; Danielle Shafer, professional services coordinator, VisionFirst; Erin LaCross, chief nursing officer, Parkview Regional Medical Center and affiliates; and John Bowen, chief operating officer, Parkview Hospital Randallia.

FORT WAYNE — VisionFirst recently awarded Parkview Hospital Randallia the 2017 Vision Award for exemplary leadership and commitment to its donor program and the community it serves.

The hospital’s program is led by a donor council and nurses and ensures that all patients have the opportunity to become donors.

“We are honored to receive the 2017 Vision Award, which truly belongs to our donor council and patient care teams,” said John Bowen, chief operating officer, Parkview Hospital Randallia. “It is their dedication to our donor program and compassion for grieving families that has restored the vision of so many, and we thank them for their commitment to excellent care.”

In 2017, Parkview Hospital Randallia made a difference in the lives of up to 86 individuals through the gift of sight. In the past five years, approximately 170 people have had cornea transplants due to the hospital’s efforts and the generosity of their donors. These individuals were suffering from corneal blindness and now have their vision restored.

“The goal of any good donor program is to ensure that every individual and family is presented with the opportunity to become a donor,” said Danielle Shafer, professional services coordinator, VisionFirst. “The caring professionals at Parkview Hospital Randallia have established a program that does this while maintaining the dignity of donors and their families.”

Since 1959, VisionFirst has helped over 35,000 individuals live a better life through the gift of sight thanks to the generosity of Indiana residents.