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A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dr. Alana L. Grajewski, MD

Alana L. Grajewski, MD

 

Founder & Director

Pediatric Preventable Blindness Initiative

 

Founder & Former Director

Samuel & Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center

 

Founder & President

GL Foundation for Children with Glaucoma 501(c)(3)

 

Founder & Director

Childhood Glaucoma Research Network

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail..."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the summer of 2017, Dr. Michael Siban, Glaucoma Specialist at the Suriname Eye Centre, began a Global Eye SITE® Observership at the Samuel & Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. At the end of his training, Dr. Siban, and two of Suriname’s 10 total ophthalmologists, presented research on the ocular public health needs of Suriname at a Bascom Palmer McKnight Research Center Seminar. A major need for early screening was discovered in pediatric ophthalmic diseases and disorders: infants and young children were not receiving timely vision screenings.

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Since young children cannot report symptoms, congenital eye abnormalities and early onset ocular problems can only be found through early vision screening. Often, by waiting too long to diagnose eye disease, the problem becomes too advanced for treatment, especially in the case of pediatric glaucoma, pediatric cataract, and retinoblastoma (eye cancer). Similarly, a delay in spotting refractive error adversely affects early development & education. The primary objective of this initiative is to decrease the burden of preventable blindness and visual impairment by inserting a simple vision screening protocol into a healthcare system’s existing framework.

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SUPPORTERS

This initiative is only possible because of the vision, support and contributions of many volunteers, individuals, and generous donors including:

Amarone Charitable Trust

James Annenberg La Vea (w. Jill Genson) Charitable Foundation

Samuel & Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center

Butzow Family Foundation

A & S Leslie Family Trust

Theofanis & Wendy Kolokotrones

Verdun Foundation

THANK YOU!

EXPERTS

INITIATIVE MANAGER

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Eleonore Savatovsky, MD, PhD

Scientist, Samuel & Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami

IN COUNTRY COORDINATORS

 

Denise Doelwijt, MD

SurinameDirector of Ophthalmology, Suriname Eye Center

 

Dawn Grosvenor, MBBS, MRCOphth, FRCS, FRCOphth

Barbados Lecturer in Ophthalmology

Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI Cave Hill, Barbados

 

Lizette Mowatt, MBBS, FRCS, FRCO, CEST, MMedsci

JamaicaHead of Ophthalmic Div, Consultant Ophthalmology, Associate Lecturer UWI Mona, Jamaica

 

Desiree Murray, MBBS, FRCOphth, MSc

Trinidad & TobagoSenior Lecturer Ophth, Consultant UWI St. Augustine, Associate Lecturer UWI Mona, Jamaica

INITIATIVE COORDINATORS​

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Christina Dowell, MBBS

BarbadosPresident & CEO, Pinnacle MedSuites Inc

 

Michelle Dowell, BMedSci, MBBS

Registrar 1, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ophthalmology Clinic

 

Matthew Javitt, MD

MassachusettsClinical Instructor, Massachusetts Eye and Ear

 

Vandana Persad, MBBS

Trinidad & TobagoHouse Officer, Ophthalmology Resident PGY4, UWI St. Augustine

REGIONAL COORDINATOR

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Kirsten Da Silva, MBBS, MPH

West Indies

Research Coordinator, Francis I. Proctor Foundation in Ophthalmology, UC San Francisco

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISOR

 

Adriana Grossman, MD, MPH, MHA, MS

Chief Resident Anesthesia, Jackson Memorial Hospital

POLICY ADVISOR

 

Aeesha Malik, MBChB, BSc, MRCP, DTM&H, MPH, FRCOphth

Clinical Assistant Professor, Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmic Surgeon London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

MANAGING DIRECTOR​​

 

Anthony Broad

Executive Director

GL Foundation for Children with Glaucoma

Childhood Glaucoma Research Network

ADVISORS

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Elena Bitrian, MD

Research

Director Education, Childhood Glaucoma Research Network, Director Education Samuel & Ethel Balkan Int’l Pediatric Glaucoma Center

Associate Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at University of Miami

 

James Brandt MD

Global Medicine

Vice-Chair Int’l Programs & New Tech, Dir Glaucoma Service, Professor Ophthalmology & Vision Science Univ California at Davis, Volunteer Faculty Orbis International

 

Hilda Capo, MD

Pediatric Ophthalmology

Director Pediatric Ophthalmology Division

Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami

 

Ta Chen Peter Chang, MD

Pediatric Ophthalmology

Director Research, Childhood Glaucoma Research Network Director, Samuel & Ethel Balkan International Pediatric Glaucoma Center

Professor, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami

 

Sean Donahue, MD, PhD

Pediatric Screening

Coleman Professor & Vice-Chair for Clinical Affairs,

Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology Service, Associate

Professor Neurology at Vanderbilt University

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David Friedman, MD, PhD, MPH

Epidemiology & Population Screening

Co-Director, Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Dir Glaucoma Service Massachusetts Eye & Ear,

Professor, Harvard Medical School Dept of Ophthalmology

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Jonathan Javitt, MD, MPH

Health Information Technology, Policy & Economy

Senior Fellow Potomac Institute

Adjunct Professor Johns Hopkins Medical School

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Nicole Joseph-Chin

Socio-Cultural Perspectives

Chief Innovator, CEO and Founder

Ms. Brafit Limited

 

Thomas Kolokotrones, MD, PhD

Healthcare Technology

Research Fellow in Epidemiology

Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

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Mildred Olivier, MD

Global Medicine

Senior Associate Dean

School of Medicine at Ponce Health Sciences University

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Juan Carlos Silva, MD, MPH

Health Information Technology, Policy & Economy

Regional Advisor, Visual Health

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)​

INVESTIGATIVE STUDIES

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Richard Parrish II, MD

Investigative Studies & Biostatistics

Professor Ophthalmology, Edward Norton, MD Chair of Ophthalmology, Director Glaucoma Service, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami,

Editor-in-Chief, American Journal of Ophthalmology

 

Mustafa Tekin, MD, FACMG

Ocular Genetics

Chair, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Dept of Human Genetics, Professor, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Dept of Human Genetics

Dept of Otolaryngology, Dept of Ophthalmology

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Chief, Div of Clinical and Translational Genetics, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Dept of Human Genetics, University of Miami

REFERENCES

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