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News, Events And Articles of Interest



Dr. Mark Boas

Dr. Boas of The Eye Institute and The InfantSEE program were featured on Channel 6 - ABC News.
To see the interview: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=6988286



Third Annual Looking Out for Kids Fundraiser: A Charitable Night

Eagles' offensive guard, Todd Herremans; The Eye Institute's Vice President for Patient Care Services, Dr. Susan Oleszewski; and President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc., Lisa Nutter served as the night's hosts.
Eagles' offensive guard, Todd Herremans; The Eye Institute's Vice President for Patient Care Services, Dr. Susan Oleszewski; and President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc., Lisa Nutter served as the night's hosts. (Photo by John Dolores Photography)

On the evening of October 30, 2009, the lights in the Hafter Student Center on the campus of Salus University were dim, while donors sipped cocktails and enjoyed hors’doeuvres during the hour-long VIP reception at The Eye Institute’s third annual Looking Out for Kids (LOFK) charity fundraiser. The silent auction tables were packed with unique items such as autographed sports memorabilia and hotel accommodations, packaged with dinner certificates or theatre tickets.

Lisa Nutter, President of Philadelphia Academies, Inc. and first lady of Philadelphia was excellent as the event’s co-host. Although the evening’s other co-host, Kevin Curtis, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, could not attend because of a knee-related medical procedure, a fellow teammate stepped in. Offensive guard Todd Herremans, attended in Kevin’s absence.

With music playing in the background, over 220 people enjoyed delicious food and an open bar, while placing bids on silent auction items and purchasing goods from local artisans. All funds raised throughout the night help provide vision care services and eyeglasses to uninsured and under insured children in the community.

One in four children experiences a vision problem, which may result in poor school performance. To ensure academic success, comprehensive vision care is essential. The Looking Out for Kids vision care program helps make sure disadvantaged children receive the vision care necessary for success.

The Eye Institute is especially grateful to the Looking Out for Kids’ corporate sponsors, as their generous contributions helped ensure a successful evening. Sponsors included:

  • Fox Rothschild LLP: Attorneys at Law
  • Dr. James Lewis
  • Davis Vision
  • America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses
  • Crown Holdings, Inc.
  • Armstrong, Doyle & Carroll, Inc.
  • VSP (Vision Service Plan)
  • Commercial Flooring Systems
  • Edward B. O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.
  • Turner Construction Company

If you would like to help us “Look Out for Kids,” tax-deductible contributions can be made to “Looking Out for Kids” and mailed to:

Dr. Susan C. Oleszewski
The Eye Institute
1200 West Godfrey Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19141

Multiple Designers Join the Eyeworks Team

In today’s world, eyeglasses serve the dual purpose of both fashion and function. On one hand, a quality pair of eyeglasses is considered a medical device, as the lens prescription and features are responsible for correcting a person’s vision. But, the eyeglass frame, by virtue of its color, design and style, creates the fashion most patients’ desire.

Eyeworks, the optical department at The Eye Institute, has a renewed commitment to providing quality eyewear to its patients. In an effort to better meet patient needs, the inventory of value and quality frames has expanded to address price ranges for all patients. Many designer frame lines have been added to the selection. Coach, Sean John and Christian Dior are available for the fashion conscience. To ensure lens prescriptions are produced accurately and in a timely manner, relationships with new optical laboratories have been established. “We are pleased with the shorter turn around time for our patient’s eyewear that our new laboratory partners have been able to provide,” Michael Krass, Eyeworks manager, said. “Our patients appreciate the improved delivery time and quality.”

The Eyeworks’ staff are experts in making optical recommendations for various lifestyles. “The department’s goal is to educate patients about all lens options and to help them make a decision that will serve them best, that is, the right frame with the right lens design for the right price,” Charles Sporer, Eyeworks co-manager, said.
Understanding the value and need for certain lens options is essential in making an eyewear purchase. Lens options may increase the overall cost of your eyeglasses, but the added value is well worth it, particularly when most patients keep the same pair of eyeglasses for two years or more.

An anti-reflective (AR) lens treatment is a perfect example of a lens feature with great functionality. When a lens is treated with an AR coating, lens surface reflections are minimized, while allowing more light through the lens. The result is better vision and visual comfort in all lighting situations. An AR coating is particularly valuable to patients who notice glare and scattering of light while driving at night - especially from on-coming headlights. An AR lens coating reduces this glare. It also provides a cosmetic advantage in decreasing the visible reflections off the front surface of the lens, which is more apparent in photographs. 

The selection of the right frame and lens features can make all the difference in your day-to-day visual comfort and appearance. When you visit Eyeworks, don’t hesitate to challenge the staff by asking them to:

  • Recommend a frame that fits well and satisfies your fashion sense
  • Educate you on lens features that meet your needs
  • Inform you about the value of ultraviolet radiation  protection
  • Explain the many options available in fashion sun wear
  • Answer all of your eyewear questions and concerns

Give Kids Sight Day: And What a Day It Was!

On Saturday, November 21, 2009, The Eye Institute participated in the first “Give Kids Sight Day” (GKSD). Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY), a child advocacy group, invited The Eye Institute (TEI) to be part of a city-wide coalition to address the unmet vision care needs of thousands of children in Philadelphia. The event was created to increase public awareness about the importance of good vision and the role it plays to ensure academic success for children and adolescents.

After studying the state of children’s vision care in Philadelphia during the 2008-2009 academic year , PCCY discovered more than 13,000 children who failed the state-mandated vision screening (primarily through the work of school nurses) never received comprehensive eye care. As a result of this discovery, PCCY created a vision-care coalition. The coalition represents a consortium of local organizations interested in providing vision care services to children.

The public response on “Give Kids Sight Day” was incredible. Even before the doors opened, families eager for services lined up at The Eye Institute’s Oak Lane facility. “We brought 13 kids with us and about five parents because a number of kids in my church needed eyeglasses and quite a number of children don’t have insurance,” Carolyn Johnson, a resident of Collingdale, Pa., said.

Children who attended received a free vision screening. If the child failed the screening, a refraction (testing for eyeglasses) was performed and two pairs of eyeglasses were ordered. All services and eyeglasses were free to those who attended.

On “GKSD,” eye care services were provided at The Eye Institute and Wills Eye Hospital. The crowds at both locations were quite large, demonstrating the great unmet vision care needs for Philadelphia’s children. More than 400 children were seen at The Eye Institute that day; 90 were recommended for follow up care; and over 330 pairs of eyeglasses were ordered.

Although many families waited several hours for care, all were thankful for the free services. “It wasn’t just about our children and our family. When you find an event like this happening in today’s economy, you try to get the information out for other children as well,” Johnson said.

Even though the event was supposed to end at 2 p.m., the number of children needing care required TEI’s team to work past 6 p.m. “The wonderful public response made our entire team feel good about the great work we accomplished that day,” Dr. Susan Oleszewski, Vice President for Patient Care Services, was quick to note.

PCCY expects “Give Kids Sight Day” will become an annual event. The Eye Institute and its entire vision care team look forward to being part of this great community partnership in 2010

The Right Frame: Style, Comfort and Durability

 

Many patients are interested in the way eyeglasses look, while others pay more attention to comfort, fit and durability. Selecting the right frame - with  assistance from The Eye Institute’s expert opticians - can result in all three.

Taking advantage of The Eye Institute’s expert optician’s knowledge and skill can be extremely helpful.
For example:

  • If a frame looks good, but slides off your nose
    The optician can adjust the temple length or the way the temple end wraps around your ears during the final fitting.
  • If the nose pads are uncomfortable
    The optician can replace the nose pads with a more comfortable pair or find a similar style of frame with better pads.

    Durability is another important factor in selecting a frame. Our opticians understand the durability of certain frames. They experience firsthand which ones are continually brought back for repairs and which have had few or no complaints. Make sure to ask your optician’s advice on frame durability.
  • Choosing frames to match facial structures
    Lastly, opticians can provide guidance about frame style and shape based upon your face shape. For example, patients with round faces should avoid perfectly round glasses, as this design will make the patient’s face appear even more round. The Eye Institute’s optical staff are experienced to help you select a frame that will be both functional and fashionable.

Stories...

 

 

The Eye Institute Influences the Lives of Two Local Students

For six weeks during the summer, two Martin Luther King High School seniors learned what it was like to work along side primary eye care doctors, optometric interns and support staff at The Eye Institute (TEI). Donye Rosser and Tamieka Tomlinson applied to intern at TEI through Philadelphia Academies, Inc. (www.academiesinc.org)

While both students participated in everything from confirming patient appointments to filing and observing examinations, they also learned about other interesting areas in eye care delivery. Tomlinson is interested in medicine, with thoughts of becoming a neurologist. She was particularly interested in her time spent with Dr. Kelly Malloy, who manages TEI patients suffering from vision problems with neurological symptoms. “Some people have [vision] disorders and people don’t often take the time to think it’s because a side of their brain isn’t working properly,” she said. Rosser enjoyed taking and viewing photographs of the retina (back of the eye). “It’s not everyday you get to look at the back of someone’s eye,” he said. Of their overall experiences during their time at TEI, both were excited and grateful, noting that vision involves a lot more than what people generally think.
“It was a good experience for me,” Tomlinson said. “This internship at The Eye Institute provided me with a great start to understanding the health care field. I received a lot of guidance from the doctors and interns.”  


Wagner Middle School's Nurse Packer stands prodly beside pictures of her students sporting their new eyeglasses.
Wagner Middle School's Nurse Joanne Packer stands proudly beside pictures of her students sporting their new eyeglasses. (Photo by Alexis Abate)

The Bright Eyes Of Wagner Middle School Shine at TEI

“It’s my most favorite thing,” Nurse Joanne Packer of General Louis Wagner Middle School, 1701 W. Chelten Ave., said about her long-standing partnership with The Eye Institute (TEI). Since first taking her students to visit TEI, she has come to value the services offered as a neighborhood resource to her students and their families. “The partnership we have with TEI has provided me with a wealth of resources in terms of getting kids vision screenings and identifying children with more complex eye problems, which might not have been picked up on a regular screening,” she said. Being able to screen dozens of kids in one morning, which could take Packer two weeks to accomplish, allows her to use her time more effectively.

Adolescence is a time when eyes are changing quickly. Some of Packer’s students experience more complicated vision problems. Kids who never needed glasses or who should have received them sooner are identified for the first time through TEI screenings. Some kids who’ve worn glasses everyday also have rapid progression of their vision problems. At this age, parents often take their children to the eye doctors twice as much.

But, parents are eager to become involved and so are the kids. Many children have that “aha” moment when they first try on their glasses – now realizing the benefits of seeing clearly.

To keep the kids’ interest, Packer developed a fun tradition. Each time a student receives a new pair of glasses, he/she takes a photo - donning various facial expressions - which are on display (pictured to the right) on the walls in TEI’s pediatric department.

“This program (TEI’s partnership with The School District of Philadelphia) has done such wonders for the children to provide them with the ability to be able to see,” she said.

 

Dog Days of Summer

The Eye Institute's doctors, staff and interns enjoyed a relaxing lunch during the second annual "Dog Days of Summer." (Photo by Alexis Abate)

For the past two summers, The Eye Institute (TEI) treated its staff, doctors and interns to “Dog Days of Summer.” This year, over 150 people attended the second and third annual events in July and August.
While beef and turkey dogs (“Dog Days”) were the main items, veggie burgers, fixins’, chips and Choco Tacos® completed the lunch time treat!

The long days of summer were the perfect time for TEI to show its staff how much they are appreciated and how their dedication is valued. “Our staff and interns work hard all year  to serve the needs of our patients,” Dr. Susan Oleszewski, Vice President for Patient Care Services at TEI, said. “This event is just a small token of appreciation for their hard work.”