Optometry grant to aid community

IU has received a $150,000 grant to go toward something other than the traditional benefit of scientific research, or the frequent expansion of an academic department. \nLast November, the IU School of Optometry, in partnership with the School of Medicine, received a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust to aid in providing the proper eye care for those who are not able to afford or have access to the medical necessity, said Gerald Lowther, dean of the School of Optometry. \nHe said the strictly non-profit program will be a service run by staff members who will concentrate mainly on children and elderly in the Indianapolis area.\n"It's to work as an outreach program with a staff of people who will work with the community and community groups to make people aware of the services needed for eye care and vision care," Lowther said. "(We want) to reach out to more individuals."\nThose individuals in need of proper care who don't have the resources to obtain it will receive more than just the routine look at their vision.\n"(We will also be) helping people get care -- other than vision," Lowther said. "These people will be guided to other resources to find other needed health care."\nEdwin Marshall, professor of optometry and assistant dean for academic affairs and student administration, said he sees these same objectives as priorities but wants to focus on the community being more aware of eye care, as well.\nMarshall said he hopes the grant will enhance the level of education on the importance of eye care to the public and spread the value and importance of visual health.\n"There will be an indirect effect on the public of eye care as an education and as an economic development," Marshall said.\nBesides spreading the word of how important eye care is, the program will provide a much-needed service to those who may not think they even need this form of medical care.\n"We tend to take a lot of things for granted ... we miss things after they're lost," Marshall said. "And people will think they see clearly -- that isn't necessarily correct."\nEven though people see clearly, that doesn't mean there aren't other medical problems, he said.\nThis type of special attention both Marshall and Lowther hope to provide to their target group of Hoosier citizens is what caught the foundation members' eyes when selecting institutions for their grant to be given.\n"One of the nice parts of the project is it was a collaboration of the School of Optometry and the School of Medicine," said David Hillman, grants program manager for the private foundation. "They presented very strong services to provide the community and those less fortunate, with more serious medical issues."\nThe foundation serves three main areas of interest -- basic human needs, arts and culture and animals and nature. The basic human needs category was the area selected for IU's grant. Hillman said IU was of specific interest in a prospective project for the grant because of its interest and goals.\nHe said IU stood out for more than one reason.\n"(Basic human needs) is based on giving," Hillman said. "And Nina, the benefactor the foundation is based upon, had a particular interest in vision and preventing blindness."\nMarshall said he hopes to continue to expand and evolve upon the foundation of interaction with the community.\n"We have, historically, provided these types of services -- what (the grant) allows us to do, is expand," Marshall said. "There may be some new twist, but the general concept of expanding care to other individuals is part of it. We want to go a little further with that mission for those who are slightly out of our reach"