NEW YORK— Jewish Guild Healthcare and Lighthouse International, two respected not-for-profit vision care organizations, announced Monday that they plan to join forces and operate as one organization under the new name Lighthouse Guild International. In a joint statement, the two organizations said the merger will enable them to offer “the broadest array and most comprehensive scope of services currently available for people who are blind, vision impaired or multi-disabled, ranging from physical and mental health to rehabilitation, long-term care and education.”

Lighthouse Guild International will be governed by a 41-member board of directors led by James M. Dubin as chairman, and Joseph A. Ripp as vice chairman. All current members of the Boards of Jewish Guild Healthcare, formerly known as The Jewish Guild for the Blind, and Lighthouse International will join the newly constituted Board.

Lighthouse Guild International will be led by the current CEOs of each organization, with Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD serving as president and chief executive officer, and Mark G. Ackermann as chief operating officer and executive vice president. Together, they will run the combined organization with the support of a proven management team to be comprised of executives from both organizations.

The leadership of the combined organization will immediately begin planning a full and effective integration of programs and services ahead of the completion of the merger, which is expected to occur by the end of the first quarter of 2014.