Service to Community
HOYA Supports UAB Optometry’s Community Eye Care with Gift
Community Eye Care (CEC), the community service arm of the UAB School of Optometry, recently received a gift from HOYA Vision Care supporting CEC’s mission to provide comprehensive eye care to Alabama’s underserved communities.
Read more50 years of CEC: Dr. Mark Ortiz
Community Eye Care (CEC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to communities. This year, the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) is recognizing those who have helped CEC provide vision services to underserved and underrepresented communities as faculty, staff or as a student. With this in mind, meet former resident Mark Ortiz, OD.
Read moreCEC celebrates half a century of compassionate care
by Nathan Anderson
Community Eye Care (CEC), the UAB School of Optometry’s community outreach arm, celebrated 50 years of providing vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to underserved communities while training future optometrists to provide compassionate care. To date, the program has cared for approximately 25,000 patients.
Read moreGift of Sight reaches 10 years, treats 2000th patient
by Nathan Anderson
In its tenth year, the UAB School of Optometry’s biggest giving event, Gift of Sight, has provided free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to more than 2,000 patients to date. Community Eye Care (CEC), the school’s community outreach arm, coordinated the annual event, while celebrating its 50th anniversary of providing vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to underserved communities.
Read more50 years of CEC: Dylan Cowan
Community Eye Care (CEC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to communities. This year, the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) is recognizing those who have helped CEC provide vision services to underserved and underrepresented communities as faculty, staff or as a student. With this in mind, meet alumnus Dylan Cowan, OD.
Read more50 years of CEC: BB Jefferson
Community Eye Care (CEC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary of vision screenings and comprehensive eyecare to communities. This year, the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO) is recognizing those who have helped CEC provide vision services to underserved and underrepresented communities as faculty, staff or as a student. With this in mind, meet former staff member Scelelar (BB) Jefferson.
Read moreSVOSH provides care in St. Lucia
by Nathan Anderson
The UAB School of Optometry’s Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH) trip team — including five students and two doctors — spent three days providing comprehensive eye exams to 290 people in St. Lucia. This is the first time since 2019 that the student group has traveled abroad to provide care.
Read moreAnnual Gift of Sight treats hundreds in need
by Satina Richardson
For the ninth consecutive year, Community Eye Care, the community service arm of UAB Eye Care at the UAB School of Optometry (UABSO), hosted Gift of Sight. The weeklong event provided 216 patients in need with free comprehensive eye exams and glasses.
Read moreStudent gives back to family's hometown
Prior to applying to optometry school, Dustin Scott was a Community Eye Care (CEC) work study student. This experience allowed him to witness firsthand the impact that visits to the Black Belt to provide free eye and vision care had on the communities.
Read moreOptometry showcases unique experience at The World Games Plaza
The World Games represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase UAB on a global stage — and transforming our residence halls and Commons on the Green into the Athletes’ Village or serving as the official medical provider for Games athletes and spectators aren’t the only ways to shine a spotlight on the best of UAB. Read more on UAB News
Read moreUAB’s optometry school leads World Games eye care program
by Satina Richardson
The UAB School of Optometry is leading efforts to provide eye and vision care to World Games athletes during the multi-sport international event in Birmingham, July 7-17, 2022.
Read morePartnership provides eye care to men getting second chances
by Satina Richardson
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice’s legal work celebrates second chances for incarcerated men ages 50-plus and getting a new lease on life after decades of incarceration for offenses without physical injury. A partnership with UAB Eye Care is eliminating the barrier of access to eye and vision care for those preparing to reenter society when people their age are typically preparing to leave the workforce.
Read moreCaring for the community adapted, continued during pandemic
by Caleb Jones
Eye and vision care are vital to maintaining your health and wellness. Comprehensive eye exams are recommended at all stages in life and millions of people benefit yearly from the services offered by optometrists. Despite the logistical obstacles COVID has posed to eye care professionals, the reality is that people need comprehensive eye care to live healthy lives. That’s why at Community Eye Care (CEC), the goal has remained clear: provide quality eye care to the uninsured and underinsured.
Read moreUAB Eye Care celebrates holiday season by giving
by Satina Richardson
For the eighth consecutive year, Community Eye Care (CEC), the community service arm of UAB Eye Care, celebrated the holiday season by hosting Gift of Sight. From November 29 to December 10, CEC provided free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to people in need.
Read moreContinuing the commitment to eye health
Vision screenings have long been a part of the School of Optometry’s community service offerings. In 1974, two optometry students screened two young children for vision issues.
Sims receives Odessa Woolfolk Community Service Award
by Satina Richardson
Janene Sims, OD, PhD, FAAO, has won the Odessa Woolfolk Community Service Award. This award was established by UAB to recognize one of its faculty who has rendered outstanding service to UAB’s community.
Read moreApril 27, 2011 tornadoes forged new CEC partnership and service opportunity
by Janene Sims, OD, PhD, FAAO
Tuesday, April 27th, marked the 10-year anniversary of a historic deadly tornado outbreak in the South. This series of storms lasted several days and spread across more than 20 states. Alabama suffered the most tragedy with 252 Alabamians losing their lives during an 18-hour period. Sixty-two confirmed tornadoes ranging from EF-1 to EF-5 wreaked havoc for a 1200 mile range. The weather alarms blared almost continuously that Wednesday. This week, Governor Ivey ordered that flags be flown at half-staff for a “Day of Remembrance” for the lives lost.
Read moreGift of Sight changed, continued during pandemic
by Satina Richardson
In its seventh year, the Gift of Sight is the UAB School of Optometry’s biggest giving event. Organizers were determined to hold the event despite the COVID-19 pandemic and were able to provide free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to 227 low-income and underinsured patients.
Do you see what I see?
By Janene Sims, OD, PhD, UAB School of Optometry associate professor
The year 2020 has had many challenges: racial injustice, police brutality, and COVID-19. Late summer gave us a glimmer of hope. Deaths due to the coronavirus are on the decline. Schools and businesses are slowly reopening. The US economy is trying to rebound. Professional sports are back in action. Universities and businesses are having important conversations regarding race and inequities. Just when you think that things are beginning to improve, we have another shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mr. Blake was shot seven times in the back in front of his children. This outraged the citizens of Kenosha, so many took to the streets in protest.
Read moreOptometry Black Belt clinics benefit more than 13,000
The UAB School of Optometry began treating patients in Alabama’s Black Belt communities through a formally organized program in 2002. Since then, more than 13,000 patients in this underserved area of the state have received access to care from the school’s vision scientists, doctors, and students.
Read moreGift of Sight provides free eye care to nearly 200
By Tyra Rocker
For the fifth year, the UAB School of Optometry provided free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to nearly 200 Birmingham residents at the 2019 Gift of Sight event held at UAB Eye Care’s Western Health Center location, December 3-6.
Read moreInfants benefit from comprehensive eye exams, early detection
Early detection by comprehensive, dilated examination is a great way to identify current or potential vision problems to assure infants’ eyes are healthy and their vision is properly developing.
Read more2019 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama reception slated
The 2019 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama reception will be held on Sunday, January 27th, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI). The art show will be on display at BCRI until February 28th and throughout the state at ten museums during 2019.
Read moreUAB Eye Care sees 1,000th patient at Gift of Sight
During the fifth annual Gift of Sight event, the clinical operation of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Optometry — UAB Eye Care— served nearly 300 patients throughout the four-day event, including caring for its 1,000th patient in the event’s tenure.
Optometry students, faculty celebrate 40th service trip by delivering eye care to 1,400
The UAB SVOSH trip team — including 11 students, three doctors and two School of Optometry clinical staff — provided comprehensive eye exams to 500 Panamanian people in four days. The group also gave out more than 1,200 pairs of eyeglasses and made almost 80 referrals for a variety of ocular disease conditions.
Read moreFaculty Q&A: Kim Duong, OD, MS
Kim Duong, OD, MS, is no stranger to community service. The clinical assistant professor at the UAB School of Optometry has worked with children with Type 1 diabetes, provided vision screenings at volunteer events, and works with young girls in the Birmingham, Alabama, area, where she moved in July 2017 to join the School of Optometry faculty.
Read moreGift of Sight event provides 260 patients with free eye care
The UAB School of Optometry and the Jefferson County Department of Health partnered for the fourth consecutive year to bring free comprehensive eye exams and glasses to low-income and underinsured Birmingham residents.
Altogether, 260 patients were seen during the Gift of Sight event, which was held Nov. 29 - Dec. 2 at the Western Health Center in Midfield, Alabama, and at UAB Eye Care, the School of Optometry’s clinical operation. Some patients will return for follow-up appointments for retina, glaucoma and specialty contact lenses, says Janene Sims, O.D., associate professor at the School of Optometry.
Read moreUAB School of Optometry joins vision community in recognizing July as Dry Eye Awareness Month
The UAB School of Optometry has partnered with members of the vision community in recognizing July as Dry Eye Awareness Month.
Read moreClinic offers specialized treatment for dry eye disease
A new clinic at UAB Eye Care is providing a specialized approach to treating dry eye disease.
The Dry Eye Relief Clinic offers the full scope of treatment services for the common disorder that occurs when tears aren’t able to provide enough lubrication for the eyes.
Read morePortable imaging system can increase care for communities in need
The UAB School of Optometry wants to increase the scope of care it provides to the Birmingham metro area and to underserved communities throughout the state and the region. As UAB Giving Day 2017 approaches, one of the School’s priorities is supporting Community Eye Care with the purchase of a portable optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system.
Read moreUAB School of Optometry Community Eye Care gives the gift of sight to local residents
By Christie Brown
Almost 300 underserved individuals from the Birmingham area received eye exams and glasses at no cost as part of the UAB School of Optometry’s Gift of Sight event that took place December 2-5, 2015.
Read more