The Department has extended its efforts in the community and internationally in several areas:

A. Lakeland Community College Ophthalmic Technician's program. Dr. Lass has served as the founder and medical director of the Lakeland Community College Ophthalmic Technician's program since 1995. This two-year Associate's degree program  is the only such program in Ohio.  This year, a one year certificate program was developed.  Further information on this program can be obtained at its website:  www.lakeland.cc.oh.us/academic/sh/oph/index.htm

B. Prevent Blindness Ohio. Dr. Burney serves on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Ohio chapter of Prevent Blindness Ohio, which provides vision services to the needy, programs for prevention of eye injuries at work, a pre-school vision screening program, and funds pilot eye research projects. PBO in conjunction with Prevent Blindness America is leading efforts in Ohio to develop comprehensive plans to deal with the impact of an increasingly older population in Ohio and the eye diseases associated with aging, including cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Further information on the activities of Prevent Blindness Ohio can be obtained at its website:  www.preventblindness.org/ohio/

C. Ohio Lions. Dr. Lass and Dr. Huang are members of the Chagrin Valley Lions club and participate in all their activities including vision screening and fundraising for eye research.  The Department has received over $1 million in funding from the Ohio Lions Eye Research Foundation since its program began in 1953.  More information about OLERF can be obtained at its website:  www.ohiolionseyeresearch.com

D. Onchocerciasis program. Dr. Pearlman goes yearly to  West Africa as part of his research program with Dr. Lass and Dr. Kazura, working on examining the immune and ocular status of treated patients in the area.  Efforts are underway to develop new clinical programs in response to the discover by the Pearlman lab this past year that Wolbachia, and endosymbiotic bacterial associated with O. volvulus, plan an essential role in the pathogenesis of Onchocerca keratitis, primarily by mediating neutrophil recruitment to the corneal stroma [Science 2002. 295:1892]  Treatment with tetracycline eliminates the Wolbachia and disrupts the inflammatory response to O. volvulus challenge.

E. Research to Prevent Blindness: Dr. Lass serves on an advisory panel for RPB this past year. RPB is the largest private foundation supporting eye research in the world.  Further information on RPB can be obtained at its website:  www.rpbusa.org

F. Cleveland Eyebank. Dr. William J. Reinhart continues to serve as the Medical Director of the Cleveland Eye Bank, a position he has held for the past 30 years.  The Cleveland Eye Bank is the source of corneal tissue for transplantation in Northeast Ohio.  It also provides tissue for research and teaching purposes.  Further information on the Cleveland Eye Bank can be obtained at its website which it shares with a national eye bank group with which the Cleveland Eye Bank collaborates -- Vision Share:  www.visionshare.org 

G. Cleveland Sight Center.  Dr. Lass serves on the board of the Cleveland Sight Center.  Founded in 1906, the Cleveland Sight Center is the major non-profit agency that serves the vision impaired and blind in Northeast Ohio with numerous services provided to over 9,000 individuals, yearly.  Further information on the Cleveland Sight Center can be obtained at its website:  www.clevelandsightcenter.org