Orbis operates the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft. Working in collaboration with local partners including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of blindness for over 30 years. In the past five years alone, from 2011-2015, the Orbis work has facilitated 10,000 trainings of doctors, 104,000 trainings of nurses, biomedical engineers and other health care workers, and 11.6 million screenings and eye exams either on the Flying Eye Hospital or at Orbis in-country partner hospitals. We harness this powerful tool for change to support long-term programs around the world.” It is in equal parts teacher, envoy and advocate. “The Flying Eye Hospital helps us do that. Our mission at Orbis is to bring the world together to fight blindness, as we believe that no one should go blind from conditions that are treatable or preventable,” said Bob Ranck, President & CEO, Orbis International. Their team of over 400 expert medical volunteers, from 30 countries, accomplishes this by training local medical teams both in their hospitals and on the Flying Eye Hospital, emphasizing quality and safety standards for patient care. Ninety percent of these people live in developing countries where they cannot access sight-saving treatments that many take for granted in the USA. For more than 30 years, Orbis has helped countries build the skills and resources they need to prioritize and deliver quality eye care to their local communities. More than 285 million people are visually impaired, and 4 out of 5 suffer from preventable conditions. Inside, however, it is like no other aircraft in the world. On the outside, the plane is like most other aircraft. ![]() ![]() The Orbis medical team provides hands-on training to local eye care professionals and conveys the latest medical knowledge to treat patients and restore sight. This airborne eye hospital makes it possible for Orbis to relocate an ophthalmic teaching facility to airports throughout the developing world. The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital is the result of a unique and lasting alliance forged between the medical and aviation industries. The Long Beach Airport Festival of Flight offers people the opportunity to experience the plane, to learn about Orbis and to find out about how they, too, can be a part of this global health effort. Also on board are Orbis Aircraft Maintenance personnel Richard Jorgenson and John Mashino and Orbis’s Director of Aircraft Operations, Bruce Johnson. On its historic flight returning home to Long Beach today, the Orbis DC-10 is piloted by Chief Pilot Robert Rutherford who is a volunteer FedEx pilot along with volunteer FedEx and United flight crew, William Willson (retired United pilot), David Hulbert (FedEx), and Terry Zubrod (FedEx).
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