The Orientation and

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The Orientation and Mobility Pilot: An Innovative Partnership with Vanderbilt

facilities and former O&M specialist. She is a member of the VEI advisory board, where she met Dr. Robinson, who had been brought in to expand low vision services. With Dr. Robinson’s knowledge base and Lebous’ engagement on the advisory board, the two began talking about how to expand O&M services. Lebous began reaching out to a number of people in the low vision and blindness field and connected with VisionServe Alliance, an organization of CEOs of major vision rehabilitation facilities across the country. It was VisionServe Alliance members who suggested Lebous contact Salus, where she approached Fabiana Perla, EdD, COMS, CLVR, chair of the University’s BLVS department, and Maffit to collaborate in the development of this described pilot project. It took about a year for the program J oshua Robinson, OD, FAAO, director of Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI), put it succinctly dearth in the number of O&M instructors available, so people would wait a long time to have their immediate needs met,” said Jamie Maffit, MS, COMS, to come to fruition. Started in August 2021, the eight week course combined online and in person instruction. Since this program was the first of its when he said, “This is a big deal.” CLVT, director of Salus University’s O&M kind and the results were so positive,

The “this” Dr. Robinson was talking program. “The idea was to provide skills- Lebous said Vanderbilt will continue about is a pilot program developed based training on selected indoor O&M to evaluate the referral base from and implemented by Salus University’s skills for the physical therapists who are Dr. Robinson to the PTs in order to Blindness and Low Vision Studies often the first rehabilitation professional continue to validate the importance (BLVS) Department in partnership with to meet with the person post-low vision of the project. In turn, she believes the Vanderbilt University Medical Center exam and have them provide those next step will be to look for other sites in Nashville, Tennessee, specifically for first-line basic level skills. And, then refer where the program can be instituted, Vanderbilt’s on-staff Physical Therapists for further O&M if needed.” an initiative that she hopes will continue (PTs), that provided Orientation and The idea to teach PTs to offer basic to include Salus and Vanderbilt. Mobility (O&M) skills-based training PTs O&M instruction to patients was the could offer their patients. brainchild of Carlene Lebous, a retired TO READ MORE, GO TO

SALUS.EDU/O-MVANDERBILT

“Unfortunately, there is frequently a CEO and founder of vision rehabilitation

Invested in the Community

MacuLogix Establishes Endowed Award at PCO/Salus

MacuLogix, a company that equips eye care professionals with devices and training needed to effectively diagnose agerelated macular degeneration (AMD), has established a $25,000 MacuLogix AMD Advocacy endowed award at PCO/Salus to be presented annually to a graduating optometrist who’s demonstrated a commitment to managing patients with AMD. PCO/Salus was selected for the award to honor two of its graduates for their practical commitment to AMD diagnosis — Glenn Corbin, OD ’82, of Wyomissing Optometric Center and Gary Kirman, OD ’86, of Kirman Eye.

The company has also donated an AdaptDx Pro, used for dark adaptation testing, to The Eye Institute (TEI) at Chestnut Hill.

Salus, STAAR Launch Project MyVision

PCO/SALUS and its clinical facility, The Eye Institute (TEI), recently partnered with STAAR Surgical, a leading developer and manufacturer of implantable lenses and companion delivery systems for the eye, to launch Project MyVision, a charitable lensbased refractive surgery program.

Under the new partnership, STAAR will donate more PROJECT MYVISION’S FIRST PATIENT than two dozen Implantable Collamer® Lenses (ICLs) to underserved, low-income patients diagnosed with myopia (nearsightedness), which is the need for distance vision correction. Myopia is the most common vision disorder globally and its prevalence is rapidly growing.

David Friess, OD ’02, Resident ’03,

FAAO, and former president of the University’s Alumni Association, was at the forefront of developing the partnership between the institutions.

“The ICL is an elective surgical procedure designed to provide individuals visual freedom from contact lenses and glasses and this new partnership between Salus and STAAR Surgical will expand access to individuals who may not have the economic resources to consider refractive surgery,” said Dr. Friess, who is currently vice president, global medical affairs at STAAR Surgical. “We believe Project MyVision can also benefit PCO/Salus students during their clinical training by exposing them to the benefits of vision correction with lensbased refractive surgery and potentially opening new career paths for work in collaboration with surgeons and surgical practices.”

James Lewis, MD, a Salus University consulting ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery, will perform the ICL procedures for Project MyVision. Use of facilities, equipment and personnel support are being provided by the Fort Washington Surgery Center.

The goal of Project MyVision is to provide ICL implant surgery to patients receiving vision care through TEI with moderate to severe myopia. This elective procedure is not covered by health insurance providers.