Medical directors play an essential role at eye banks like Saving Sight by providing advice and oversight of medical operations. They ensure the eye bank operates in compliance with the Eye Bank Association of America’s medical standards and other regulatory standards from the Food and Drug Administration.
On July 1, Saving Sight welcomed Dr. Michelle Boyce and Dr. Chris Ketcherside to its medical director team. These new additions complete a team of four, with Drs. Boyce and Martin de la Presa serving as associate medical directors, and Drs. Ketcherside and Gregg Berdy as medical directors. This update follows the announcement of longtime medical director Dr. Joseph Tauber’s planned retirement from the Saving Sight team. Dr. Tauber will continue his association with Saving Sight as chief medical officer at Vital Tears.
Join us in learning more about the Saving Sight medical director team!
Dr. Michelle Boyce, Associate Medical Director
Moyes Eye Center
Dr. Michelle Boyce is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, refractive surgery, and corneal eye disease at Moyes Eye Center in Kansas City. She received her undergraduate education at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, and graduated with honors from St. Louis University School of Medicine. Dr. Boyce completed a one-year internship in internal medicine and a three-year ophthalmology residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She then completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease, and refractive surgery at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Looking forward to her new role, Dr. Boyce stated, “My hope is to maintain excellent care and further our reputation among cornea specialists and patients while advancing our work in new and innovative ways.” She is also the first woman on Saving Sight’s medical director team and expressed her hope to be “the first of many.”
Dr. Martin de la Presa, Associate Medical Director
Grene Vision Group
Since 2022, Dr. Martin de la Presa has played a key role at Saving Sight, serving as associate medical director. Beyond his role at Saving Sight, he is an ophthalmic surgeon specializing in cornea, cataract, refractive, and glaucoma surgeries at Grene Vision Group in Wichita, Kansas. He completed his fellowship in cornea and external disease at the Cincinnati Eye Institute and his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.
In reflecting on his role, Dr. de la Presa emphasized the crucial connection between physicians and eye banks, noting, “Physicians act as the voice for both patients and donors, ensuring that every tissue donation is utilized fully and reaches those in greatest need.”
Dr. Chris Ketcherside, Medical Director
Kansas City Eye Clinic
Dr. Chris Ketcherside, based at the Kansas City Eye Clinic, specializes in LASIK and refractive surgery, cataract and premium lens implant surgery, cornea disorders, and cornea transplant surgery. He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Missouri, followed by an ophthalmology residency at the University of Virginia and a fellowship at the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute at the University of Colorado, focusing on cornea and refractive surgery.
Dr. Ketcherside discussed the role of medical directors in fostering innovation within ophthalmology, stating, “We bridge the clinic, the operating room, and the patient themselves. We bring current issues and potential needs to the eye banking community, helping us work together to anticipate and resolve challenges.”
Dr. Gregg Berdy, Medical Director
Ophthalmology Associates
Dr. Gregg Berdy has been a leader at Saving Sight since he first joined the board of directors in 1992, later serving as co-medical director with Dr. Tauber. A board-certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in cornea and external disease and ocular allergy at Ophthalmology Associates in St. Louis, Dr. Berdy has been a principal investigator for at least fifty FDA trials and has published extensively in ophthalmic literature. He has also served as president and a board member for the Missouri Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.
Reflecting on the impact of eye donation, Dr. Berdy remarked, “What you must remember is that each transplant originates from a person and family who chose to donate, which is at the heart of everything. Every case reminds me of how special that is.”
We look forward to working closely with this dedicated group of professionals to ensure that Saving Sight is meeting our community’s needs in the most safe and effective way possible.