SEE THE VALUE OF VISION

SEE THE VALUE OF VISION

Changing the future of vision care.

IMPACT OF VISION

BY 2050 The number of people with visual impairments or blindness will double

24% of Children in New York who needed vision care within the last 12 months didn’t receive it 43% of Americans delay eye care because they can’t afford it 93 Million Adults have a high risk for serious vision loss

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OUR VISION To enhance lives through sight saving patient services and progressive research while educating leaders in eye, health, and vision care. 3,008 Patients receiving charitable care 180 Students supported by scholarships and grants $1.8 M Endowment for research

**Over the past 3 years.

After learning the story of his brutal attack on the subway that resulted in a severed optic nerve and losing sight in one eye, Dr. Levine knew we could help Kasson regain confidence with a prosthetic eye.

“This was like a permanent injury and a permanent mark,” he said. “I feel a little

bit put back together. When people see me now, they don’t see someone who is just a victim. ”

~ Kasson (recipient of the Charitable Care Fund)

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CREATING SIGHT-SAVING CHANGE

Sight is a powerful sense; one which many are afraid to lose. Every day I hear from someone - a patient, a student, a researcher, even our alumni - about the impact we have on their lives and the lives of others through helping them see better. And this impact multiplies throughout their communities with access to high quality eye care, ensuring a robust and diverse optometric workforce, and leading vision research. We have the power to impact change in the future of eye care with your support. SUNY College of Optometry Foundation sits at the apex of providing sight-saving help to our community. Through providing

access to eye care for everyone to educating future providers, our work is underpinned by a robust research program that ultimately changes lives. Patients around the world benefit from the discoveries while future optometrists experience innovation throughout their academic program into practice. Today, we challenge you to act on the Value of Vision and make a difference in the lives of your friends, family, and community members.

~ Dawn Rigney, Executive Director SUNY College of Optometry Foundation

60,000+ PATIENT VISITS AT UNIVERSITY EYE CENTER

5,000 PEDIATRIC VISITS INCLUDING CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

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SEEING THOSE IN NEED

With children and adults not receiving critical eye care because they can’t afford it, the University Eye Center strives to ensure that comprehensive, high-quality eye care is available

to everyone. Whether it is identifying a patient with glaucoma and providing the latest treatment or helping homeless and underserved communities, each patient receives the necessary care to see their future. When caught early, there is a greater chance to prevent vision loss or preserve existing vision.

99 PARTNERSHIPS FOR EXTERNSHIPS, RESIDENCIES, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

$250,000 IN CHARITABLE CARE - NO PATIENT IS TURNED AWAY

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MAGNIFYING THE IMPACT OF EYE CARE

70,000+ patient visits across their career helping many thousands of individuals with their vision. 32% of students are first generation (Class of 2028)

50% of licensed NYS eye doctors are graduates from SUNY College of Optometry.

Average debt carried by students $175,700

“It goes beyond financial assistance,expressing faith in my potential and commitment to eye care. It fuels my passion for optometry, reinforcing my dedication to community health through compassionate

patient care and providing assurance that my efforts are acknowledged and valued .” ~ Samjhana Mandal ‘24

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INVESTING IN A VISIONARY WORKFORCE

With the need for eye care increasing and a shortage of optometrists looming, especially in less urban areas, we must bring aspiring students into the field and position them to succeed. Scholarships and awards allow SUNY Optometry to recruit the best and most diverse students who will ultimately lead the field of optometry. Studies indicate that students from underrepresented populations in health care professions are more likely to return to their neighborhoods to provide care after graduation. Offering financial support to deserving individuals who would otherwise be unable attend optometry school will impact students’ lives and improve outcomes for vulnerable patient populations for years to come.

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FOCUSING ON RESEARCH & INNOVATION

KEY AREAS • Neuroscience & the Visual System • Retina & Optic Nerve Cell Regeneration • Eye Growth & Refraction • Mechanisms of Corneal Diseases • Traumatic Brain Injury & Vision • Computer Vision Syndrome

100+ CLINICAL STUDIES CONDUCTED

“Today, more and more children are developing myopia (nearsightedness) which not only causes vision impairment, but it also imposes a financial burden on the family. Finding treatments that slow myopia progression and help us understand eye growth so that we can manage and treat myopia more effectively will improve the lives of thousands. It will also help reduce the

risk of later in life eye conditions. At SUNY Optometry, I have access to resources that allow me to focus on conducting clinical research and apply the research findings to help patients .” ~Dr. Xiaoying Zhu Lead Clinician Myopia Management University Eye Center

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CHARTING THE FUTURE OF EYE CARE

A strong research effort is the backbone of effective academic and healthcare institutions. Conducting research and encouraging innovation that impacts patient outcomes is critical. Having research efforts and patient care activities housed under one roof offers us the unique ability to apply research findings directly in the clinic for the benefit of patients while simultaneously educating future optometrists with the highest standards of care. From learning how to regenerate retinal cells to exploring which myopia treatment is most effective, SUNY Optometry is on the leading edge of research and innovation.

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CREATE SIGHT-SAVING CHANGE

KEY INITIATIVES AND GOALS 2024 2025

2026

PROGRAMMING Seeing those in Need

YEAR 1 $90,000 $50,000 $100,000

YEAR 2 $260,000 $300,000 $450,000

YEAR 3 $300,000 $450,000 $500,000

Magnifying the Impact of Eye Care Focusing on Research & Innovation

TOTAL

*$240,000 $1,010,000 $1,250,000

*New $

TOTAL PROGRAM $2,500,000 TOTAL PLANNED GIVING/ENDOWMENT $500,000 CAMPAIGN TOTAL $3,000,000

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THE VALUE OF VISION

SEEING THOSE IN NEED The University Eye Center is the place people turn to for quality and specialized eye care. With over 1,000 referring partners, our focus is creating greater health equity in eye care and instilling this value in all future optometrists who come through SUNY College of Optometry. Students and clinicians choose SUNY Optometry and the UEC because of our diverse patient population and our ability to address many vision conditions and diseases including: Children with Special Needs, prosthetics and specialty contact lenses, and complex vision conditions and eye diseases while also caring for some of our most vulnerable community members. Your support ensures we reach more patients to help improve their sight. MAGNIFYING THE IMPACT OF EYE CARE As a leader in the field of optometric education known for ensuring graduates are ready to provide high quality, state-of-the-art comprehensive and speciality care to patients, SUNY College of Optometry graduates nearly 100 students each year. These eye doctors in turn treat thousands of patients. As we address the workforce shortage we are creating innovative programs, often serving as the trend setter in optometric education. Programs such as our Teaching and Learning Center, micro-credentialing and sub specialization certifications, and extension program in Upstate New York demonstrate our ability to adapt and address the evolving needs of the profession. Your support enables us to bring the students invested in leading the profession and ensuring health equity to the field.

Focusing on Research & Innovation

Research and innovation foster the forward thinking needed to bring real change to the future of vision care and address critical patient eye care needs. As a frontrunner among all schools and colleges of optometry with leading-edge vision research, SUNY Optometry addresses the most challenging conditions through basic, translational, and clinical research initiatives. From studying myopia to retinal diseases and even diagnostic processes, we are evolving to help set the standard of high-quality eye care while bringing patients the latest treatments and advancements to protect their vision. Your support provides opportunities to explore new treatments that change patients’ lives.

HOW WILL YOU INVEST IN THE VALUE OF VISION?

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212.938.5600 33 W 42nd Street New York, NY 10036 drigney@sunyopt.edu www.sunyoptfoundation.org