May 6, 2015
Prevent Blindness and its partners have set program details for the fourth annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit, to be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 8:30 am-3 pm., at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.
The Summit will include a variety of presentations related to this year’s theme, “Game Changers in Vision,” featuring efforts and advances that are expected to significantly change how eyecare is delivered in the future. The conference also will highlight initial steps by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the development of a “Vision & Public Health” Report supported by Prevent Blindness, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Eye Institute, and other eye health organizations.
Attendees of this free event will include patient advocates, national vision and eye health organizations, government representatives and community-based organizations. Those unable to attend in person will have an opportunity to follow the event on a live Twitter feed at #eyesummit.
Among the scheduled presentations for this year’s Summit are: Institute of Medicine Reports: Catalyzing Change – Rose Martinez, director of the board on Population Health, Institute of Medicine; Implications of Coverage and Payment for the Future of Eye Care – Susan Dentzer, senior policy advisor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; The Transformative Potential of Big Data – William L. Rich III, MD, medical director of Health Policy, American Academy of Ophthalmology; Improving Surveillance and Program Accountability for Children’s Vision – Laura Anderko, PhD, RN, associate professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Georgetown University.
Other presentations include: Innovative Approaches to Research to Care – Gregory Hageman, PhD, professor and executive director, Moran Eye Center, University of Utah; The Growing Impact of Telemedicine on our Approach to Vision – Jorge Cuadros, OD, PhD, director of Clinical Infomatics Research, University of California, Berkeley; and NASA: Meeting Vision Challenges of Space Travel while Helping Mankind – Bob Main, CEO, Web Vision Centers Group.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. To date, gold-level sponsors of the event include the Allergan Foundation, American Academy of Ophthalmology, BrightFocus Foundation, The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, Genentech, Lighthouse Guild International, National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health and Regeneron.
Silver-level sponsors include the Alliance for Aging Research, Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, American Optometric Association, American Public Health Association – Vision Care Section, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, The Foundation Fighting Blindness, International Retinal Research Foundation, Liberty Sport, Lions Clubs International, Notal Vision, Research to Prevent Blindness, Vision 2020 USA, The Vision Council, Vision Impact Institute and VisionServe Alliance.
In conjunction with the Summit, Prevent Blindness will hold the 10th annual Eyes on Capitol Hill event, bringing those directly impacted by vision loss and blindness together with their government representatives on Tuesday, June 16. A reception for the Congressional Vision Caucus (CVC) will be held the evening of this Capitol Hill event.
The CVC is a bicameral and bipartisan coalition of more than 100 Congressional Members dedicated to strengthening and stimulating a national dialogue and policy on vision-related problems and disabilities. A Congressional briefing will be held on June 18.
To register or for more information about the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health National Summit and sponsorship opportunities, visit preventblindness.org/eyesummit or call (800) 331-2020.
