President’s Message David A. Heath, OD, EdM This is a rather exciting time for the SUNY College of Optometry community. We celebrated many accomplishments in 2018 and solidified new initiatives and partnerships to advance visual health and patient care. These strides would not have been possible without the commitment of our faculty, staff, students and supporters. Our 2018-2023 strategic plan, Care, Lead, Advance, launched in September and is a compelling, new direction for the institution that prioritizes student success. Our distinguished faculty is increasingly thoughtful about how we train the next generation of leaders and scholars in patient care, education and research. We will continue to cultivate programs and opportunities to prepare our students and residents for the future of optometric practice. An even more dynamic curriculum with individualized options will augment the already world-class academic offerings of both the professional and research programs. It has been a pleasure to witness recent improvements to the patient experience and quality of care at the University Eye Center. The College’s patient care facility provides extraordinary eye and vision care to a broad range of communities throughout the New York City metropolitan area, including all five boroughs, regardless of patients’ resources. We successfully completed fundraising efforts to build the new 5,000 sq. ft. Center for Pediatric Eye Care thanks to the College’s generous supporters. This will be a pediatric service unlike any other in the country. Construction will begin in February 2019 and we look forward to a grand opening by the end of the calendar year. The College faculty’s basic, translational and clinical research efforts have never been more robust. Their scholarly contributions have increased steadily with more articles in high-impact publications, conference presentations and invited talks to their credit than ever. We not only study the most complex eye and vision challenges, but also collaborate with industry sponsors, the National Institutes of Health and clinical investigators to pilot solutions through the Clinical Vision Research Center. Half the optometrists in New York State are SUNY Optometry alumni, but we live in an increasingly global community. Our many international partnerships foster cross-cultural understanding between eye care professionals and extend the College’s reach beyond our borders. We also recognize the importance of providing international service learning experiences and encourage our students to be global citizens and practitioners. While we have much to celebrate, we recognize the challenges ahead – the lack of diversity in the optometric workforce and vision research, increased student indebtedness across the health professions, the dearth of care for vulnerable, at-risk and rural populations – but this has been SUNY Optometry’s work for nearly 50 years. It is work that is bolstered by our institutional values of leadership, professionalism, inquiry, innovation, diversity and service. The College has proven itself a powerful and important voice for the optometric profession, patients and vision research since its inception in 1971. Ours is one of the finest institutions of its kind in the world and its leadership truly makes for healthier communities in New York and around the world. This year’s Annual Report is a testament to our unrelenting determination and creativity and we have organized this summary of an exceptional year in the College’s history according to our priorities for the next five years. I also invite you to peruse the new strategic plan in its entirety on our website, www.sunyopt.edu/about/strategic-plan, to learn more about our goals. 2018 ANNUAL REPORT 3
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