Latest News Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness Appoints New Advisory Committee Members By Staff Wednesday, May 22, 2019 12:18 AM CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness, has announced the appointment of its new Advisory Committee members for the Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness (CVPH). The CVPH was established in December 2018 as a national coordinating body for effective practices, state-level technical assistance, and programmatic interventions. This month, the CVPH convened the full membership of the Advisory Committee in Chicago for the first time, led by committee chair Heather E. Whitson, MD, MHS, associate professor of medicine, associate professor in ophthalmology, and deputy director of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development at Duke University. The committee is comprised of experts from the medical, scientific, public health, research and rehabilitation sectors, as well as patient advocates. The CVPH will leverage key stakeholder input (including those from outside the Advisory Committee), data from improved surveillance efforts (including state and national survey data), and peer-reviewed scientific literature to identify areas of geographic, population, and disease significance that provide opportunities for significant impact. Some initial focus areas of the Advisory Committee will include: conducting an assessment of existing multi-stakeholder groups with missions that align with the CVPH and establish a communication sharing plan; implementing campaigns to increase program-level interventions and individual-level awareness of vision impairments; and leveraging national data sources, prevalence data, and research to produce a report on the state of vision and eye health in the U.S. Members of the committee include:Kristina Beaugh, MPH, CHES, director, National Eye Health Education Program- National Eye InstituteMitchell V. Brinks, MD, MPH, co-director international ophthalmology, medical director for domestic outreach, assistant professor of ophthalmology, The Oregon Health and Science UniversityAnne L. Coleman, MD, PhD, Fran & Ray Stark Foundation professor of ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of MedicineJoshua R. Ehrlich, MD, MPH, assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, University of MichiganKevin Frick, PhD, professor and vice dean for education, Johns Hopkins University, Carey Business SchoolJudith E. Goldstein, OD, associate professor of ophthalmology and rehabilitation, director of Lions Low Vision Clinical Services, Lions Low Vision Rehabilitation Service, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns HopkinsPeter Jacobson, JD, MPH, professor emeritus of health law and policy, University of Michigan School of Public HealthPaul P. Lee, MD, JD, F. Bruce Fralick professor and chair of ophthalmology and visual sciences University of Michigan, director, W.K. Kellogg Eye CenterJordan Luke, M.A.Ec, director, program alignment & partner engagement group, CMS- Office of Minority HealthEdwin Marshall, OD, MS, MPH, professor emeritus of optometry and public health, Indiana UniversityChris Maylahn, MPH, DrPH, program research specialist, New York State Department of HealthNancy D. Miller, LMSW, executive director/CEO, VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Marc Molea, chief of strategic partnership, Ohio Department of AgingThomas Panek, president & CEO, Guiding Eyes for the BlindDavid B. Rein, PhD, MPA, director, public health analytics program, NORC at the University of ChicagoFrank Sloan, PhD, J. Alexander McMahon professor emeritus of health policy and management, Duke UniversityJoan Stelmack, OD, MPH, clinical associate professor of ophthalmology; director, low vision service, Illinois Eye and Ear InfirmaryBonnielin Swenor, PhD, MPH, assistant professor, Johns Hopkins UniversityDean VanNasdale, OD, MS, PhD, associate professor, Ohio State University College of OptometryXinzhi Zhang, MD, PhD, FACE, FRSM, program director, division of clinical innovation, national center for advancing translational sciences, National Institutes of HealthAdditional representation will be provided by Jinan Saaddine, MD, MPH, medical epidemiologist/team leader, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Carol Tangum, MPH, consultant, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors.Funding for this meeting was made possible (in part) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply the endorsement of the U.S. Government.“Healthy vision can be a key component to independence and well-being for people of all ages. However, barriers such as poor access to eyecare, lack of insurance coverage, and inconsistent policies for eye health can prevent early detection and treatment of eye disorders,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “The CVPH is committed to convening key leaders in vision, public health, and patient advocacy to address these barriers to healthy vision, promote access to care and rehabilitative services, and work to increase the uniformity of vision policies nationally,” he said.