OPT Visionary - Fall 2016

COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY • 35 Alumni News I am proud to discuss the recent developments that have occurred at NSU’s College of Optometry (NSUCO). While I am sure many of you are aware of our glaucoma and diabetes and macular disease services at The Eye Care Institute, I am pleased to inform you of the addition of optical coherence tomogra- phy angiography (OCTA) to the clinics. Clinically, OCTA evaluates static retina with movement, which is presumed to be red blood cells moving through the vasculature. It produces a contrast vascular map of the retina. Additionally, although OCTA is not meant to replace fluorescein angiography, it can be used in conjunction. It has been a great addition to The Eye Care Institute, because it augments clinical decision making for our patients and clinical learning for our students. In addition, we have taken great strides to provide interprofessional education and interdisciplinary care. With the help of the HPD Connections Café, faculty members and students from the different HPD colleges are granted an opportunity to introduce their profession and discuss their skills and capabilities. This innovative interprofessional endeavor was organized by Cecilia Rokusek, Ed.D., M.S., R.D.N., assistant dean of research and innovation at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) and director of the NSU-COM Center for Interprofessional Education and Practice (CIPEP), and the CIPEP committee. The pioneering efforts of alumni and faculty members such as Sherrol Reynolds, O.D., FAAO; Diana Shecht- man, O.D., FAAO; and former faculty member Joseph Pizzimenti, O.D., FAAO, along with the support of all our faculty members, have helped NSUCO develop relationships with various health care professionals and clinics within NSU. Consequently, this has led to increased referrals and has facilitated the true process of comanagement. Under the initiation and direction of Surbhi Bansal, O.D., FAAO, a traumatic brain injury service was developed within the Pediatric and Binocular Vision Department in 2015, which has rapidly become a busy and well-established service that has benefited many patients. Meanwhile, Andrea Janoff, O.D., FAAO, and Chandra Mickles, O.D., M.S., FAAO, are in the process of developing a dry eye service at The Eye Care Institute. During our annual alumni reception, which was held in May at the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, we celebrated the classes of 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011. Turnout was high, and the alumni enjoyed having the opportunity to catch up with one another. As always, we want to keep you apprised of the latest activities occurring at NSUCO by publishing this information in The Visionary . This includes keeping your classmates and all other alumni up to date about the personal and professional accomplishments hap- pening in your life. If we do not have your current email address and contact information, please take a few minutes and provide us with that information at nova.edu/webforms/alumni/index.html . I encourage all alumni to support our incoming stu- dents with scholarship gifts of any amount. Finally, I want to thank Vanessa McDonald, M.S.; Arnie Patrick, O.D.; Sherrol Reynolds, O.D., FAAO; and Jackie Rodena, O.D., for their help over the past year. You’re the best! MARLON DEMERITT, O.D., M.B.A., FAAO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND PRESIDENT, NSUCO ALUMNI CHAPTER Alumni Chapter President’s Message