NEWS spectrum

Brochure Outlines Role of Vision for Children

To help parents, caregivers, and others who have an interest in seeing children perform their best, the American Optometric Association (AOA) Sports Vision Section and Safe Kids Worldwide have teamed up to offer a free educational brochure titled Healthy Eyes for Peak Performance.

The brochure offers practical advice on how to maintain children's healthy vision, including information on the importance of regular eye exams, the harmful effects of extended exposure to the sun, and the necessity of protective eyewear during sports activities.

"We know there's a connection between optimal vision and optimal performance, so good eye health and vision correction should be a consideration for performance-minded individuals of all ages — on the field and off," says Graham Erickson, OD, Chair of the AOA Sports Vision Section. "This free brochure provides parents with a better understanding of how to foster and maintain their children's healthy vision for peak performance."

The brochure also sheds new light on a growing body of research about the benefits of contact lens use beyond vision correction alone.

"Studies show that children, some as young as 8 years old, who wear contact lenses feel better about their physical appearance, acceptance among friends, and their ability to play sports than children who wear glasses," says Dr. Erickson.

Healthy Eyes for Peak Performance is supported by Vistakon and can be viewed or downloaded at the following Web sites: www.safekids.org/eyes, www.aoa.org/performance.xml, and www.acuvue.com/peakperformance. The brochure is a free publication. If you would like to order a set (50 brochures) for your office, email your request to peakperformance@inkandroses.com. Make sure to include your name and address, including ZIP code.

B&L Names New Presidents

Bausch & Lomb has named Peter Valenti III as corporate vice president and global president, Vision Care, a role he will assume effective July 1.

He joined B&L in January 2009 as president, North America, Vision Care. Before being named to that role, Mr. Valenti served as vice president and general manager, Surgical Devices (U.S.), for Covidien. Prior, he spent 12 years with Johnson & Johnson in a variety of U.S. and international roles.

Mr. Valenti replaces Stuart Heap, who will step down from his current role with B&L for personal reasons on June 30. Mr. Heap will remain a strategic advisor to the company.

In conjunction with Mr. Valenti's transition, the company named Steven F. Robins as president, North America, Vision Care.

Robins joins B&L with approximately two decades of consumer healthcare experience at leading companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Warner Lambert. Most recently, he was general manager, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare Canada, and a vice president of the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Group. Prior, he held marketing and category management leadership positions with Pfizer Inc. He began his career at Young & Rubicam, the global advertising agency. He holds a bachelor's degree from Bates College.

Vistakon Offers Office Training

In an effort to help practitioners improve patient satisfaction, Vistakon recently introduced a new online staff training program.

The Office Readiness program is designed to help practitioners and staff integrate new Acuvue products, services, and tools into the office to increase efficiency in contact lens services. Current course topics range from improving patient satisfaction by introducing new lens technologies to how to talk to children and their parents about contact lenses. Staff controls which courses they take based on what is most relevant to them and their office.

"Given the speed at which new products are being introduced to the market, and the added challenges of expanding business in a down economy, Office Readiness is a convenient program to help educate doctors' staff on newly available services and products so that they can immediately and confidently begin using and discussing them with patients," says Peg Achenbach, OD, senior director, Professional & Medical Affairs, Vistakon.

Classes are in brief 10-minute sections, and the content is appropriate for staff of all experience levels. Classes are free to anyone who has or creates an account on www.jnjvisioncare.com. To register and to review the course offering, go to www.jnjvisioncare.com/training. For registration assistance, call the Vistakon Support Team at (888) 574-0028 or e-mail OfficeReadiness@jnjvisioncare.com.

New Options for Correcting Presbyopia on the Horizon

Visioneering Technologies Inc. (VTI), a startup company with a breakthrough technology for correcting presbyopia through contact lenses and other on eye/in eye applications, announced the closing of its Series B round of financing led by MB Ventures of Memphis, Tenn.

The company, which has raised nearly $5 million to date, has added investment partners to fund completion of its clinical trials. Other major investors include Charter Life Sciences and Life Science Angels, both of Palo Alto, Calif., and the State of Georgia through its ATDC Seed Capital Fund.

VTI's patented approach to vision correction utilizes induced aperture optics to improve the optical efficiency of the eye's vision system. The technology has a number of on eye and in eye applications including contact lenses, LASIK, intraocular lenses, and corneal inlays.

"VTI's initial play into the marketplace will be the contact lens category, where solutions for presbyopia correction have fallen short of consumer expectations," says Joe DeLapp, VTI's president and CEO.

Sally Dillehay, OD, VTI's vice president of clinical and regulatory affairs, notes that, "VTI's solutions are designed to revolutionize the underdeveloped presbyopia segment by offering a new approach to uncompromised visual acuity and sharper depth of focus, especially in low light such as night driving."

VTI was founded in 2004 by Dr. Richard A. Griffin, an optometrist, optical engineer, and aerospace engineer who spent 20 years developing VTI's breakthrough technology. Dr. Griffin holds two issued patents for his optical solutions for presbyopia.

AOA Names 2009 Grant Recipients

Optometry's Charity — The AOA Foundation's Endowment Fund Advisory Committee selected five third-year optometry students as the 2009 Scholarship Grant recipients.

Jacoby Dewald from Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry was selected for the $2,500 Dr. Seymour Galina Grant.

Jessica Unruh from the University of Houston College of Optometry was selected as the national winner of the $5,000 InfantSEE Scholarship Grant. Chad Anderson from Pacific University College of Optometry was chosen as the runner up and will receive $2,500.

The essay written by David Barnhart from The Ohio State University College of Optometry was chosen as the national winner for the Healthy Eyes Healthy People Scholarship Grant of $5,000. Brian Moore from Indiana University School of Optometry was chosen as the runner up and will receive $2,500.

Each accredited school or college of optometry was invited to submit one nominee for each scholarship topic. The submissions were evaluated and grant recipients were chosen by Optometry's Charity Endowment Fund Advisory Committee.