Anesthesiologist

Alessandra Vari, M.D., Italy
Anesthesiologist
Alessandra Vari attended medical school at Sapienza University School of Medicine in Rome, Italy and completed a residency in thoracic surgery. After some years of surgical practice in different unconventional settings she finalized her residency in Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Sapienza University School of Medicine in Rome, and a fellowship in Respiratory Intensive Care at the Hospital de la Santa Creu y Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain. Alessandra holds a PhD in Surgery and has been serving as a consultant anesthesiologist, clinical professor of perioperative medicine at Sapienza University of Rome and clinical supervisor of the anesthesia services of the Department of Ophthalmology at the same institution. Alessandra has spent many years working for the Red Cross as a Medical Emergency Trainer for commercial airline crews and has also been involved in several academic and humanitarian projects in the Middle East and Africa with different organizations. Alessandra has served as an ORBIS volunteer faculty member since 2006 and joined the Flying Eye Hospital in May 2009.

Nurses

Heather Machin, Australia
Head Nurse
Heather Machin graduated with a degree in nursing from the Australian Catholic University and pursued a post a post-graduate communications and public relations degree from the University of Queensland. Heather’s achievements include the co-creation of the Queensland University of Technology’s post-graduate Ophthalmic Nursing course, and the Royal Collage of Nursing Australia’s first endorsed and accredited ophthalmic nursing programs delivered through the Queensland Eye Hospital where she held the position as Ophthalmic Nurse and Marketing and Quality Officer (RN).

Heather, who has previously coordinated a cataract program in Tanzania through Ona Network and written freelance for Mivision and Insight magazines, is committed to the care of the eye patient. Heather joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in September 2009.

Xiao Ying Liu, China
Staff Nurse
Xiao Ying Liu is a 1999 graduate Registered Nurse from the Wuhan Nusing School at the Hubei Medical University in China, and is a practicing general operating room nurse. In her past role, at the Specialized Medical Centre in Saudi Arabi, she performed surgeries from Tonsillectomies to Hernia Repair. This hospital also performed Ophthalmic Surgeries and Xiao Ying was the nurse responsible for the ophthalmic services performed in the operating room.
Prior to Saudi Arabi, Xiao Ying worked at both the Hubei Eye Centre and the Wuhan Aier Ophthalmology Centre.
It was during Xiao Ying's work at the Wuhan Aier Ophthalmology Centre that she discovered ORBIS during the Flying Eye Hospital's 2007 Wuhan program. As a participant nurse on the FEH training program, and a passionate nurse trainer and patient advocate, Xiao Ying was determined to one day return to the FEH as a team member to continue the cycle of nurse training to her colleagues around the world. Xiao Ying joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in August 2010.

Pamela Dawn Bailey, South Africa
Staff Nurse
Pam trained as a General Nurse and Midwife in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Over the past 45 years, she has worked chiefly as a scrub/anesthetic/recovery staff nurse at OASIM Day Hospital and Cape Anaesthetic Clinic which specialialized in minor surgical and dental cases. In addition, she has worked at Medicross Kenilworth, a General Practice and faculty for minor trauma and medical emergency cases. Pam has done sessional night duty as a team leader at Claremont and Kingsbury Hospitals in Cape Town, both private general hospitals. In Graaff Reinet Provincial Hospital, Pam supervised General, Midwifery, ENT and Orthopaedic Out Patient clinics and established a pack system in the Central Sterilizing Department. Her most recent position was at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia where she worked for 6 1/2 years as a staff nurse in the recovery ward. Pamela joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in June 2010.

Rajan Chandrasekaran, India
Staff Nurse
Rajan Chandrasekaran turned to a career in nursing after graduating from Madras University with a business degree. After completing his nursing studies at Medical Research Foundation (MRF-Sankara Nethralaya) in Chennai, India, in 1999, Rajan began work as a nurse at the same institution. During his employment at MRF he served in the operating room, the wards, the out-patient department and the eye bank. In 2006, he was selected for a one-year deputation at the Apollo Hospitals Sri Lanka as an operating room nurse in-charge. During his tenure at MRF he received many awards for his excellent performance. Rajan joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in March 2007.

Leonardo Mercado, R.N., Philippines
Staff Nurse
Leo Mercado holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and has more than 14 years of nursing experience. For eight years Leo worked as an operating room nurse and then as a charge nurse at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to this, Leo lived in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where he worked as an operating and recovery room nurse at Infant Jesus Hospital and as a charge nurse for Medical Mission Inc. at the University of Santo Tomas. Leo joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in 1996 and currently holds the distinction of being the longest serving member of the crew.

Jacqueline Newton, South Africa
Staff Nurse 
Jacqueline Newton obtained a nursing diploma from Johannesberg Hospital Training School for Nurses in South Africa in 1988. She obtained the Operating Theatre Nursing Science Diploma in 1991 and worked as an operating theatre nurse for four years at hospitals associated with Netcare in Cape Town . Jacqueline worked at King Khalid Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyhad , Saudi Arabia, for five and a half years as an operating theatre nurse, and worked at Bougainvillea Clinic, British Virgin Islands, for one year as an operating theatre nurse in plastic surgery. Jacqueline worked at the Tygervalley Waterfront Eye Laser & Cataract Centre in Belleville, South Africa, as a nursing manager before joining the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in June 2008.  

Biomedical Engineers

Xiao-Ming Cheng, China
Senior Biomedical Engineer
Xiao-Ming Cheng has more than 15 years of experience in the biomedical field. Before joining the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in 1999, Xiao-Ming worked at Peking Union Medical College Hospital as a biomedical engineer. He holds a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Peking Union Medical College. Part of his training took place at Ottawa Civic Hospital in Ottawa, Canada, and at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, USA.

John Dangos
Heathcare Technology Trainer
A United States Navy veteran with over 20 years experience in the Biomedical Engineering industry, John holds a Master's Degree in Management from Troy State University in Alabama, and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Saint Leo University in Florida. John's experience and expertise include health care administration, medical construction project management, and Biomedical and Imaging technology systems maintenance and management. His desire to help make a difference in the lives of people around the world specially the under privileged and blind brought him to ORBIS.

Flight Mechanics 

Richard Jorgenson, United States
Flight Mechanic
Richard Jorgenson worked for United Airlines for 36 years in aircraft maintenance. He retired as a maintenance supervisor in 2002.  Most of his time with United involved servicing DC-10s — the same type of aircraft as the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital.

Communications 

Perry Athanason, United States
Communications Manager
Perry Athanason holds a bachelor of science degree in journalism from Florida International University. Perry has reported for the New York Times and written features for the Miami Herald, and has experience in all channels of corporate and consumer communications, including public relations, marketing and advertising. As a staff writer and media relations specialist with GolinHarris in Dallas, he worked with the Alcon humanitarian services department in writing the company’s inaugural corporate philanthropy report. Perry joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in November 2007.

Gangadhara Jalli
Audio Visual Support Manager
Gangadhar completed diploma in electronics and communications and has a bachelor degree in business management. He received training in video editing, video camera and 3d animation. He has worked in the central audio visual unit of L V Prasad Eye Institute and has experience in editing instructional, surgical and patient information videos. He also edited and co-produced documentaries on health related topics. Gangadhar volunteered as an AV Specialist on board the FEH in Africa programs in 2006 and joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in June 2010.

Administration

Amelia Chamberlain, United States
Program Manager
Amelia Chamberlain holds a bachelor of arts in African studies and anthropology from Boston University and a master of international affairs from Columbia University. Amelia has worked with Action Against Hunger–USA, providing human resources and logistical support for their African humanitarian aid programs; the World Bank Water and Sanitation Program, implementing water and sanitation systems in Kenyan slums; and the United Nations Development Programme to increase energy services in Senegal. Amelia joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in February 2007. 

Celeste Robinson, United Kingdom
Program Manager
Celeste Robinson holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in International Relations from Claremont McKenna College, where she received a Sexton Fellowship in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, and was granted the inaugural Donoghue Fellowship in the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights. She completed a senior research thesis at Duke University on complex emergencies, and has a Certificate in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from the London School of Economics. Celeste interned with the International Law Institute and the Carr Center at Harvard University prior to joining Human Rights Watch, where she was responsible for a wide range of high level activities in support of its Africa Division. In 2008, she moved to Botswana to help with the establishment of the African Human Rights Consortium. Celeste joined the Flying Eye Hospital team in May 2010.

Rebecca Saxton-Fox, United States
Administrator
Rebecca Saxton-Fox holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Haverford College in Haverford, PA. While studying economics, Rebecca became interested in international and public health. She participated in summer internships in international health and health economics, and did her senior research on the impact of economic policies on malnutrition rates in India. After graduation, she completed a pre-med post-baccalaureate program at the University of Pennsylvania while also working as a research coordinator in their School of Medicine. Rebecca joined ORBIS in 2007, working with the Program Department as the Flying Eye Hospital Coordinator.  She joined the Flying Eye Hospital team as Administrator in January 2010.

Jean-Francois Viens, Canada
Operations Manager
Jean-Francois Viens was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He has more than 20 years of experience in the aviation field. His experience includes management of airport & air operations in post conflict & hazardous areas within the framework of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Jean-Francois has worked 8 years in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in both public (UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, UN World Food Program Humanitarian Air Services & The World bank Group) as well as in private sectors (UN, USAID & US DOD contractors). Jean-Francois joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in January 2010.