National nonprofit group, Prevent Blindness, elects five new members to it’s Board of Directors

CHICAGO, Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Prevent Blindness, the nation’s leading eye health and safety nonprofit organization, has named five new members to its Board of Directors. New members include Mary Blankenship Pointer, senior vice president, Frontier State Bank; Pete Lothes, chief operating officer, The Fielmann Group; Matt MacDonald, president and global head of managed care, EyeMed Vision Care; Wanda Montalvo, PhD, RN, FAAN, director of evidence-based and integration strategy, National Association of Community Health Centers; and Ruth Shoge, OD, MPH, FAAO, associate clinical professor and director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging,
University of California-Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science. The vote was held on Nov. 9, at the 2023 Prevent Blindness Annual Board Meeting in Chicago.

Additionally, Blankenship Pointer was elected as the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors Treasurer, and Jackie Herd, RN, DNP, NEA-BC, FACHE, principal, Vizient, Inc., was elected as the Board of Directors Secretary.

Prevent Blindness elected two long-term volunteers who have contributed significantly to the organization’s mission as Emeritus Members of Prevent Blindness. These include M. Kathleen Murphy, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, associate dean for global health and community engagement, University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing, and Sandra S. Block, OD, MEd, MPH, president of the World Council of Optometry.

Mary Blankenship Pointer has more than 25 years of banking experience including business development, and private banking. At Frontier State Bank, her main focus is commercial lending. As a long-time volunteer, she has served on and chaired the Board of Directors of Prevent Blindness Oklahoma (now Vizavance) as well as the Prevent Blindness national Board of Directors. Blankenship Pointer also served as the Chair of the Prevent Blindness Budget Committee and was the event chair for the 2015 Person of Vision gala honoring former First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush.

As Chief Operating O儃cer for the Fielmann Group, one of the largest optical groups worldwide serving 28 million active customers through an omnichannel platform comprised of digital sales channels as well as about 1,000 retail stores, Pete Lothes oversees operations and logistics, including production lab and management, strategic planning, budgeting, staff development, profitability improvement as well as efficiency gains within its infrastructure. He previously served in senior executive roles for Advancing Eyecare, EssilorLuxottica, Satisloh, and Select Optical. Lothes served on the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) Regional Board and has previously supported both Prevent Blindness Ohio and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin. He holds a BS in Business Management, and Minor in Marketing from Ashland University.

As President and Global Head of Managed Care for EyeMed Vision Care, a leading vision benefits company, Matt MacDonald leads the managed vision care business in the United States and globally. He has been with EyeMed since 2013 and most recently served as chief operations officer. MacDonald previously worked for Accretive Health, Accenture, and Booz & Company, and holds degrees from Northwestern University and Columbia Business School. He has been a strong supporter of the annual Prevent Blindness Person of Vision event.

As the director of Evidence-Based and Integration Strategy for the National
Association of Community Health Centers, Wanda Montalvo provides technical support for public health systems change. She was previously the Executive Director of Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare at Columbia University and Associate Director of the Weitzmann Institute. She received her PhD in Nursing Science and Health Policy from Columbia University and her MS in Nursing from LIU-Brooklyn. Montalvo is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH).

As an Associate Clinical Professor and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at University of California-Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Dr. Ruth Shoge leads strategic planning and program development for the program. She previously served as Chair of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee. Dr. Shoge received an OD and completed her residency from Pennsylvania College of Optometry, an MPH from Temple University of Public Health, and a BS from Randolph-Macon College. She recently participated in the moderated discussion “Building a Diverse Optometric Workforce” at the 2021 Focus on Eye Health Summit, and has volunteered for NCCVEH programs including the ACHIEVE initiative, and the Children’s Vision Equity Alliance/BlackDoctor.org Facebook Live series.

“At Prevent Blindness, our Board of Directors consists of leaders and visionaries from a wide range of industries and organizations, which helps us successfully continue our sight-saving mission of 115 years,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO. “We welcome all of our new distinguished members to the Board and thank them for their continued commitment to improving vision health, access to care and patient advocacy.”

For a full listing of members of the Prevent Blindness Board of Directors, please visit https://preventblindness.org/prevent-blindness-board-directors. For more information about Prevent Blindness or general eye health information, visit PreventBlindness.org.

About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Pull Quote

“At Prevent Blindness, our Board of Directors consists of leaders and visionaries from a wide range of industries and organizations, which helps us successfully continue our sight-saving mission of 115 years,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO.

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Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness, 312.363.6035, [email protected], PreventBlindness.org

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The new clinic provides much-needed access to low-barrier treatment for fentanyl, meth, heroin, alcohol and other substances in the Sky Valley.

MONROE, Wash., Nov. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Ideal Option, a national leader in evidence-based outpatient treatment for addiction to fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, alcohol and polysubstance, is now welcoming new patients in Monroe. The new clinic, conveniently located downtown, on the second floor of 101 E Main St, diagnoses and treats substance use disorder with evidence-based, FDA-approved medications such as buprenorphine. The clinic does not administer methadone or prescription oral medications to patients onsite.

According to recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl-related overdose deaths have surged across the United States in recent years, reaching unprecedented levels.

In Washington state, the problem is particularly acute, with a sharp increase in fentanyl-related fatalities. In Snohomish County alone, there were 189 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2022, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office Drug Overdose Dashboard.

Fentanyl is regularly mixed with other illicit drugs to make them more addictive, often without the user knowing. Polysubstance use disorder is therefore now the most common diagnosis at Ideal Option. According to their 2022 Annual Patient Outcomes Report showing aggregated lab testing results for more than 7,000 patients in Washington state, 63% of patients tested positive for more than one substance at enrollment, and 27% tested positive for three or more substances.

The report does offer hope, however, by showing how effective medication-assisted treatment is for reducing isolated and poly-substance use. For patients who remained in treatment with Ideal Option during 2022, lab testing shows:

• 94% less total opioid use
• 98% less fentanyl use
• 95% less heroin use
• 88% less methamphetamine use
• 84% less cocaine use

The new clinic is Ideal Option’s fifth location in Snohomish County and is opening at a time of desperate need for expanded access to evidence-based treatment from experienced providers. Ideal Option has been specializing in addiction medicine using buprenorphine-based medications such as Suboxone® for 11 years and currently operates 90 clinics in 9 states.

“The Sky Valley area is near and dear to my heart. This community needs services, solutions and compassion,” said April Provost, community outreach coordinator for Ideal Option. “With our team of experienced addiction medicine specialists, peer support, and network of community partners, we can help make an impact in the lives of those seeking recovery.”

The new outpatient clinic in Monroe is open Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 101 E Main St, Suite 201.

Most forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicare and Medicaid, and patients can typically get started on treatment for fentanyl, heroin, alcohol or other substances within 1-3 business days.

Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting www.idealoption.com.

About Ideal Option

Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped more than 70,000 patients through a network of 90 office-based medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinics across 9 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts most forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare. Financial assistance and payment plans are also available.

Ideal Option’s team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism.

In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support.

Media Contact

Olivia Roe, Ideal Option, 1 9199466644, [email protected], www.idealoption.com

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