Columbus Speaker Series
Foundation Fighting Blindness
On November 15, 2023 our department and the Foundation Fighting Blindness co-hosted the Columbus Speaker Series Event. There were offered tours of the Pelotonia Research Center (PRC) to show the labs of the researcher's planning to work there. The attendees heard from Sayoko Moroi, MD, PhD, Thomas Mendel, MD, PhD, Shigeo Tamiya, PhD, & Nagaraj Kerur, PhD all about their invaluable insights and future plans within their work. We look forward to all of the progress and success that will be made at the PRC.
Foundation Fighting Blindness | 2023 VisionWalk
The Ohio State University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences actively participated in The Foundation Fighting Blindness' annual VisionWalk event held on October 1st, 2023. The event shed light on the profound impact of blinding retinal diseases, affecting over 10 million Americans, including individuals battling macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and Usher syndrome.
DOVS demonstrated support by raising an impressive sum of $5,000 for this noble cause. Our generous contribution played a vital role in the grand total of $60,000 raised during the event. The Foundation Fighting Blindness provides a sense of hope for those afflicted by these devastating diseases, with a mission to discover effective treatments and ultimately find the cures to these conditions.
The event proved to be a huge success, thanks to the collective efforts of compassionate individuals and organizations committed to making a difference for those who are affected. We would like to thank everyone that was able to attend this event and are looking forward to attending again next year.
OSU Ophthalmology Partners with Heart of Ohio and VSP Eyes of Hope to Improve Vision Care Access in Central Ohio
On October 8th and 9th 2022, the Ohio State University Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (DOVS) held their first event in partnership with Heart of Ohio Family Health FQHC, VSP, The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Delta Dental. This event provided free comprehensive eye exams, eyeglasses, and dental screenings to uninsured children and adults in the central Ohio community without access to routine vision and dental care.
DOVS led planning the event and several volunteers – faculty, residents, and fellows, saw patients for comprehensive eye exams with refractions. The event was held locally in the community at one of Heart of Ohio’s newest health centers and their staff oversaw registration, referral placement for follow-up care, and day-of operations support. The OSU College of Dentistry brought student volunteers and coordinated with Delta Dental to cover the cost to provide services for patients.
Collectively, we cared for over 100 patients in 2 days! Several providers and other DOVS staff helped with planning for the event and volunteering the weekend of the event. The attendance for the event was greater than expected and DOVS providers adapted quickly to ensure we didn’t have to turn many away. 64 pairs of glasses were made for patients at no charge and an additional 50 vouchers were left at Heart of Ohio for patients unable to attend to receive an eye exam and glasses free of charge with a local VSP network provider. Over 20 patients were identified as needing subspecialty follow-up care, further demonstrating the need for patients in these communities to have improved access to vision care.
The event was a great success, strengthening the relationship of the stakeholders, and most importantly, improving vision and dental care for underserved populations. We are planning for this clinic to be an annual event. Thank you to all participating physicians including Drs. Adeli, Yoest, Scoville, Melnyk, Suelves, Madhan, Haroun. Thanks to all participating staff including Katie Woodrow and Monica Shah.
As our clinic grows we rely greatly on equipment to provide accurate testing and diagnosis. To help purchase equipment see: https://www.giveto.osu.edu/makeagift/details/308826
Foundation Fighting Blindness | VisionWalk 2023
