As the year comes to an end, we collectively focus on generosity and supporting those who are in need. During this special time, we inviting you to participate in our “ACE Global Cares” campaign to provide vital funds needed to continue growing our mentorship, training, and fellowship programs, and help us build a new eye care facility.
In 2024 we accomplished a lot together, but we are only just getting started. We have big plans for the coming year, and we hope to count on your generous support to make them a reality.
Every year, we proudly accept a minimum of three young ophthalmologists into our Honduran Anterior Segment (AS) fellowship and one into the Honduran Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (OPRS) fellowship.
Both of these 12-month programs are accredited by the International Ophthalmological Fellowship Foundation and the prestigious San Felipe specialty hospital in Honduras. These fellows benefit from an immersive curriculum that includes two trips to the U.S. to observe cutting-edge eye clinic and surgical setups, witness surgeries, and build lifelong collaborations with renowned ophthalmologists.
Anterior Segment Fellow
2024-2025
Home Country: Guatemala
Anterior Segment Fellow
2024-2025
Home Country: Argentina
Anterior Segment Fellow
2024 – 2025
Home Country: Bolivia
Oculofacial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellow
2025-2026
Home Country: Honduras
Inaugural Retina Fellow
2025-2026
Home Country: Honduras
In addition to our current programs, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the first-ever Retina fellowship in Honduras. Supported by the Retina Fellowship Committee, which includes esteemed U.S. doctors and universities, along with 8 of the 10 Honduran Retina specialists, this new fellowship will provide world-class training in retina care, further enhancing our mission to improve eye care throughout the region.
As with our other programs, the Retina fellows will have opportunities to engage with top institutions like the University of Minnesota and attend key industry events like the annual AAO meetings.
In 4 years, we have grown from one Honduran fellow to five per year, and we have participated in the education of over 20 resident physicians. We have exceeded our capacity at all four of the training facilities we use, and there is no space to train additional doctors. This is why we need your help to build C-STAR: The Center for Surgical Training and Research.
The new facility will have the capacity to perform 10,000 surgeries per year, allowing for a significant reduction in the 160,000 visually impaired Hondurans, and providing excellent, affordable and accessible eye care for years to come.
It costs around $5,000 per fellow to send them to the US for rotations, to attend ophthalmology conferences and summits, and to participate in our Entrepreneurial Leadership Course for Ophthalmologists. Your donation will help us make their travel arrangements and provide housing throughout their fellowship to ensure they will receive the best training we can provide. All donations count, no matter the size.
High-volume surgery requires a team of highly skilled professionals working in concert to support the surgeon and care for the patients before, during, and after their procedure. ACE Global’s first-of-its-kind Honduran Surgical Technician Training program provides training, education, and mentorship to help the selected individuals grow professionally while helping elevate the quality and efficiency of surgical care being provided to individuals in need.
The first specialty training fellowships of their kind in Honduras. Through these fellowships, ophthalmologists will graduate with over 600 surgeries for Anterior Segment and well over 300 surgeries and procedures for Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Fellows will travel to the United States for rotations and training from a number of mentor physicians, universities, and practices.
High-volume cataract surgery makes the best use of limited resources. Through local surgical centers, fellows can learn techniques that enable rapid growth in their surgical volume. This will lead to lessening the burden of preventable blindness.
Expands access to eye care by scaling up the training and use of clinical support staff and developing sustainable programs which create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
Shifting the paradigm from performing cataract surgeries in host communities to mentoring, training and equipping the local doctors to perform more surgeries on their own, incorporates, the most effective and equitable use of often-limited resources while building the host community’s health workforce capacity.
