Leadership
Dr. Donghae Kim
Founder
Dr. Donghae Kim is the Founder and President of Vision Care, an international relief organization dedicated to the prevention of blindness and first established in South Korea in 2002. Vision Care initially began as a one-time surgical missions trip to Pakistan comprising of a volunteer medical team from Myung Dong St. Mary's Eye Center in Seoul, where Dr. Kim is also Founder and President.
In 17 short years, Vision Care has treated over 166,000 patients and performed more than 24,400 cataract surgeries through 290+ free eye camps in 38 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Central-South America. With a particular emphasis on sustainable local eye health, Vision Care currently has local branches in Pakistan, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Uganda, China, Vietnam, Mauritania and Morocco. Vision Care, which more recently expanded into the U.S. under the same name, is a member of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), where Dr. Kim was recognized in 2013 as an "Eye Health Leader".
Dr. Lisa Park
Board Chair
Lisa Park, MD is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Columbia University Medical Center and an Attending Ophthalmologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Park received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College and her medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. She completed her residency training at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and New York University School of Medicine. After completing a fellowship in anterior segment and refractive surgery with Jack Dodick MD, she joined the faculty at NYU where she was Assistant and Associate Director of Residency Training for eleven years, mentoring over 70 residents and pioneering the use of virtual surgery simulation in residency training. During the same time, she served as Chief of Ophthalmology at Bellevue Hospital and was recognized by NYC Health & Hospitals as “Doctor of the Year” in 2007.
Dr Park joined Columbia’s Department of Ophthalmology in 2017, and is a well-recognized cataract surgeon with a flourishing practice on Manhattan’s west side. Dr. Park has published nearly 100 book chapters, journal articles and research abstracts and lectures nationally and internationally on complex cataract surgery techniques. In 2021, Dr Park was elected to Columbia Doctors FPO Board of Governance, and in 2020 was inducted into Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Academy of Community & Public Service, awarded to faculty in recognition of exceptional community service efforts.
Dr Park has been involved with surgical missions for more than a decade, and since 2013 has been working annually with Vision Care, primarily in East Africa, including leading Phaco Training Courses (PTC) in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. She looks forward to serving Vision Care USA as the Board Chair.
Dr. Daniel Kim
Former Board Chair
Dr. Daniel Kim is the Managing Director of the St. Mary's Eye and Surgery Center, with offices in New Jersey, Manhattan, and Flushing, where he specializes in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Kim has extensive experience with community and professional service organizations including the Korean-American Medical Association (KAMA), Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) and The Beautiful Foundation USA. Dr. Kim is a graduate of Cornell University and NYU School of Medicine.
Amy Ahn
Executive Director, Vision Care USA
Amy Ahn is currently the Executive Director of Vision Care USA. Formerly, Amy was the Executive Director of the Beautiful Foundation USA, a community foundation that has led a grassroots movement to strengthen philanthropic giving and volunteerism in the Korean American community across generations, and which supports Korean American non-profit organizations and beyond through financial grants and capacity building training. Prior to this position, Amy served as the Director of Program Development at the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF) where she managed and executed KACF’s Ford Foundation grant and its programs and activities. Amy also brings years of experience in the for-profit sector, which include positions at Johnson & Johnson where she was the product manager for Johnson’s Baby, and J. Walter Thompson Korea where Amy served as the country manager for the DeBeers brand. Amy started her post-college career as an English Editor and Speechwriter at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Korea. Amy holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and an MA in Economic and Political Development from the Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.