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Leading the Way in
Pediatric Vision Care
F o r m u c h o f t h e l a s t
d ecad e , I nf ant S E E ,
a pub l i c
hea l t h program managed by
Optometry Cares, the philanthropic
arm of the American Optometric
Association, has worked tirelessly
to help make eye and vision care
an essential part of infant wellness.
Through the program, participating
optometrists provide a no-cost,
comprehensive assessment to any
infant between 6 and 12 months.
According to Dr. Ida Chung, section
chief of the pediatric unit at the UEC
and one of the organizers of a series
of events that was held at the College
last April designed to promote the
program, the UEC has been a strong
partner in the InfantSEE program since
its inception in 2005.
Dr. Richard Soden, executive
director of the UEC, estimates that
about one million children have been
examined at the clinic during its
decades of service to the community.
Ped i a t r i c se r v i ces ar e a ma j or
component of the care that is regularly
provided at the UEC today.
Patient Success Story
Moise Balan
M r . Mo i s e B a l a n
was born in one of the Auschwitz concentration
camps during the Second World War where, as a young child, he lost the
sight in his right eye. In the 1980s he emigrated as a political refugee from
Romania to New York. As he got older, Mr. Balan developed dry macular
degeneration and the sight in his left eye began to fade.
When he first came to the UEC as a patient of Dr. Rebecca Marinoff in the
Low Vision Service about two years ago, Mr. Balan was extremely frustrated
by his increased struggles to read and view a computer screen due to his
condition.
Dr. Marinoff worked closely with Mr. Balan, utilizing various
rehabilitative techniques to assist him with his reading
.
Soon they began
working with a closed-circuit television device that Mr. Balan could use to
greatly improve the readability of books, newspapers and computer screens.
With his much-improved ability to read, Mr. Balan now hopes to be able
work on a long-planned book project.
To watch a video about Mr. Balan’s story and find out more
about how the UEC has helped members of our community,
visit
or scan here:
