HelpMeSee Expands Leadership Team to Prepare for Simulation-based Surgical Training

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Sep 23, 2015, 04:17 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In preparation for the launch of its simulation-based training programs in cataract surgery, HelpMeSee has expanded its leadership team with new roles in training and development. The new positions include Daniel Hutter, M.D. as Chief Instructor, Michael Moore as Chief Instructor Trainer and Steven J. Moore as Senior Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving.

"The HelpMeSee campaign has the ambitious goal of training cataract surgeons at a scale needed to address the severe shortage of well-trained specialists," said Jacob Mohan Thazhathu, President & CEO of HelpMeSee. "Our team will lead the transformation of cataract surgical training for a lasting public health impact."

As Chief Instructor, Dr. Hutter will manage the training of the Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) Simulation-based Training Program (MSTP) Instructors and instructor training delivery process. He will also qualify as one of the first instructors, mentor the Chief and Assistant Chief Trainers, and participate in the validation of the MSTP systems. His work will include assignments at HelpMeSee's overseas training centers.

Dr. Hutter is a board-certified ophthalmologist whose interest in global blindness prevention began when he served as a staff ophthalmologist on the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. His work at the convergence of technology and medicine includes time as a Visiting Scientist at the National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a certificate in Health Information Technology from The George Washington University. Most recently, Dr. Hutter worked with the Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group as a comprehensive ophthalmologist and cataract surgery expert. He holds an M.D. from Jefferson Medical College.

"The simulator is valuable for both novice and experienced cataract surgeons," said Dr. Hutter. "I have performed thousands of surgeries over more than 15 years. Using adjustments which I learned from working on the simulator, the incisions I made in subsequent live patient cataract surgeries were improved."

In the role of Chief Instructor Trainer, Michael Moore will provide simulation training, classroom training and courseware development expertise to assist HelpMeSee team members who create and deliver MSICS classroom and simulator training. He will also partner with the Chief Learning Officer, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Instructor to develop systems for recruiting instructors.

"The use of simulation training in healthcare is a rapidly growing trend, for good reason, and HelpMeSee's work at the leading edge of this technology will restore sight for millions," said Michael Moore. "I'm thrilled to join such a groundbreaking mission."

Michael Moore has extensive experience in aviation training and flight safety management, most recently as Manager – Flight Safety for Viking Air Limited, manufacturer of the DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. Previously, he spent six years with FlightSafety Canada as Program Manager for DHC-6 Twin Otter training, six years with Zimex Aviation as Training Manager and Project Chief Pilot on various Red Cross war relief assignments and a number of years with McDonald's Canada as a Regional Operations Manager and Training Consultant.

"Michael Moore and Dr. Hutter will play an essential role in standing up the first Simulator Training Centers," said Jon Pollack, HelpMeSee's Chief of Training Operations. "Together they will be responsible for ensuring that the simulator instructors have the knowledge and instructional skills to enable the trainees to take full advantage of HelpMeSee's advanced training system in their journey to become highly skilled MSICS surgeons."

Joining HelpMeSee as Senior Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, Steven J. Moore will play a key role on the development team. In this new position, he will focus on building relationships with both existing and potential major donors while working closely with HelpMeSee's Vice President of Development and Marketing, CEO and Board to expand the campaign's fundraising efforts.

"I look forward to working with the dedicated, professional, and experienced development team that has been assembled by HelpMeSee," said Steven J. Moore. A Kentucky native, he has practiced tax and estate law and served as a major gift and planned giving director for over twenty years. After graduating from The University of the Cumberlands, he completed a J.D. at the University of Kentucky College of Law and a Masters in Tax Law from the College of William and Mary. His past work includes roles as general counsel and, later, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving for The University of the Cumberlands. Most recently, he was Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at the University of Kentucky, a position he held until August 2015.

About HelpMeSee
HelpMeSee is a global campaign to eliminate cataract blindness, the leading cause of blindness worldwide. To address this public health crisis, HelpMeSee has developed a virtual reality MSICS surgical simulator to train cataract specialists, a smartphone-based app to facilitate patient outreach, and a pre-sterilized surgical kit to deliver safe care in remote areas. To date, the campaign has delivered over 200,000 surgeries to patients in India, Nepal, China, Peru, Vietnam, Togo, Sierra Leone and Madagascar.