Heather Machin, R.N., Australia
Associate Director, Nursing
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.

Dina Elisa Urruchi Huaman, R.N., Peru
Staff Nurse
Dina Elisa Urruchi Huamán, graduated as a Bachelor of Nursing at the Universidad Nacional del Centro del Peru, and completed a master degree in health services management at the Universidad Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Additionally, she obtained an Ophthalmological care specialist diploma. One of her main achievements is being a co-founder of the Ophthalmological Nursing Peruvian Association in which she still is part of the executive board.

She has been working at the Instituto Nacional de Oftalmologia as a scrub nurse in the operation room for 4 years. She has also worked for the Ricardo Palma Clinic for 11 years –as part of the Oftalmologos Contreras practice crew where she was in charge of the Ophthalmological service. She also worked for MACULA D&T Clinic holding the position of head nurse up to last year. She participated alongside ORBIS in the 2006 visit to Chiclayo-Peru, providing translation services for the nurses and joined the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital in January 2011.

Xiao Ying Liu, R.N., 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, R.N., 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.

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, R.N., 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.

Audny Stuen, Norway
Healthcare Technology Trainer
Audny has more than 20 years of experience as a clinical engineer. She earned her degree in engineering at Bergen University College in Norway and started her career at the Department of Clinical Engineering at Haukeland University Hospital as a service engineer. In 2008 she became a Senior Consultant Clinical Engineer. In the past few years, Audny was closely involved in Helse Bergen’s projects in Malawi, where she was responsible for procurement of equipment for an entire, new maternity wing. In her new role at ORBIS, Audny is responsible for the effective planning, design, and implementation of training programs for biomedical engineers, clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, and other personnel members who provide medical technology support in the FEH’s host countries. Audny joined the FEH team in September 2011.

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.

John Mashino, United States
Flight Mechanic
John Mashino holds an FAA Airframe & Powerplant Certificate from the School of Aeronautics and Related Trades in Montana. He spent 34 years in aircraft maintenance at United Airlines. John retired as a Line Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic in 2001. He joined the Flying Eye Hospital in 2008.

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, India 
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

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.

Kimberly Lipman-White, United States
Interim Finance and Logistics Administrator
Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University. While studying engineering, Kimberly actively pursued ventures in public health and outreach through campus organizations and internships. In her senior year she worked with a team of 3 engineers to create a portable incubator for developing countries that was both cost and resource efficient – it will be tested in Uganda. Previously, Kimberly has interned with Women at Risk, St. Luke’s Medical Center, and Cell and Tissue Engineering Lab. She has also volunteered with public health brigades focused in Honduras. Kimberly joined the Flying Eye Hospital team in April 2011.

McKenzie Price, United States
Flying Eye Hospital Coordinator
McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Howard University, from where she also studied in Kenya researching sustainable development and wildlife management. Additionally, she holds a Masters of Science degree in Comparative Politics-Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and wrote her dissertation on political legitimacy, development, and terrorism in Somalia. Previously, McKenzie worked at the International Women’s Health Coalition and Human Rights Watch. She has also volunteered with organizations focusing on refugee and asylum seekers in both the US and UK and interned with the State Department in Nairobi, Kenya and the Central Intelligence Agency. McKenzie joined the Flying Eye Hospital team in April 2011.