2021-Annual-Report

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Newsweek Names Alumni and Faculty Among America’s Best Eye Doctors Over 20 alumni and faculty from SUNY Optometry have been

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commended among America’s Best Eye Doctors in 2021 by Newsweek magazine (July 2021) with Arthur B. Epstein, OD, ’77, and Viola Kanevsky, OD, ’93, leading the list.

Dr. Neda Gioia (left) and Dr. Anna Marie Fernandez

2021 Theia Award Recipients Anna Marie Fernandez, OD, ’85, and Neda Gioia, OD, ’06, received the 2021 Theia Award for Excellence presented by Women in Optometry (WO). The awards are presented to influential ODs based on WO reader and peer nominations and chosen by an advisory board that selects winners from hundreds of submissions each year. Dr. Fernandez received the Theia Award for Excellence in Mentoring for her work with students through the College’s Family of Mentors Program. Recognized for her pioneering work in introducing nutraceuticals into clinical practice, Dr. Gioia was presented with the Theia Award for Excellence in Innovation. SUNY College of Optometry was the only institution to be represented by two individuals, speaking to the outstanding careers and successes of our alumni.

Optometrists in New York will now be able to prescribe oral medication to treat eye diseases College Recognizes Milestone with Passing of Influential Bil

Dr. Steven Schwartz Dr. Suresh Viswanathan Middle States Re-accreditation

Marking five decades of education, research, and service this year, SUNY Optometry received confirmation of accreditation in July 2021 following a rigorous two-year self-study evaluation and a site visit conducted virtually by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) team in April. The confirmation of re-accreditation included no further recommendations or actions required to achieve compliance with the seven standards and 15 requirements for re-accreditation set forth by the MSCHE. “The accreditation process is a community effort. My goal was to effectively coordinate the effort and make sure that all voices were heard while addressing Middle States standards,” explained Steven Schwartz, PhD, past director of Institutional Research and Planning,

and patients who will benefit from expanded healthcare practice standards in New York.” Many in and outside the SUNY Optometry campus community helped lobby for the passage of the “Orals Bill,” including legislation lead sponsors Assemblymember Amy Paulin, Senator Jamaal Bailey, and the SUNY System. SUNY Optometry will take the lead on preparing students and practicing New York optometrists on prescribing rules and protocols. Scan the QR code for information on continuing education courses.

SUNY College of Optometry joined education and health profession advocates to celebrate a major milestone for New York optometrists as legislation was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul on October 25, 2021, allowing doctors of optometry the authority to prescribe oral medication for the treatment of eye diseases (A1921/ S1519). Until now, New York was the only state in the nation prohibiting oral prescribing authority for optometrists. “We are proud to have collaborated with the New York State Optometric Association, led by College alumna Dr. Viola Kanevsky, in educating legislative officials about the importance of broadening the scope of practice in our state that serves one of the largest and most diverse populations in the country,” said SUNY Optometry President David A. Heath, OD, EdM. “The newly passed legislation is a fitting turning point in the College’s 50-year history and a mark of tremendous progress for our students, profession,

who led the College accreditation process along with his successor Suresh Viswanathan, PhD, chair of the Department of Biological and Vision Sciences. The College received initial accreditation in 1976.

For MSCHE key findings, scan the QR code.

8 SUNY OPTOMETRY ANNUAL REPORT

ANNUAL REPORT 9

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