Mike Feilmeier, M.D., medical director of the Prevention of Global Blindness Division at the Truhlsen Eye Institute at UNMC and an ophthalmologist with Midwest Eye Care, is one of the top 20 semifinalists to be named JCI’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (JCI TOYP).
To vote for him, go to the JCI website, click on his name to view his individual page and then press “Like” below his biography.
A public popular online vote will be a percentage of his total score. The rest of his score will be determined by a judging panel comprised of representatives of select partner organizations and the JCI president. Judging deadline is Wednesday.
The JCI TOYP program honors 10 outstanding young people under the age of 40 each year. These individuals exemplify the spirit of the JCI Mission and provide extraordinary service to their communities. Whether through service, innovation, determination or revolutionary thinking, these young active citizens create positive impacts on a local and global level. These 10 young active citizens will be honored during the 2015 JCI World Congress on Nov. 7 in Kanazawa, Japan.
Dr. Feilmeier, a full-time ophthalmologist specializing in corneal and external eye disease and surgery, is passionate about his humanitarian work. Part of his fellowship training was spent working in Nepal, India, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Ghana teaching eye surgery techniques and performing hundreds of sight restoring cataract surgeries as well as more than 40 corneal transplant surgeries.
He is one of just a few ophthalmologists in the country to complete a fellowship in global blindness prevention. Since joining UNMC in 2010, Dr. Feilmeier has led eight trips to Haiti, Ethiopia and Nepal and performed more than 1,400 sight restoring surgeries.
He also developed two fellowship programs paving the way for the next generation of leaders in the field of blindness prevention as well as working locally to provide free eye exams to Native Americans in Nebraska in a weeklong annual free eye clinic.
His work was acknowledged in March when he was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans for 2015 by the United States Junior Chamber (Jaycees).
JCI is a nonprofit organization of young active citizens age 18 to 40 who are engaged and committed to creating impact in their communities. Active citizens are individuals invested in the future of our world. JCI gathers active citizens from all sectors of society.