Steven J. Stern, PMP (Founder, President, Executive Director) has been volunteering in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the US annually since 2005. From 2005 to 2009 he volunteered with Great Shape! Inc. providing free dental care. He also served on the board of International Smile Power. He founded the iCARE program in 2009 and has been a member of VOSH since this time. He currently serves as director of iCARE. He created Sight is a Right in 2017 to expand eye care to other regions throughout the year. He has led over 1,550 volunteers providing free eye care, glasses, cataract / MIG surgeries, laser surgeries, and health screenings to over 83,600 patients in 11 countries throughout the world encompassing 50 clinics. He also volunteered providing hospice care and in multiple food banks.
Mr. Stern had a distinguished career as a medical Software Engineer and Program/Project Manager, predominately in the field of medical devices with modalities such as diagnostic ultrasound, LVADs (heart pumps), and defibrillators. He has received many professional honors including several medical patents, a technical fellowship, and an IDEA Medical and Scientific silver award.
Alexander Pinhas, M.D. (Vice President) is an attending surgeon of vitreoretinal diseases and ophthalmology at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Pinhas received his M.D. degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, completed his ophthalmology residency at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and his vitreoretinal surgery fellowship at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. He is board certified in ophthalmology. His research interests include democratizing healthcare through the field of oculometrics, dedicated to identifying ocular biomarkers for systemic disease diagnosis, prognosis and systemic treatment response monitoring non-invasively through the eye.
Dr. Pinhas is passionate about community service and global health. Since 2017 he has been actively involved with Sight is a Right and iCARE clinics, providing free eye care to economically disadvantaged people. In 2018, Dr. Pinhas introduced the green argon retinal laser to the mission trips to enable treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Jason Forbes (Treasurer) is a bi-v
ocational software engineer and the rabbi of a community south of Seattle, WA. Born and raised in upstate NY, he graduated from SUNY Oswego with a double major in computer science and physics. As a software engineer, he has spent most of his career in the medical device field. Major contributions include developing software for high-end diagnostic ultrasound machines, as well as bedside patient monitors.
Shortly after college, Mr. Forbes entered rabbinic studies and later received ordination to lead a multi-cultural community near Seattle. Mr. Forbes served on the board of Chevra International, a humanitarian organization which cares primarily for Holocaust survivors in Eastern Europe and Israel. In all he has served as a board member for five 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, and has overseen the financial operations of three.
Kathryn Ward, OD, Diplomate, American Board of Optometry grew up in Orono, Maine, and received her Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Maine. She attended graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, earning her Doctorate in Optometry in 1991. She returned to Maine to join Penobscot Eye Care later that same year. Dr. Ward has advanced therapeutic glaucoma authority through the State of Maine Board of Optometry. She is a member of the International Optometric Honor Society, Beta Sigma Kappa, the Maine Optometric Association, and the American Optometric Association.
Dr. Ward and her husband Karl have three children and two dogs. The family especially enjoys biking and traveling to explore different cultures. Dr. Ward is a Board member of CISV (Children’s International Summer Village), a peace education organization that gives children from different countries all over the world a chance to interact and build inter-cultural. She has annually volunteered in Sight is a Right and iCARE clinics with family members since 2011.
Craig Bowen, OD, earned his Bachelor of Science from Alma College in Alma, Michigan, before completing his second Bachelor of Science and then a Doctor of Optometry degree at Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon. Dedicated to advancing the profession, he is a current board member and past president of the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association. He also owns and operates a thriving community-based optometry practice known for its patient-centered approach and high standard of care.
With a strong commitment to global health, Dr. Bowen has participated in numerous international humanitarian missions, delivering essential eye care to underserved communities across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and South America. His passion for education and service continues to shape his work both locally and abroad.
Dr. Bowen is specialty-trained in myopia management and certified to provide evidence-based treatments that slow nearsightedness in children. He also has extensive experience diagnosing, treating, and managing dry eye disease and macular degeneration. With a patient-first approach, he works to improve vision, protect eye health, and enhance each patient’s quality of life.
Outside of the clinic, Dr. Bowen enjoys exercising, gourmet cooking and grilling, and spending time with friends. He lives near his practice with his Shetland Sheepdog, Taza.
Gabriela Miller, OD, earned her Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, graduating at the top of her class. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Optical Science and completed her undergraduate work in chemistry and pre-optometry at Duke University.
Dr. Miller ran a successful private optometric practice for 30 years in Maryland, which allowed her to build lasting relationships with her patients and her community. She loves helping people see better every day, and truly believes there’s nothing more rewarding. She’s a people person at heart. Getting to meet and work with so many different individuals keeps her excited about her work.
Dr. Miller loves giving back in many ways. She volunteers locally by providing eye exams in schools and supporting grieving children at a local grief camp. Her heart, though, lies in her work with Sight is a Right, through which she has traveled the world providing eye care to people with little or no access. Helping someone see clearly for the first time is an experience she never takes for granted. Each volunteer opportunity reminds her how fortunate we are to have access to modern medical care at home.