irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2022
what they reported doing
Program narrative the organization filed with the IRS. Ordered by program spending.
- #1 primary $5KCONTRIBUTION TO THE RONALD G. MICHELS FOUNDATION THAT SUPPORTS SECOND YEAR OPHTHALMOLOGY FELLOWS.
named programs · 1 · from sources
what they call their work
New Retina Radio Journal Club
A series of videos and podcasts featuring VBS members reviewing the latest research in retina from journal articles, covering topics such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, endophthalmitis, and surgical competency.
activities · 5 groups
what they do
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Vitreoretinal Surgery Career Development 10 activities
- Award Grants for Academic and Travel SupportAwards VBS Academic Grants to top abstracts and provides travel grants to vitreoretinal fellows, residents, medical students, and female vitreoretinal surgeons to cover meeting registration, travel expenses, and lodging.
- Award Grants for Vitreoretinal ProfessionalsAwards VBS Academic Grants to top abstract presenters, covering meeting registration, travel, and lodging for fellows, residents, and medical students. It also provides travel grants specifically for female vitreoretinal surgeons and 20 vitreoretinal fellows to attend meetings.
- Award Grants for Vitreoretinal ProfessionalsAwards VBS Academic Grants to top abstracts, covering meeting registration, travel, and lodging for fellows, residents, and medical students. Additionally, it provides travel grants to female vitreoretinal surgeons and 20 vitreoretinal fellows to cover meeting registration, travel expenses, and shared lodging.
- Award Grants for Vitreoretinal ProfessionalsAwards VBS Academic Grants to top abstracts, covering meeting registration, travel, and lodging for fellows, residents, and medical students. It also provides travel grants specifically for female vitreoretinal surgeons and 20 vitreoretinal fellows to attend meetings.
- Capacity Building for Future Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase the pipeline of underserved medical students and ophthalmology residents interested in surgical retina. It also provides educational offerings, including webinars for fellows, an annual fellows foray, and mentors developing vitreoretinal surgeons, while nurturing innovative surgical technologies and therapeutic approaches.
- Capacity Building for Future Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase the pipeline of underserved medical students and ophthalmology residents interested in surgical retina, provides educational offerings for fellows, and mentors developing vitreoretinal surgeons.
- Capacity Building for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase diversity in surgical retina, provides educational offerings including webinars and an annual fellows foray, and mentors developing vitreoretinal surgeons. The organization also awards VBS Academic Grants and travel grants to fellows, residents, medical students, and female vitreoretinal surgeons to support their participation in meetings and research.
- Provide Capacity Building for Vitreoretinal ProfessionalsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase the pipeline of underserved medical students and ophthalmology residents interested in surgical retina. It also provides educational offerings, including webinars for vitreoretinal fellows, an annual fellows foray, and awards academic and travel grants to fellows, residents, medical students, and female vitreoretinal surgeons to attend meetings.
- Provide Career Development and Mentorship for Vitreoretinal ProfessionalsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase the pipeline of underserved medical students and ophthalmology residents interested in surgical retina. The organization also mentors developing vitreoretinal surgeons and nurtures innovative surgical technologies and therapeutic approaches for retinal diseases, offering educational webinars and an annual fellows foray.
- Provide Career Development and Mentorship for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Fostering Careers for Upcoming Stars (FOCUS) program to increase the pipeline of underserved medical students and ophthalmology residents interested in surgical retina. The organization also mentors developing vitreoretinal surgeons, nurtures innovative surgical technologies, and provides educational offerings including webinars for fellows and an annual fellows foray at their annual meeting.
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Vitreoretinal Surgery Education Platform 8 activities
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, figures, a surgical video library covering various procedures (IOL, Trauma, Macular, Uveitis, Pediatric Surgery), and educational content on complications like Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Diabetic Vitrectomy & TRD Basics. It also publishes a Clinical Trial Guide, "Case of the Month," and "Image of the Month" features.
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, case studies, diagnostic puzzles, and a surgical video library covering various procedures for vitreoretinal surgeons and trainees.
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, figures, a surgical video library covering various procedures, and educational content on complications and basic principles of diabetic vitrectomy and tractional retinal detachment. It also publishes a Clinical Trial Guide, "Case of the Month," and "Image of the Month" features.
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsOperates the Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, figures, a surgical video library covering various procedures, and educational content on complications and basic principles of diabetic vitrectomy and tractional retinal detachment. It also publishes a Clinical Trial Guide, "Case of the Month," and "Image of the Month" features.
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeryOperates the Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, figures, and a Surgical Video Library covering various procedures (IOL, Trauma, Macular, Uveitis, Pediatric Surgery). It also publishes a Clinical Trial Guide and educational content on complications like Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Diabetic Vitrectomy & TRD Basics.
- Provide Online Educational Resources for Vitreoretinal SurgeryOperates the Vit-Buckle Academy (VBA), an online educational portal offering curriculum, curated videos, figures, and a Surgical Video Library covering various procedures (IOL, Trauma, Macular, Uveitis, Pediatric Surgery). It also publishes a Clinical Trial Guide and educational content on complications like Pars Plana Vitrectomy and Diabetic Vitrectomy & TRD Basics.
- Publish Case Studies and Diagnostic PuzzlesPublishes regular "Case of the Month" and "Image of the Month" features, presenting specific clinical case studies and diagnostic puzzles for vitreoretinal professionals.
- Publish Case Studies and Diagnostic PuzzlesPublishes regular "Case of the Month" and "Image of the Month" features, presenting specific case studies and diagnostic puzzles to educate vitreoretinal surgeons and trainees.
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Retinal Disease Clinical Trials & Therapeutic Development 6 activities
- Conduct Research on Ocular Conditions and TreatmentsConducts and publishes research, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, on topics such as endophthalmitis rates in intravitreal injections, reactivation of retinopathy of prematurity, vision recovery in open globe injuries, and clinical outcomes of various treatments for retinal diseases.
- Conduct Research on Vitreoretinal Conditions and TreatmentsConducts and publishes research, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing endophthalmitis rates for intravitreal injections, studies on retinopathy of prematurity, open globe injury, ocular von Hippel-Lindau disease, and clinical outcomes of various treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and uveitic macular edema. Research also covers retinal displacement after surgical procedures and macular hole repair techniques.
- Conduct Research on Vitreoretinal Conditions and TreatmentsConducts and publishes research, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing endophthalmitis rates for intravitreal injections, studies on retinopathy of prematurity, open globe injury, ocular von Hippel-Lindau disease, and clinical outcomes of various treatments for neovascular age-related macular degeneration and uveitic macular edema. Research also includes studies on retinal displacement and macular hole repair techniques.
- Conduct Research on Vitreoretinal Conditions and TreatmentsConducts and publishes research, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses comparing endophthalmitis rates for intravitreal injections, studies on macular hole repair techniques, and articles on topics such as retinopathy of prematurity, open globe injury, ocular von Hippel-Lindau disease, Faricimab outcomes, and the risk of endophthalmitis after Anti-VEGF injections.
- Conduct and Publish Research on Retinal Diseases and TreatmentsConducts and publishes systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical studies on topics such as endophthalmitis rates in intravitreal injections, retinopathy of prematurity, vision recovery in open globe injury, ocular von Hippel-Lindau disease, Faricimab outcomes in nAMD, and retinal displacement after surgical procedures. Research findings include a lower risk of endophthalmitis with prefilled syringes and similar macular hole repair outcomes with conventional vs. no-gas ILM flap approaches.
- Conduct and Publish Research on Vitreoretinal Conditions and TreatmentsConducts and publishes research, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical studies, on topics such as endophthalmitis rates in intravitreal injections, retinopathy of prematurity, open globe injury, von Hippel-Lindau disease, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, and macular hole repair techniques. Research findings are published in peer-reviewed journals like Retina.
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Specialized Clinical Skill-Building Workshops 6 activities
- Host Online Educational Sessions and WebinarsHosts online sessions via Zoom for members, guests, fellows, and residents, including Surgical Rounds webinars on complex retinal detachments and IOLs for surgical retina, and Medical Rounds for informal discussions of medical retina cases. These sessions also cover topics like proliferative vitreoretinopathy, trauma surgery, and secondary IOLs.
- Host Online Educational Sessions and WebinarsHosts online sessions and webinars via Zoom for members, guests, fellows, and residents, including Surgical Rounds on complex retinal detachments and IOLs, and Medical Rounds for informal discussions of medical retina cases. These sessions cover topics such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, trauma surgery, and secondary IOLs.
- Host Online Educational Sessions and WebinarsHosts online sessions and webinars for members, guests, fellows, and residents, including Surgical Rounds on complex retinal detachments and IOLs, Medical Rounds for informal discussions of medical retina cases, and Vit-Buckle Academy Fellows Online Sessions on topics like proliferative vitreoretinopathy and trauma surgery.
- Host Online Educational Sessions and WebinarsHosts online sessions via Zoom for members, guests, fellows, and residents, including Surgical Rounds webinars on complex retinal detachments and IOLs for surgical retina, and Medical Rounds for informal discussions of medical retina cases. These sessions also cover topics such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, trauma surgery, and secondary IOLs.
- Host Online Educational Sessions and WebinarsHosts online sessions via Zoom for members, guests, fellows, and residents, including Surgical Rounds webinars on complex retinal detachments and IOLs for surgical retina, and Medical Rounds for informal discussions of medical retina cases. These sessions are part of an annual academic calendar.
- Host Webinars and Online Sessions for MembersHosts online sessions, including Medical Rounds and Surgical Rounds webinars, via Zoom for VBS members, guests, fellows, and residents, covering topics such as complex retinal detachments and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.
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Mid-Century Modern Home Preservation 5 activities
- Host Annual Meetings for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsConvenes annual meetings for vitreoretinal surgeons, featuring surgical and medical sessions, lightning rounds, debates, and specialized programs for fellows and FOCUS participants. Recent meetings include the 10th Annual Meeting in March 2022, the 12th in April 2024 in Miami Beach, FL, and the 13th in March 2025 in Austin, TX, with the 14th scheduled for April 2026 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Host Annual Meetings for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsConvenes annual meetings for vitreoretinal surgeons and trainees, featuring surgical and medical sessions, lightning rounds, debates, and specialized programs for fellows and FOCUS participants. Recent meetings include the 10th Annual Meeting in March 2022, the 12th in April 2024 in Miami Beach, FL, and the 13th in March 2025 in Austin, TX, with the 14th scheduled for April 2026 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Host Annual Meetings for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsConvenes annual meetings for vitreoretinal surgeons, featuring surgical and medical sessions, lightning rounds, debates, and specialized programs for fellows and FOCUS participants. Recent meetings include the 10th Annual Meeting in March 2022, the 12th in April 2024 in Miami Beach, FL, and the 13th in March 2025 in Austin, TX, with the 14th scheduled for April 2026 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Host Annual Meetings for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsConvenes annual meetings for vitreoretinal surgeons, featuring surgical/medical sessions, lightning rounds, debates, and specialized programs for fellows and medical students, with recent meetings held in Miami Beach, FL, and Austin, TX.
- Host Annual Meetings for Vitreoretinal SurgeonsConvenes annual meetings for vitreoretinal surgeons and trainees, featuring surgical and medical sessions, lightning rounds, debates, and specialized programs for fellows and FOCUS participants. Recent meetings include the 10th Annual Meeting in March 2022, the 12th in April 2024 in Miami Beach, FL, and the 13th in March 2025 in Austin, TX, with the 14th scheduled for April 2026 in Las Vegas, NV.
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financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$944K
Contributions & grants$750K79%
Program service revenue$190K20%
Investment income$4K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$785K
Program expenses99%
Admin / overhead1%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$5K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$984K
Cash$665K
Investments$319K
Liabilities$291
Net assets$984K
Liquid reserves15.1 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2022 · YoY revenue +139.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022
who runs it
board members · 14
- ALEKSANDRA RACHITSKAYA — DIRECTOR
- ANDREW MOSHFEGHI — DIRECTOR/EMERITUS
- ANTON ORLIN — DIRECTOR/TREASURER
- AUDINA BERROCAL MD — DIRECTOR
- CHARLES MANGO MD — DIRECTOR/SECRETARY
- CHARLES WYKOFF MD — DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT
- DEREK KUNIMOTO MD — DIRECTOR/EMERITUS
- GEETA LALWANI MD — DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT ELECT
- JOHN W KITCHENS — DIRECTOR/EMERITUS
- JORGE FORTUN MD — DIRECTOR
- R ROSS LAKHANPAL MD — DIRECTOR/PAST PRESIDENT
- ROYCE WS CHEN — DIRECTOR
- RV PAUL CHAN MD — DIRECTOR
- THOMAS A ALBINI MD — DIRECTOR/EMERITUS
relationships · 9
who they work with
- American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Coalition — Member of the AAO Council, serving as an advisory body to the Board of Trustees and representing Subspecialty and Specialized Interest Societies.
- CONNECT Network Partner — Awarding a grant to the fellow who submits the best surgical video.
- FOCUS program Partner — Program whose participants attended the annual meeting.
- New Retina Radio Partner — Partnering with Vit Buckle Society to deliver journal article reviews in retina
- UCLA health care system Partner — The research involved a retrospective chart review of infants screened for ROP within this healthcare system.
- University of Calgary, Section of Ophthalmology Partner — Monique Munro MD FRCSC is affiliated with this institution and contributed to the article.
- University of Michigan Partner — Dr. Tom Wubben from the University of Michigan will be a guest of honor for a Surgical Rounds session.
- University of Montreal (UdeM) Partner — Dr. Flavio Rezende from UdeM served as guest moderator for a Surgical Rounds webinar.
- VBS Executive Board Partner — Endorses applications for full membership.