The San Diego View

Inside this Issue:

• President’s Message
• Retina Corner
• Eye See
• CE Corner
• Classifieds
• Volunteer Corner
• SDCOS Announcements

President’s Message January 2020

Dr. Wendy Gross

Welcome to our year! 2020 is the year of Optometry, so get ready for an exciting year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and spent some quality time with the special people in their lives.  As an active member of the San Diego Optometry Society for the past few years, I have gained a tremendous amount professionally and personally in the form of friendships, networking, knowledge, and experience.  As a transplant from across the country in Florida, the society has been a life saver for me and I am honored to be given the opportunity to give back and serve as your president for the year 2020. We have an excellent group of doctors on the board this year, and I am looking forward to seeing what we will accomplish together.

I would like to thank Dr. Grazian for his leadership as president this past year.  His direction, organization, and methodical nature really helped to allow for a smoothly run year.  I am grateful to receive the “Young Optometrist of the Year” award and would also like to congratulate Dr. Bob Meisel, our 2019 “Optometrist of the Year”. Dr. Meisel has dedicated countless hours to volunteering his time and providing eye care to those in need at Monarch School in San Diego, a K-12 comprehensive school designed to educate homeless youth and also helps to raise money for The Lions Optometric Vision Clinic by organizing and running the annual Golf Tournament. We are lucky to have such amazing doctors and leaders in our community!

I am absolutely committed to maintaining our legacy as one of the best optometric societies in the country, especially during this exciting year!  In addition to being one of the largest societies in California, we are also one of the most active. We provide top notch continuing education opportunities to our members, including six 2-hour and three 5-hour CE meetings, making it easy and convenient to keep up with your continuing education locally. We also have many volunteer outreach programs which allow for our members to be active and give back to the community. Some of these include our Lions Optometric Vision Clinic and Monarch School Screenings.  You can also join us for our annual Legislative Day in Sacramento when we come together to encourage our state senators and congress members to support our profession. I would encourage our members to take advantage of these programs. It not only makes for an incredibly rewarding experience, but also helps to show our dedication and presence in San Diego!

As your SDCOS president, I promise to work hard to provide you with another great year of education, resources to enrich yourself and your practice, and opportunities to network with other doctors and vendors. I will make myself available for any questions, comments, and ideas so our society can continue to grow and thrive. I am confident that together we will have an amazing year!

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Retina Corner

By Nikolas J.S. London, MD FACS
Director of Clinical Research, Retina Consultants San Diego
Chief of Ophthalmology, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

With great sorrow, we are writing to inform you that Paul Tornambe passed away peacefully on Monday December 23, 2019, surrounded by his beloved wife Deborah and his loving children. As many of you may have known, Paul had been fighting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for several years, and underwent two lung transplants. Paul fought until the very end with the bravery, determination, and the same resolve that he gave to everything in life that was meaningful to him. Paul was loved and respected by many, including his patients, his colleagues, his family, and his friends, who all enjoyed his steadfast loyalty.

Paul was a giant among men, a leader, a lionheart. He led an accomplished career spanning four decades and was admired by his colleagues around the world. His astute insights and provocative comments were always welcome, thought-provoking, and entertaining. Paul never shied away from a controversial subject and never short-changed a colleague who needed his advice. There was never a subject too complex or an issue too small to bypass his attention. Throughout his career, Paul made many important contributions to the field of Vitreoretinal Surgery and grew to become an innovator and a legend within the field. Paul would have no interest in having his accolades listed here, but suffice it to say that there are hundreds.

What Paul would be interested in is noting his relationships with you, his colleagues, and his patients. Paul was a doctor in the purest sense of the word. He worked seven days a week and was always available. He never refused to see a patient regardless of the time of day (or night), or their ability to pay for his services. Paul helped thousands and thousands of patients, perhaps hundreds of thousands. He earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the most honest, ethical, caring, capable, and hardworking doctors around. He was the type of doctor we should all strive to emulate.

Paul’s legacy will survive in the hearts and minds of those who knew him well, and who will continue to honor his memory with values such as “Putting the patient above all else”, and “Never being afraid to do the right thing”, sayings that he learned from his devoted physician father, and which he stood by.

Some men leave their mark in small increments while others make great strides and change the course of history. Paul will be remembered as a man who did all of these things. He will be forever missed.

A memorial service is being planned for 10am on Friday, January 17th at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Poway, followed by an informal lunch at Maderas Golf Club. RSVP here: bit.ly/paultornambe.

Also, the family has asked that in lieu of flowers that you consider a small donation to Paul’s Retina Research Foundation. Attached are details on this.

Sincerely,

Lon S. Poliner, Nikolas J.S. London, Anne M. Hanneken, and Atul Jain and the staff of RCSD

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Eye See written by Dr. Byron Y. Newman OPTIMAL BREATHING

There is little debate that air is our primary nutritional need. And, certainly for most, breathing for most is automatic, and requires little or no effort.

But, diseases that affect the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system require careful monitoring and continual search for cures of conditions such as emphysema and asthma, etc.

However, proper breathing has to be learned in many instances, and people who breathe optimally rarely or never get sck and even live a lot longer, according to a report on the internet.

According to several European doctors others, there are at least 200 conditions of life and diseases that relate directly to improper breathing and is a common cause of ill health.

One study showed that heart attacks, cancer, strokes, pneumonia, asthma, speech problems and almost every disease known to mankind is worsened or improved by how well we breathe. The clinical study of 5,200 individuals over a 30 year span showed that pulmonary function measurement is an indicator of general health and vigor, and literally the primary measure of potential life span.

Did you know that given an optimal diet, the respiratory system should be responsible for eliminating 70% of your metabolic waste? The remainder should be eliminated through defecation (3%) urination, (8%), and perspiration (19%). “So,” states the report, “if you think that going to the bathroom every day is important, or that working up a good sweat now then is healthy, remind yourself about the value of full free optimal breathing.”

Most people have unhealthy breathing habits. They hold the breath or breathe high in the chest or in a shallow irregular manner, adds the report. These patterns have been unconsciously adopted, accidentally formed or emotionally developed.

Here’s their suggestion:

1. Learn how well you breathe
2. Learn what that may have to do with your overall state of health
3. Learn how to develop your breathing to optimize it, increase your energy, improve your health and strengthen everything else that is affected by good or bad breathing.

Breath is life!

Check out Dr. Newman’s website, www.thehumorfactory.com!!!

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Classifieds

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT

Optometrist seeking a full or part-time position in San Diego. 2.5 years of experience working in corporate and private practice settings. Available to start late January or early February. Please contact gpennell0812@gmail.com (828)-244-8384 (01/20)

Retinal Camera for sale. Good condition Topcon TRCNW3 with the table included. $950.00. Call Dr. Grazian 619-562-5220 (02/20)

FOR SALE:  6 Eye Design display cabinets, 2 jewel cases and 2 dispensing tables for sale.  Condition is like new, asking $3500/obo for the entire package. Contact: Douglas Osborne, OD at  villageidoc@gmail.com or 760.458.7934.  Photos available on request. (02/20)

 

Dr. John Fitzpatrick, the Society Optometrist Relations Liaison, offers a unique service to the San Diego Optometric community. Several lists are kept on file for doctors seeking the following, or any combination: • full-time work • part-time work • fill-in work • purchase a practice • sell a practice • partner in a practice. There is no charge for this service. To put your name on the list, please contact Dr. John Fitzpatrick at jpfod@aol.com

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Volunteer Corner

Monarch School Screening

• Monday February 24th: Screening
• Tuesday/Wednesday March 10-11th: We need optometrists to help for a full or a half day on Monday!!

Contact Dr. Bob Meisel for more information at rmeisel@netscape.net ; www.monarchschools.org

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Lion’s Optometric Vision Clinic

ALL DOCTORS WILL RECEIVE A FREE 5 HOUR CE FOR EVERY SHIFT FOR WHICH THEY VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEER DOCTORS needed for flexible shifts throughout the year. 9-1:00 pm. Monday -Friday 1805 Upas St San Diego, CA 92103.  Can’t volunteer at the clinic? See patients in your office. Call 619-298-5273.

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DONATE GLASSES
Please bring to a CE meeting or contact the society office at 619-663-8439 for arrangements to pick up.

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SDCOS keeps a list of all doctors willing to speak in front of groups about various topics, do home visits for patients, and assist in student mentoring. ODs interested in the Speakers Bureau, Home Visits, Student mentoring, and Low Vision OD’s, please contact the society office at 619-663-8439 or email sdcos@sdcos.org

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Spring 2020 school screening to be determined

SDCOS Announcements

• Click here for most recent SDCOS Board Meeting Minutes
• Click here for the 2020 CE schedule!
• Click here for COA membership benefits!

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Welcome, new members!!

• Flora Huang, OD
• Evan Pullman, OD
• Tiffany Turner, OD

Please update your information on www.eyehelp.org