Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine, hosted the 16th annual meeting of the World Association of Eye Hospitals Oct. 4-7.

Established in 2007, WAEH is the global association of eye hospitals or eye departments of general hospitals. WAEH aims to continuously improve the experience, care and outcomes of patients with eye disorders by facilitating and promoting the exchange of knowledge between eye hospitals worldwide.

During this conference, about 80 participants from 25 countries had the opportunity to collaborate and exchange information and best practices. Themes that were covered included philanthropy, innovation in eye hospitals and wellbeing of staff and patients.

Participants also toured Wilmer facilities and explored Baltimore. Events included a cruise on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and a crab feast.

This was the first in-person gathering of WAEH since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The event was very successful, and it was great to meet in-person again after three years of waiting,” says Maaike van Zuilen, global lead of WAEH.

Several Wilmer faculty and staff members played instrumental roles in the meeting.

• Laura Ensign, Ph.D., Wilmer’s Vice Chair for Research and the Marcella E. Woll Professor of Ophthalmology and Jeffrey Mumm, Ph.D.., Wilmer’s Helen Larson & Charles Glenn Grover Professor in Ophthalmology, and Jeff Mumm, Ph.D. presented on the impact of Maryland’s innovation strategies.
• T.Y. Alvin Liu, M.D. presented an overview of artificial intelligence initiatives at the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and how Wilmer is using its expertise in AI to help lead them. This includes AI-based diabetic retinopathy screening.
• Shameema Sikder, M.D. presented an assessment of AI-driven surgical performance.
• Nakul Shekhawat, M.D. presented “Smartphone screening for anterior segment diseases: A pilot study combining community health workers and remote ophthalmologist review.”
• Justin Hanes, Ph.D. and Mandeep Singh, M.D., Ph.D. presented about their experiences with Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures and how it supported their research.
• Wilmer administrator Cathy Kowalewski is the president of WAEH’s executive board and has been since 2021. In this role, she travels the world to learn how other eye hospitals work and to share best practices.

Next year’s WAEH annual meeting is scheduled to be hosted by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.