About CNYETB

Located in downtown Syracuse, the Central New York Eye and Tissue Bank (CNYETB) began in 1955 as the Eye Bank of Central New York, providing ocular tissue donation and recovery services throughout Central New York. In 2001, the Eye Bank became a division of Buffalo-based Unyts, one of the leading organ, eye and tissue procurement organizations in the country.

In 2005, the Eye Bank became licensed to provide eye and tissue (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, skin) donation and recovery services for transplant and research and updated its name to the Central New York Eye and Tissue Bank.

In addition to our organization’s comprehensive donation and recovery services, CNYETB is committed to increasing awareness of transplantation and the need for donation, and how vital it is to saving, reclaiming and improving lives.

Contact

Mark Kenville
CNYETB Director

Administration

Mark Simon
President/CEO

Ephraim Singh Atwal, MD
Medical Director, Eye and Tissue Services

Michael Geiss III, MD
Co-Medical Director, Eye and Tissue Services

CNYETB Credentials

Licensed by the NY State Dept. of Health, FDA-Registered

Accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA) and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB)

CNYETB Contracts

Eye and Tissue Recovery: Chenango Memorial Hospital, Cortland Regional Medical Center, Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s Office, Oswego Hospital, Syracuse Veteran’s Administration Hospital, UHS Binghamton General Hospital and UHS Wilson Medical Center

Eye Recovery: Upstate University Hospital, Upstate University Hospital –Community Campus, Crouse Hospital, Community Memorial Hospital, Carthage Area Hospital, Clifton-Fine Hospital, and Massena Memorial Hospital

Birth Tissue Donation: Cortland Regional Medical Center, Oswego Health Maternity Center and UHS Wilson Medical Center

CNYETB Community Support

Hospital Foundation

Hospice of Central New York

Francis House

Syracuse University Athletics

Syracuse Crunch Hockey

Syracuse Sky Chiefs Baseball

CNY Jazz Central

Professional and Public Education programs

CNYETB Affiliations

Donor Family Network

CNY Transplant Awareness Group

Hospital Donation Councils

CNY Lions Clubs

Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce

Central New York Eye and Tissue Bank

517 East Washington Street

Syracuse, New York 13202

315-476-0199

315-470-6060 fax

The Central New York Eye and Tissue Bank (CNYETB) is a non-profit agency that serves a 13-county region in the center of the state, stretching from the Pennsylvania border to the Canadian border. Since our inception in 1955, CNYETB has remained steadfast in fulfilling its mission of saving and enhancing lives through eye and tissue donation, while maintaining respect for those who give the Gift of Life.

Our organization’s comprehensive donation services continue to determine suitability for donation, work with pertinent parties in obtaining consent for donation, and coordinate an extensive donor family support service following donation. We are committed to educating our constituencies and the Central New York population about transplantation, and how vital it is to reclaiming and improving lives.

CNYETB is a division of Unyts, one of the leading procurement organizations in the United States. Unyts is one of only eight centers nationwide to house organ, tissue and eye procurement in one location. With the addition of Community Blood Service in 2007, Unyts became the first organization of its kind nationwide. Unyts operates as a non-profit serving the eight counties of Western New York and works to assist donor families, coordinate the donation process and increase knowledge and awareness within the community regarding transplantation.