Evolution Began in Boston Community Health Centers in Early 1970’s
My experience with academic ophthalmology began over 50 years ago in Boston with David Miller MD from Harvard, and Marc Richman MD from BU in the Community Health Centers where we developed a model of cooperative patient care and clinical training between optometry and ophthalmology.
Speech at the Kennedy Library: Development of NECO’s Community Based Education Program
NECO/Tufts New England Innovative Residency Training for Optometrists (1974)
Bernard Schwartz MD, PhD, Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University, and I developed a trial program to place two NECO graduates in the medical component of the ophthalmology residency program at Tufts. If the optometrists passed the medical portion of the Ophthalmology Certification Board, they would be granted an MD degree by Tufts. I selected two graduates of NECO for the Tufts residency program. The trial program was opposed by the NECO President and never implemented.
First Affiliation Between a Medical School and Optometry College in Philadelphia (1980’s)
Then in Philadelphia, Myron Yanoff MD, and I developed an affiliation between Hahnemann University and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. This affiliation included both a strengthened educational component and patient care program.
Affiliation Between Hahnemann University and Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Cooperation Between Optometry and Ophthalmology on National Level in Washington, DC (1990’s)
During my tenure as National Director, VA Optometry Service in Washington, DC I interviewed and recommended for appointment the first senior level ophthalmologist as my counterpart in VA Central Office. James Orcutt MD, and I worked on collaborative projects including development of clinical practice guidelines, completion of an inventory of all VA eye care resources and subsequent recommendations to Senior VA Administration and a Special Advisory Board on VA Eye Care regarding improvements to optometry and ophthalmology patient care and training programs. Overall, we advanced cooperation and collaboration among all VA eye care providers.
NAVAO Founding Member Spotlight: An Interview with Dr. Charles Mullen
An Affiliated Educational System for Optometry with the Department of Veterans Affairs
Affiliation Between Illinois College of Optometry and University of Chicago (1997)
Upon my arrival in Chicago as the President of ICO, Terry Ernest MD, Chairman Department Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Chicago asked to meet with me. He had read my article in the Archives of Ophthalmology about the Hahnemann Affiliation with PCO and thought there was an opportunity to develop a similar arrangement between ICO and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Chicago. We decided to incorporate the best aspects of my years of experience in the affiliation agreement. I met with President Hugo Sonnenscheim of the University, and described the synergism of the proposed arrangement, and a signed affiliation agreement was completed within weeks.
The University of Chicago/ICO Affiliation was implemented in 1997 as a model of cooperation in education, patient care and research between the disciplines of academic optometry and ophthalmology.
Illinois College of Optometry and University of Chicago Affiliation Agreement