New vision day! Patients in Ebeye return for their post-op check after sight-restoring surgery.
In 2026, ROSE traveled to Ebeye in the Marshall Islands to bring surgical eye care directly to the community, in partnership with Project Vision Hawaii. For many patients, specialist care arrives only after months or years of waiting, and the journey to reach it can be a challenge in itself.
The mission took place during a severe nationwide fuel shortage, with rolling blackouts and rationing affecting everything from communications to the boats families rely on for travel and fishing. Despite these challenges, the team performed 30 complex sight-restoring surgeries in just four days.
Across the Pacific, entire communities live beyond the reach of reliable infrastructure, not because they’re hard to serve, but because the system was never built with them in mind. ROSE is building a durable, locally anchored model that can move with the ocean, meet people where they are, and leave behind capacity, not dependency.
In the next chapter, we’re expanding marine-based remote outreach through chartered liveaboard missions. The point is continuity: returning, building trust, and strengthening local teams through consistent presence and practical resources.
At the same time, we’re investing in simulation training programs and Centers of Excellence, where clinicians can train for high-stakes scenarios, refine core skills, and build confidence while reducing burnout.
