2023 Focus on Eye Health Summit Presentations
The Focus on Eye Health National Summit brings together diverse stakeholders across the vision and eye health community to stimulate a national dialogue around emerging and current population health trends and topics such as equity, research, surveillance, access, prevention, service integration, program development, and dissemination of professional best practices.
SESSION 1: Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentation – Why the Eye? Advances in Eyecare and the Impact on the Patient
The goal of the keynote is to discuss how recent innovations are advancing eye care and how these innovations are impacting the patient.
Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Neil M. Bressler, MD
Editor in Chief, JAMA Ophthalmology
Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
SESSION 2: Why the Eye? Making an Impact With the Stories We Tell
The goal of this session is to discuss through a roundtable format how data, social media, and patient advocacy can be used to tell a story around the importance of vision and eye health.
Kevin D. Frick, PhD
Professor, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (Moderator)
Sila Bal, MD, MPH
Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellow, Harvard Ophthalmology
Patrice Marie Hicks, PhD, MPH
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan
Christina Gill
Global Family Coordinator, Know the Glow
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Graduate
SESSION 3: The Rising Visionary Award
The Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to a student or resident in a health-related field who submits the best overall application and essay addressing the 2023 Focus on Eye Health Summit theme: Why the Eye?
Jim McGrann
Board Chair, Prevent Blindness (Moderator)
Christina Ambrosino
MD Candidate, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
SESSION 4: Why the Eye? Reimagining How We Engage Communities from Identification into Care – Children and Adults
The goal of this session is to discuss through a roundtable format how communities overcome barriers from identification to care by addressing access, cultural and language barriers, transportation, and use of telemedicine.
Tami Garcia
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Verian Wedeking
Program Director, OHSU Casey Eye Institute Community Outreach
Mayhoua Moua
Executive Director, Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc.
Ellen K. Antwi-Adjei, OD, MPH
Vision Science Graduate Program Trainee, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
Mercedes Hernández, MPH, CHES
Director of Child and Family Health, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project
SESSION 5: 2023 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health & Closing Remarks
The Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national and/or international level.
Jim McGrann
Board Chair, Prevent Blindness (Moderator)
Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Dean A. VanNasdale, OD, PhD, FAAO
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University College of Optometry
SESSION 1: Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentation – Why the Eye? Innovative Mental Health Approaches
The goal of this session is to discuss the importance of and share actionable steps for integrating mental health into the vision and eye health community, share examples of how mental health has integrated in other health areas, and end with lessons learned and key takeaways for the vision and eye health community.
Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Julian Eaton, BSc, MSc, MBBS, MRCPsych
Mental Health Director, CBM Global
Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
SESSION 2: Why the Eye? Forum on the Public Health Connection Between Mental Wellness and Vision
The goal of this forum is to discuss the importance of integrating mental health and vision and eye health; provide an overview of findings from the Prevent Blindness mental health task force; discuss in a roundtable with various providers around awareness, training, and resources available and needed; explore an integrated care model; and learn from the patient experience.
Presentation Slides:
Moderator
Steven M. Silverstein, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical Center
Patient Perspective
Carol Johnson
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Graduate
Public Health Case Around Mental Health and Vision
Varshini Varadaraj, MD, MPH
Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center
Vision Loss and Mental Health Issue Brief
Julie Grutzmacher, MSW, MPH
Director of Patient Advocacy & Population Health Initiatives, Prevent Blindness
Provider Roundtable Discussion
Melissa Taussig, MA, LCPC
Private Practice
K. Thiran Jayasundera MD, MS
Paul R. Lichter Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan
Rochelle Neutra, MSN, FNP-BC
Patient; Provider; Advocate; Prevent Blindness ASPECT Program Graduate
Kelly Scherer, OD
Director of Clinical Services, The Lighthouse Chicago
Patient Perspective
Larry Woodard
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Graduate
SESSION 3: Why the Eye? Policy Opportunities and Obstacles Around Vision and Mental Wellness
The goal of this session through a fireside chat is to identify the separate and mutual policy obstacles and opportunities that exist within the vision and eye health and mental wellness communities, and to determine how both communities can work together to ensure patients facing vision loss are connected to the mental health care they need to maintain well-being.
Jennifer Dexter
Vice President of Policy, National Health Council (Moderator)
Sara D. Brown, MPA
Director of Government Affairs, Prevent Blindness
Angela Kimball
Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, Inseparable
Presentations and Agendas from Past Focus on Eye Health Summits
The 2022 Focus on Eye Health Summit: Eye-Conic Approaches to Eye Health
The 2021 Focus on Eye Health Summit: Our Changing Vision
Focus on Eye Health Summit Presentations on YouTube
- DAY 1: Wednesday, July 12, 2023
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SESSION 1: Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentation – Why the Eye? Advances in Eyecare and the Impact on the Patient
The goal of the keynote is to discuss how recent innovations are advancing eye care and how these innovations are impacting the patient.
Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Neil M. Bressler, MD
Editor in Chief, JAMA Ophthalmology
Professor of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineSESSION 2: Why the Eye? Making an Impact With the Stories We Tell
The goal of this session is to discuss through a roundtable format how data, social media, and patient advocacy can be used to tell a story around the importance of vision and eye health.
Kevin D. Frick, PhD
Professor, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (Moderator)
Sila Bal, MD, MPH
Cornea and Refractive Surgery Fellow, Harvard Ophthalmology
Patrice Marie Hicks, PhD, MPH
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan
Christina Gill
Global Family Coordinator, Know the Glow
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program GraduateSESSION 3: The Rising Visionary Award
The Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award is presented annually to a student or resident in a health-related field who submits the best overall application and essay addressing the 2023 Focus on Eye Health Summit theme: Why the Eye?
Jim McGrann
Board Chair, Prevent Blindness (Moderator)
Christina Ambrosino
MD Candidate, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineSESSION 4: Why the Eye? Reimagining How We Engage Communities from Identification into Care – Children and Adults
The goal of this session is to discuss through a roundtable format how communities overcome barriers from identification to care by addressing access, cultural and language barriers, transportation, and use of telemedicine.
Tami Garcia
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
Verian Wedeking
Program Director, OHSU Casey Eye Institute Community Outreach
Mayhoua Moua
Executive Director, Milwaukee Consortium for Hmong Health, Inc.
Ellen K. Antwi-Adjei, OD, MPH
Vision Science Graduate Program Trainee, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry
Mercedes Hernández, MPH, CHES
Director of Child and Family Health, East Coast Migrant Head Start ProjectSESSION 5: 2023 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health & Closing Remarks
The Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization that has made significant contributions to the advancement of public health related to vision and eye health at the community, state, national and/or international level.
Jim McGrann
Board Chair, Prevent Blindness (Moderator)Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Dean A. VanNasdale, OD, PhD, FAAO
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University College of Optometry - Day 2: Thursday, July 13, 2023
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SESSION 1: Opening Remarks & Keynote Presentation – Why the Eye? Innovative Mental Health Approaches
The goal of this session is to discuss the importance of and share actionable steps for integrating mental health into the vision and eye health community, share examples of how mental health has integrated in other health areas, and end with lessons learned and key takeaways for the vision and eye health community.
Jeff Todd
President & CEO, Prevent Blindness
(Moderator)
Julian Eaton, BSc, MSc, MBBS, MRCPsych
Mental Health Director, CBM Global
Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineSESSION 2: Why the Eye? Forum on the Public Health Connection Between Mental Wellness and Vision
The goal of this forum is to discuss the importance of integrating mental health and vision and eye health; provide an overview of findings from the Prevent Blindness mental health task force; discuss in a roundtable with various providers around awareness, training, and resources available and needed; explore an integrated care model; and learn from the patient experience.
Presentation Slides:
Moderator
Steven M. Silverstein, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, University of Rochester Medical CenterPatient Perspective
Carol Johnson
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program GraduatePublic Health Case Around Mental Health and Vision
Varshini Varadaraj, MD, MPH
Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research CenterVision Loss and Mental Health Issue Brief
Julie Grutzmacher, MSW, MPH
Director of Patient Advocacy & Population Health Initiatives, Prevent BlindnessProvider Roundtable Discussion
Melissa Taussig, MA, LCPC
Private Practice
K. Thiran Jayasundera MD, MS
Paul R. Lichter Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Michigan
Rochelle Neutra, MSN, FNP-BC
Patient; Provider; Advocate; Prevent Blindness ASPECT Program Graduate
Kelly Scherer, OD
Director of Clinical Services, The Lighthouse ChicagoPatient Perspective
Larry Woodard
Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program GraduateSESSION 3: Why the Eye? Policy Opportunities and Obstacles Around Vision and Mental Wellness
The goal of this session through a fireside chat is to identify the separate and mutual policy obstacles and opportunities that exist within the vision and eye health and mental wellness communities, and to determine how both communities can work together to ensure patients facing vision loss are connected to the mental health care they need to maintain well-being.
Jennifer Dexter
Vice President of Policy, National Health Council (Moderator)
Sara D. Brown, MPA
Director of Government Affairs, Prevent Blindness
Angela Kimball
Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, Inseparable - Past Summits
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Presentations and Agendas from Past Focus on Eye Health Summits
The 2022 Focus on Eye Health Summit: Eye-Conic Approaches to Eye Health
The 2021 Focus on Eye Health Summit: Our Changing Vision
Focus on Eye Health Summit Presentations on YouTube
The 2023 Focus on Eye Health Summit
About the Summit
Presenter and Moderator Bios
Summit Media Release
