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WesternU Eye Care Institute – Los Angeles to hold grand opening Jan. 31

by Rodney Tanaka

January 7, 2018

Read 2 mins

Western University of Health Sciences will hold a grand opening for its Eye Care Institute – Los Angeles from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at 2080 Century Park East Suite 800, Los Angeles, California, 90067.

The ECI-LA office is unique in that is was designed to fill the unmet need left by the closure of the Center for the Partially Sighted in 2017, said WesternU College of Optometry Chief of Vision Rehabilitation Services Linda Pang, OD, FAAO.

“Our new office aims to be a comprehensive rehabilitation center for those with visual impairments,” she said. “The services include low-vision evaluations, adaptation to vision or field losses post traumatic brain injury and stroke, training in daily living skills, evaluation of assistive electronic devices, orientation and mobility training, occupational therapy and counseling for patients and their families.”

During the grand opening, the latest technology in visual enhancement for those who are visually impaired will be highlighted. These include wearable technology that can identify faces, read documents and help with environmental navigation, Dr. Pang said.

“We will also demonstrate how the latest developments in closed-circuit TVs can improve people’s ability to see at all distances,” she said. “Orientation and mobility instructors and independent living skills instructors will be on hand to demonstrate the one-on-one training available to visually impaired individuals thus enhancing their safety, health, and level of independence for daily life, academic performance, and/or occupational needs.”

ECI-LA will become a clinical rotation site for WesternU College of Optometry students beginning later this semester.

“I am really proud to be part of this university because they are so good at interdisciplinary care, which is what low-vision rehabilitation is,” said WesternU Clinical Assistant Professor Tina MacDonald, OD, CDE, FAAO, who worked at the Center for the Partially Sighted and is now at ECI-LA. “I’m looking forward to working with educating students about this area of optometry.”

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