Lions donate ‘Journey for Sight’ funds to Eye Care Unit print this article

A donation totalling $1,350 from proceeds raised during ‘Journey for Sight 2009’ in Lions Club District N-4 has been presented to the Burin Peninsula Health Care Foundation.

Lions Region ‘G’ Zone 10 chairperson Doug Jackman indicated the funding represented the efforts of all eight clubs on the Burin Peninsula, and noted the donation would again benefit the Eye Care Unit at the Burin hospital.

Beth Mayo, Eastern Health’s Director of Integrated Services for the Burin Peninsula, expressed her gratitude to the Lions for their continued support.

She said Dr. Brett Williams has been holding visiting ophthalmologist clinics at the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre for the last two and a-half years.

Burin Peninsula Health Care Foundation director Sharon Snook thanked the Lions Clubs as well as Lions Club International Foundation. She noted all played a key role in establishing the unit.

“Peninsula Lions Clubs can proudly boast that the unit is equipped with modern medical equipment because of the funds they were able to secure. Whenever possible Lions secure additional funds that are used to maintain and upgrade the unit.

“Lions are to be commended for their recent contribution – without such modern equipment onsite it would be increasingly difficult to attract medical specialists such as Dr. Williams, thus forcing residents to travel outside the region to receive this service.”

Foundation vice-chair Ruth Martin acknowledged “It is no secret in our organization how proud we are of our many Lions Club health care partnerships and friendships.”

Several clubs including Grand Bank, Marystown, St. Lawrence and Garnish had members on hand for the presentation.

Mr. Jackman also thanked the clubs unable to be represented – English Harbour East, Bay L’Argent, Fortune and Terrenceville – for their support.

The Burin Peninsula Health Care Foundation has an Eye Care Trust Account established to accept Lions Club or other maintenance gifts.

American Eye Center opens second clinic at Greenbelt

American Eye Center’s Dr. Benjamin Cabrera makes cataract surgery sound too easy, but maybe it’s because it is. In fact, one can do it just right after shopping.

In an effort to merge health and lifestyle, American Eye Center, sitting side-by-side with SPEX, opened its second clinic on the fourth level of Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

Dr. Cabrera, the eye center’s chief operating officer, said the center is expanding to make its world-class facilities and services more accessible to people who need eye care. American Eye Center is known for its expertise in refractive and cataract surgery.

“A lot of people still think that cataract surgery is something complicated, that it has to be done in hospitals,” Cabrera said. The center offers a no-stitch cataract surgery under eye drop anesthesia. “You’re done in 15 to 30 minutes, and then you go home.”

“The center’s true strength lies in its doctors,” said Cabrera.  He said the clinic is built around a group practice of eye doctors with numerous subspecialties in ophthalmology. This makes in-house referral possible according to him.

“We regularly confer among ourselves to arrive at the best management for our patients,” Cabrera said. “Second and third opinions of different experts are assessed under the same roof.”

The center’s eye-care team, known in the medical profession as the Associated Eye Specialists, is a partnership that makes up the management team. It is composed of 18 experts in various fields of ophthalmology.

Cabrera also said there are cases when patients do not need any intervention; these cases call for SPEX with its vast array of lens and spectacles from trusted brands.

Established in 1995 American Eye Center has blossomed into a fully operational, stand-alone diagnostic, therapeutic, and ambulatory surgical facility.  It holds the distinction as the country’s premier ophthalmic laser center for the treatment of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

Other areas of expertise of the center include neuro-ophthalmology, diabetic retinopathy, external diseases, cornea, pediatric ophthalmology and oculoplastics. It also treats age-related muscular degeneration, retina, vitreous, low vision and glaucoma.

Cabrera said they are already looking into putting up more clinics as their thrust to expand more into malls extends northward.

Eye Care Associates Honored with Human Resource Award

Eye Care Associates, a leading multi-site practice offering comprehensive eye health care throughout the Triangle, Sandhills, Burlington and Wilmington, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the “Ovation Award for HR Excellence” given by CAI, an HR consulting firm that emphasizes long-term relationships with North Carolina employees. Eye Care Associates won in the Small-Size Employer category due to its successful “Visionary Development” program, which encourages associate growth and retention through a structured mentoring and training model developed by its HR and operations team.

The “Ovation Award for HR Excellence” honors exceptional workplaces that have implemented innovative HR practices that positively impact business results. The Small-Size Employer category consists of companies that have less than 250 employees.

“It’s extremely rewarding to be recognized for our creative solutions to some of the challenges we face in developing our people,” said Dr. Stephen Bolick, chairman and CEO of Eye Care Associates. “Our HR department has done a fantastic job of spreading the company culture and helping to make this one of the best places to work in the state!”

The awards presentation will take place on February 25, 2010 at 10:15 am at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. The presentation will be held during CIA’s HR Management Conference that highlights the best local and national HR practices.

Eye Care Associates is no stranger to receiving recognition for their company. The company recently was recognized for its third consecutive “Best Places to Work Award by the Triangle Business Journal. The publication also honored them for being one of the “50 Fastest” Growing companies in the Triangle. Eye Care Associates was also part of the Independent Weekly’s “Best of the Triangle” awards and named a “Best Eyecare Center” by readers of Metro Magazine. Most recently practitioner, Dr. Carolina Silver, was selected “Best Eye Care Doctor” by Cary Magazine’s “Maggy Awards”.

Visionworks(R) Brings High Quality Eye Care & Eye Wear to Western PA

On Friday, February 26 Visionworks will celebrate the grand opening of its newest locations in Monroeville Mall and South Hills Village.  Visionworks is a full-service optical retail center that features several thousand private label and designer frames along with contact lenses at value prices.

One of the nation’s leading providers of eye care services, Visionworks recently debuted stores in the Cranberry Commons Mall and The Mall at Robinson.  Four more Visionworks sites are expected to open soon.

“Discriminating consumers can count on Visionworks for high-quality frames, lenses, contact lenses and sunglasses – plus the leading technology in vision correction,” said John DiIanni, Regional Vice President. “And because we have a state-of-the-art processing laboratory on site, we can provide one-hour service on most prescriptions.”

The new Visionworks stores will feature:

* Exclusive brands developed to provide Visionworks customers with fashionable designer styling and impeccable quality at a fraction of the price
* Best-selling designer brand frames including Bebe, GUESS, Nine West, Gant, Liz Claiborne, Candies, Rampage, Armani Exchange and Michael Kors
* The region’s largest selection of durable kids’ frames and a huge selection of impact- and scratch-resistant lenses
* A broad range of contact lenses and related products from leading manufacturers
* Convenient hours with stores open seven days a week including evenings
* In-store licensed Doctors of Optometry (no appointment necessary) who provide comprehensive eye exams and contact lens evaluations and fittings
* Acceptance of most vision insurance plans
* A 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee

“Because we’re committed to providing the most complete assortment at the best value, Visionworks is a perfect fit for value-seeking residents across western Pennsylvania,” said John DiIanni, Regional Vice President.  “We want patients to leave our stores feeling confident that they got the correct frame and lenses, all at the right price.”

Visionworks plans a total of eight sites in the region, including the newly opened locations in Cranberry Commons and The Mall at Robinson, plus additional sites in Ross Park Mall, Southland Four Seasons, Waterfront Towne Center, and a still-to-be-finalized location in Greensburg. Because each location is expected to employ 12 – 14 local residents, Visionworks’ entry into the marketplace will create more than 100 new jobs in western PA.

Applying Everyday Best Eye Makeup

Like organizing our closets we must from time to time clean out our makeup cabinets and make sure what we have is still working for us. If you want flawless makeup and professional looking results you must use the correct makeup tools. The right blush brush for example, will make it possible that your blush gives you a perfect glow rather than a harsh streak or blob. Also, the right tools are necessary to do the job correctly – to define and conceal.A good blush brush is soft with bristles that are about 1 inches. Don’t use the small, hard brushes that come in compacts because it will be difficult to get a nice even finish. An eye shadow brush should also be soft. Look for a lipstick brush that is retractable. It helps keep the brush clean and in great shape. A blending brush should be about wide and will help blend the different color eye shadows together to create a natural look. Use a brow brush to keep eyebrows under control and give them a smooth look. Your powder brush should be large, soft, firm and fluffy.

To have radiant skin you must keep it clean. A cleanser that is compatible with your skin type will do that and keep it moisturized.The best mascara brush has wide spaces and does not cause mascara to clump. Only wear waterproof when you plan to get wet and change your mascara every 3 months to avoid it drying out or attracting bacteria.Powder shadows are easier to apply than creams. Use a matte shadow if you have wrinkles around the eyes and keep eye shadow light.Applying eye makeup can be the most difficult part of putting on makeup. However, it is by far the most important part to. When people speak to you, they are looking at your eyes. What are your eyes telling the world about you? Here, I will break down this beauty procedure for you, so you can really put your best ‘face’ forward.

Use a large shadow brush to sweep your color across the lower lid. Don’t put anything on the upper lid, leave it looking natural. Use your brush to also dab shadow on the inner portion of your lids along the edges of the nose’s bridge. And another dab on the outer corner of the eye lid, across the lower portion of the brow bone. This will allow the light to bounce off of those areas, creating a more youthful appearance.If you mess up on your eye liner, use your pointer finger to smudge downward on the area that is uneven.To many eye shadow colors for your day look can be a pain, and appear unnatural. White shadow looks good on all women and matches everything. If you are concerned with wrinkles, go with a matte white shade. If you want to stand out more, go with a shimmer-white shade.

Seeing — and believing

When Dean Lloyd, a 68-year-old Palo Alto lawyer, was in his mid-30s, a hereditary eye disease began taking his sight. By his late 40s, he was completely blind.

So when a clinical trial was started to test an artificial retina that would restore at least partial sight, he seized the opportunity. It didn’t hurt that he was a longtime science aficionado and fascinated by the new technology.

“For me it’s kind of a fun project, because I love science,” he said. “They say as far as guinea pigs go, I’m the prize pig.”

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory have the lead role in advancing the technology, working in collaboration with nine other U.S. research institutions. The effort, which began in 2004 and

is funded by the Department of Energy, has yielded the most promising technology to date for potentially restoring sight to millions of people worldwide blinded by eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa, the disease that destroyed Lloyd’s vision. The same condition is diminishing the vision of Las Vegas hotel magnate Steve Wynn.

And the technology shows that an electronic device can create a lasting connection with living cells such as neurons. That advance is opening the door for research into tiny, futuristic-sounding medical devices which could treat conditions ranging from spinal-cord injuries to Parkinson’s disease to brain injuries, by directly stimulating nerve cells. The sensitive-but-durable

electronic array, which can function in the harsh environs of the human body, also has potential uses in other fields, such as the detection of biological weapons released into the air or water.

Three years ago, Lloyd underwent an hours-long operation in which a tiny tack the width of a human hair was used to implant the device into his retina. The artificial retina resembles a contact lens and is fitted with 60 miniature electrodes that bypass damaged photoreceptor cells — called rods and cones — on his outer retina and directly stimulate his still-healthy retinal layers below.

And voilà, Lloyd could see again.

His vision is far from normal. But after some tinkering with the tiny camera affixed to dark sunglasses and a video processor that’s strapped to his waist, he could make out moving cars and tell where grass ended and a sidewalk began. The processor, without wires, relays the camera’s video signal, as well as power, to the prosthetic retina.

“It restores some sort of images,” Lloyd said.

White and reflective objects, such as water, glassware and people’s eyes, stand out in particular.

So what does he see when someone’s standing in front of him?

“I see your eyes,” Lloyd said. “You flash like a cat under the bed when you put a flashlight on it.”

Costa Rica Developers Eye Health Care Centers

The Costa Rican government is promoting a plan to help developers build projects centered on health care facilities for foreign retirees.

New developments would offer clusters of services, including nursing and research facilities, catering to senior citizens looking for an inexpensive alternative to medical care in their own countries

In the wake the global economic slowdown, health care centers are an opportunity for developers to “change strategy,” Minister for Competitiveness and Regulatory Improvement George Woodbridge told La Prensa.

Retirement communities generate “two to three times” the revenue of traditional tourism and real estate projects, Woodbridge said. A population of 10,000 retirees could produce 40,000 jobs and $340 million in foreign exchange, the government estimates.

Last year, medical tourism attracted 30,000 visitors to Costa Rica, according to government data. That number is expected to increase as health care costs continue to rise. The U.S. is expected to generate 1.3 million medical tourists in 2011, according to a report by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, which ranks Costa Rica in the top 10 destinations for medical tourism.

Until recently, most of the traffic in the past has been young people looking for cosmetic surgery and dental work, not seniors, Deloitte says.

“With health care at the center of attention in the U.S. this concept could certainly gain ground if implemented properly,” Panama developer Sam Taliaferro notes in his Panama Investor Blog. “If Obamacare gets legs one area that you can be sure will be left out in the cold is alternative health care practitioners. I bet they will head south with technology and skills.”

Experts don’t see eye to eye on treatment

You’re making a lot of mistakes at work. You feel clumsy. You have trouble copying notes from a blackboard. You read slowly, and sometimes see double. But at your regular eye exam, the optometrist says you have 20/20 vision.

What gives?

You might suffer from a visual efficiency problem such as poor depth perception, lax eye coordination or focusing difficulties, which won’t show up on a traditional eye exam.

And you may be able to overcome these issues with vision therapy, a little- known treatment program that incorporates exercises and specialized devices to improve eye problems unsolved by eyeglasses or contact lenses alone.

“We’re retraining the brain on how to use the eyes,” said Dr. Lori Nishida-

Eugenio, an optometrist at the Burbank Optometric Center.

Like physical therapists for the eyes, practitioners tailor each therapy program to the individual patient. They may use corrective lenses – such as glasses or contact lenses – but they also employ specialized equipment such as balance boards, prisms, eye patches and electronic targets with timing mechanisms.

Standing on a balance board, for example, may teach patients to engage both their left and right sides, improving the left-to-right directional eye movements used in reading. Prism glasses appear to shift the location of objects and force patients to overcome the visual distortion.

Eye care initiative piloted in north Essex

NORTH Essex has been chosen as one of three regions to initially pilot a new NHS eye care initiative.

The EPIC (Engagement, Partnership, Information, Communication) Project is a scheme funded by the Department of Health, which will work with local partnerships to develop and implement eye health and sight loss support strategies.

NHS North East Essex, Worcestershire, and North of Tyne have been chosen as the first of 23 pilot areas that will develop local vision strategies as part of the project.

Kathy Flegg, Primary Care Commissioning Manager at NHS North East Essex, said: “We see this as an excellent opportunity to work with a wide variety of partnership groups concerned with eye health to develop a strategy that will deliver and improve current services to be effective and sustainable for the population of North East Essex and in turn the UK.”

It will initially run for three years, until March 2012.

Chippewa Valley Free Clinic now offering eye care

The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic is now offering its patients eye care.

Executive Director Brent Hafele says the clinic at Graham Avenue started doing eye exams Thursday thanks to donations from two area eye specialists and Luther Midelfort. Haefle says the free clinic is now seeking eye care professionals to volunteer with the new program and optical labs to provide donated or discounted services.

In addition, the clinic is accepting donations to pay for glasses and other eye care related expenses.