Advanced Eye Care

UK HEALTHCARE ADVANCED EYE CAREKENTUCKY VISION

UK HEALTHCARE ADVANCED EYE CAREKENTUCKY VISION

As the region’s only academic ophthalmology practice offering pediatric and trauma care, UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care is both comprehensive and targeted in our delivery of highly specialized, patient- personalized medicine. The most advanced surgical techniques are used in our practice to address dis-eases of the retina, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, and neuro-ophthalmology, among others.

Working hand-in-glove with clinical programming, our research also plays a pivotal role in supporting both the art and science of comprehensive eye care. For example, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, and finding the cure for this devastating disease is a major priority.

We were the first to develop imaging technology for the early detection of “wet” AMD before vision loss occurs. We also pioneered advanced treat-ments for “dry” AMD, “wet” AMD, and diabetic eye conditions. In addition, our labs developed the first implantable drug delivery device for eye disease in the U.S.

Such discoveries do not happen by accident. With a culture of learning and innovation, UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care recruits the best physicians, researchers, and scientists to address the complex ophthalmologic needs of Kentucky and our nation.

The proof is in plain sight— with our elite residency program ranking in the top 5% nationally for case volume; using telemedicine to serve patients located in remote rural areas throughout the state; receiving numerous prestigious research grants; and pub-lishing studies in the world’s leading medical and science journals.

These principles are the foundation of UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care. With a storied history of unpar-alleled ophthalmologic care, scientific breakthroughs, and scholarship, we embrace our past while embark-ing on a challenging and exciting future in the state of Kentucky… and beyond.

Kentuckians frequently rank among the lowest in the nation for health and wellness indicators, and this trend is evidenced by the patient population our practice steadfastly serves. Caring for over 200 patients daily, we heed Kentucky’s call by answering the most pressing ophthalmologic issues facing us today—from blindness caused by diabetes and macular degeneration, to cancer.

Due to the aging Baby Boomer population and the increase in prevalence of diabetes in our society, the number of patients needing ophthalmological care has increased at an alarming rate and shows no signs of slowing down. Since 2000, the number of clinical patients we have seen has tripled.

PASSION. COMMITMENT. INNOVATION.

Advanced Eye Care

Notwithstanding these significant strides, real obstacles remain for UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care and our critical mission in the Commonwealth. Caring for the most health challenged adult and pediatric patients in Kentucky—and respectively the U.S.— is a critically important, but colossal under-taking.

To do it, UK HealthCare has made an investment in world-class clinical space to empower our people to deliver the best in ophthalmologic care.

The new space and facility offers the opportunity for additional investments in equipment, people, and programs to become an acclaimed center for patient care, training, discovery, and innovation. Without such support, VISION in Kentucky hangs in the balance.

Leading academic medical centers are intrinsically tied to, and a product of the people they serve—and UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care is no exception. We have, and will continue to play, an essential role in our home, our state, and our nation.

Invest today… for Kentucky VISION.

See the enclosed materials for details.

IT’S SOMETIMES THROUGH THE EYES OF INEXPERIENCE THAT THE MOST PROFOUND AND WORLD-CHANGING IDEAS ARE DEVELOPED.

Inexperience is often looked upon as a negative trait; however, sometimes inexperience allows a person to think outside the confines of what’s always been done to develop something life changing. And that’s exactly what a twenty-something-year-old, two-years-out-of-medical-school-resident did at the University of Kentucky (UK) that changed the treatment of AIDS patients worldwide.

Before becoming the Chair of the Department of Ophthal-mology at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Andrew Pearson was a passionate medical student who knew he wanted to become an ophthalmologist. However, after not matching into an ophthalmology program following medical school, Dr. Pearson took an internship in internal medicine while waiting on the opportunity to fulfill his passion in eye care. During his internship, Dr. Pearson matched into the ophthalmology department at UK, but due to timing, he had a year to fill between the end of his internship and the beginning of his ophthalmology residency. It was during the “off” year that Dr. Pearson worked with Dr. Tom Smith to co-develop an intraocular drug delivery device that would not only provide better treatment options for AIDS patients, but also led to the development of other implant-able drug delivery devices.

In the late 1980s, following glaucoma surgery, patients were required to remain hospitalized for an additional two weeks so doctors could administer daily injections of med-icine into the eye to help improve the patient’s outcomes post-surgery. Dr. Pearson and Dr. Smith began researching different drug delivery devices to lessen the post-surgery burden on patients and allow them to get back to their daily lives quicker.

It was also during this time that the AIDS epidemic in America was in the public spotlight. A high percentage of AIDS patients were developing a viral infection in their ret-ina. Once they developed this infection, most were given a mere 9 months to live. Throughout those months, if the AIDS patient hoped to maintain their eyesight, they would

have to make daily visits to the doctor to receive IV drug infusions. These daily infusions were not only expensive with major side effects, but were also prohibitive to a pa-tient living as close to a normal life as possible. Blindness, or fear of becoming blind, was the number one reason for suicide among HIV patients. Dr. Pearson’s idea was to find a way to implant a device in the patient’s eye that would automatically release the medicine needed for healing. While practicing ophthalmologists thought the idea a little crazy, Dr. Pearson reasoned that ophthalmologists were already implanting polymers for cataract surgeries and this was the same concept, just placing the device in a differ-ent place in the eye.

Through their research to provide glaucoma patients with better treatment options, Drs. Pearson and Smith actually fulfilled a need for HIV patients. With the addition of Dr. Paul Ashton to the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology they developed an intraocular drug device that was surgically implanted into the back of the eye and released the necessary drugs for 8 months, eliminating the need for daily infusions. Human trials proved the device to be more effective than the standard infusions and caused no systemic side effects. In 1996 the device developed by Drs. Pearson and Smith was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for HIV patients and was distributed through Bausch & Lomb and marketed as Vitrasert.

Dr. Pearson and coworkers were able to continue building from this research to also develop other drug delivery systems. Most of the currently FDA approved intraocular drug delivery systems (Illuvien, Retisert) are based on this work including treatment for common blinding conditions including diabetic retinopathy.

It’s sometimes through the eyes of inexperience that the most profound and world-changing ideas are developed. Dr. Andrew Pearson is a living example of that.

LEFT: DR. ANDREW PEARSON, CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY AT UK AND CO-DEVELOPER OF VITRASERT, AN INTRAOCULAR DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE.

FAR LEFT: DR. PEARSON ORIGINALLY SKETCHED IN A NOTEBOOK (SEEN HERE) HIS IDEA FOR THE INTRAOCULAR DRUG DELIVERY DEVICE.

It was a typical Wednesday evening for Terry Frazier in December 2014. He had gotten home from work and was watching TV with his 9-year-old son when his right eye began to sting. He figured it was just an eyelash so he rubbed his eye and didn’t think much about it. However, that night, while he was washing his face to get ready for bed, he noticed a black mass had appeared under his eyelid. He knew immediately something wasn’t right. He met with a physician at the UK HealthCare Eye Center - Richmond and was quickly referred to UK Advanced Eye Care at UK HealthCare, where he met with Dr. Peter Timoney.

To the shock of Terry and his family, Dr. Timoney informed them that he had ocular melanoma, a rare form of eye cancer. Since the time the mass first appeared in Terry’s eye, his wife had taken photos to document the rapid growth of the mass. Dr. Timoney was able to use those photos to consult with his colleagues and prepare the best course of action for treating Terry and saving his life.

Dr. Timoney was very upfront with Terry and his family about his situation, but he also told them if they wanted a second opinion, he was willing to call any doctor in the world to get Terry an appointment. However, he also informed them Terry didn’t have two months to play with because of the seriousness of his condition. Terry and his wife didn’t need that second opinion, “We trusted Dr. Timoney’s opinion and told him to do what he needed to do to save my life.”

Terry was pleasantly surprised at how involved Dr. Timoney was throughout the entire treatment process and felt Dr. Timoney went above and beyond what was required of him as a doctor. “Dr. Timoney provided a well-rounded care package,” he said. Because the surgery to remove his cancer required removing his eye, eyelid, tear duct, and certain muscles, there was an additional surgery needed to reconstruct his eye socket and he had to get a prosthetic eye. Dr. Timoney assisted Terry every step of the way; helping him to set up the additional appoint-

ments he would need to finalize treatment and continue living his life.

Reflecting on the care he received, Terry said, “Dr. Timoney is a true caring doctor. He didn’t treat me like a patient, he treated me like family. He knew the names of my wife and child. During a time like this, you need lots of moral support. You surround yourself with people who you love and who you care about. Dr. Timoney became part of my support system; he became an extension of our family.”

“ DR. TIMONEY BECAME PART OF MY SUPPORT SYSTEM; HE BECAME AN EXTENSION OF OUR FAMILY.”

SHC Lexington ASC & ClinicShriners Hospitals for ChildrenDecember 3rd, 2014

PEDS CORRIDOR VIEWS

SHC Lexington ASC & ClinicShriners Hospitals for ChildrenDecember 3rd, 2014

LEVEL 4 - LOBBY VIEW

KENTUCKY VISION

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

15% OF POPULATION in Appalachia suffers from diabetes.

If done early, tele-retinal screening can detect diabetic eye disease and PREVENT BLINDNESS.

60% is the current SCREENING RATE for adults suffering from diabetic eye disease.

DIABETIC EYE DISEASE IN APPALACHIA

UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care is located in the KY Clinic at the University of Kentucky. Millions of dollars in facility, research, and education improvements are needed to enrich the new space, and make it a world-renowned destination for leading-edge ophthalmologic care.

Philanthropy will address the immediate needs of our practice, including outdated and inefficient clinical space; sporadic research funding; and limited resources for staffing and educational programming. With support from the private sector, we will fulfill our promise and deliver VISION to the people of Kentucky and beyond. Please review the following investment opportunities for details.

Endowed ChairshipAn endowed chairship is needed to advance our clinical, research, and educational mission. As our practice has grown, the position of Department Chair has increased in responsibilities. Recruiting the right Chair and ensuring that he/she can attend to the leadership responsibilities of the position alongside busy clinical demands requires an investment in this role.

The endowment will attract and retain future chairs of Ophthalmology by advancing the critical needs of the Department including generating funds for improved technology, sustaining research and advancing educational initiatives.

OPHTHALMOLOGY AFFILIATE NETWORK

UK:Turfland Office, Fayette County KY South Office, Fayette County Central Baptist Office, Fayette County Nicholasville Office, Jessamine CountyManchester Office, Clay CountyRichmond Office, Madison County

Satellite:KEI Office, Fayette CountySomerset Office, Pulaski CountyLondon Office, Laurel CountyCorbin Office, Whitley CountyHarlan Office, Harlan CountyMaysville Office, Mason CountyParis Office, Bourbon CountyCampbellsville Office, Taylor CountyMorehead Office, Rowan CountyFrankfort Office, Franklin County

Fayette

Visiting a doctor is usually not high on anyone’s list of favorite activities to do; however, Philip “Phil” Glover refers to his ophthalmologist, Dr. Sheila Sanders, as “a blessing in disguise.”

Mr. Glover has been traveling from his home in Morehead, KY to UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care since 2010. During these frequent visits to the Clinic, he developed a close relationship with Dr. Sanders and her staff. “It’s a second home for me,” Glover said. “I know a lot of people there and they know me. It feels like home. I feel very blessed by the care I receive there.”

Glover was a Schwann’s delivery man for 10 years until he developed severe inflammatory glaucoma in both eyes. This problem, akin to having arthritis of the eyeballs, can be very aggressive and difficult to treat. He underwent multiple surgeries in both eyes and ultimately developed an infection that caused him to lose his left eye. And while his remaining vision is weak, he is convinced that without the care of Dr. Sanders he would be totally blind. “Dr. Sanders saved my eyesight,” Glover proclaimed. “She knows what she is doing and she is empathetic towards her patients. If you told me there was an expert on my health issue in another state, I don’t think I would go. UK HealthCare should be very proud of their ophthalmology department. I recommend it to everyone I talk to.”

Though Glover is no longer able to work due to his visual impairment, he has picked up a new hobby that keeps him busy. “I started a chess club. Every Tuesday night my buddy picks me up and we head to the library for chess club. I’ve even won some tournament games! I enjoy playing chess, it gives me something to do.”

He’s had a wide variety of opponents since starting the club, including a four-year-old whose mother called and wanted her son to be able to participate in the chess club because of his early love of the game. Glover was up for it, and invited the four-year-old to join them. When the little boy attended the next meeting, he looked at the board Glover had set up for the chess match and said, “no, no. I brought my own pieces.” Glover laughs as he recalls being beat at chess by a four-year-old who preferred to use cartoon characters like Goofy, Pluto and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as the chess pieces.

Even after everything Glover has been through and being classified as legally blind, he maintains perspective and a bright outlook on his life, “I do the best I can with what I have. There are always people who have it worse than you do.”

” FEELS LIKE HOME.”

SHC Lexington ASC & ClinicShriners Hospitals for ChildrenDecember 3rd, 2014

CLINIC CORRIDOR VIEWS

SHC Lexington ASC & ClinicShriners Hospitals for ChildrenDecember 3rd, 2014

LEVEL 5 - LOBBY VIEW

Technology, Facility, and Programming NeedsName the new, state of the art, UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care that will be the flagship for advanced ophthalmologic care, research, and education in Kentucky. Features of the new space will include a spacious main waiting lobby, 100-seat auditorium, laboratory for inherited retinal diseases, and subspecialty waiting areas for pediatrics, retina, glaucoma, cornea, oculoplastics, and neuro ophthalmology. Monies raised will specifically support technology needs of the new facility.

• Purchase new imaging and electrophysiologic equipment needed for the new clinic, to provide patients the best in diagnostic testing.

• Name teaching areas, work rooms, and lecture halls to purchase needed resources for the educational mission of UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care.

• Name the improved care-rooms and common areas to provide better technology and educational resources for patient experience in the new clinic.

• Name the Appalachian Diabetic Eye Network (ADEN) to serve the rural and impoverished areas of Kentucky that are ravaged by diabetes-related blindness. A fully-networked camera system is currently used to screen patients located through-out the state for diabetic eye disease. The scans are read remotely by our clinicians, and are a safe, efficient alternative to face-to-face exams. Monies raised will specifically support the technology needs of this important program.

FORMER CLINIC SPACE

Space was designed in 1991 to handle an annual patient volume of 17,000. In 2016, it handled almost 47,000 patients.

OUTDATED EQUIPMENT and microscopes; LIMITED TRAINED STAFF and diagnostic machines; and EXCESSIVE WAIT-TIMES greatly compromised patient experience.

A maze of 30 eye lanes inefficiently directed 200 PATIENTS A DAY to advanced eye care services.

Serves the areas with fastest POPULATION GROWTH, highest POVERTY RATES, and AGING individuals.

OPHTHALMOLOGY SERVICES

Office visits, inpatient consults, and procedures at Kentucky Clinic, UK Hospital, and other locations during fiscal year July 1 – June 30.

43,948 in 201245,337 in 201346,407 in 201447,761 in 201546,929 in 2016

Kenley Overton’s parents didn’t know much about reti-noblastoma when they took Kenley in for her four month wellness checkup, but that quickly changed.

Kenley was born on August 24, 2010 to Jason and Kendra Overton. Kenley was a welcomed addition to the family by her big sister, Jaylen. When Kenley was a few weeks old, Jason and Kendra noticed that her right eye would cross frequently. They brought it up to their local pediatrician during a wellness checkup and were told that this was not abnormal for newborns and they shouldn’t worry. Howev-er, when they brought her in for her four month wellness checkup and her right eye was still crossing, the pediatri-cian suggested Kenley see an eye doctor as it was likely she would need glasses to fix the issue. In a whirlwind of appointments, Kenley saw an optometrist who believed

she had a detached retina and referred her on to Dr. Peter J. Blackburn who, after some testing, diagnosed Kenley with retinoblastoma—a form of eye cancer that begins in the retina. Thirteen days after her wellness check, Kenley was scheduled for surgery with Dr. Blackburn to evaluate the situation and decide on a plan for moving forward. When Dr. Blackburn came out of surgery, he told the Overton family it was the best case scenario, and that the cancer was only in Kenley’s right eye. He was pleasantly surprised because at such a young age, he had suspected the cancer would have been in both eyes. The decision was made to enucleate Kenley’s right eye that day. As a precaution, in the years following the surgery, Kenley was regularly monitored to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread to her left eye. As she continued to grow and show no signs of the retinoblastoma in her left eye, Dr. Blackburn became more confident that it would be contained to the one eye.

Kendra looks back on this difficult time in Kenley’s life and remembers how tough it was on her marriage and parent-ing. While taking care of Kenley, she and Jason also cared for Jaylen, who was 4 years old at the time and could see the anguish in her parents. But through the stress, she remembers fondly Dr. Blackburn and the care he provid-ed for Kenley. She said Dr. Blackburn was very confident in the information he delivered about Kenley and her treatment plan and that he had a “wonderful bedside manner.” Something about Dr. Blackburn she remembers most fondly is that he took the time to pray with her family before Kenley’s surgery, “At a time when we were falling apart, we really needed that and you don’t normally hear of doctors doing that.”

Kenley is now a thriving 6 year old! Kendra describes her as naturally funny and someone who never meets a strang-er and just has a love for people. “Everyone who comes in contact with her says she is just so amazing!”

“ DR. BLACKBURN HAD A WONDERFUL BEDSIDE MANNER.”

AS A BABY, KENLEY’S PHOTOS SHOWED A WHITE GLARE IN HER EYES, WHICH KENDRA LEARNED CAN BE AN INDICATOR OF A HEALTH ISSUE WITH THE EYE.

KENLEY IS NOW THRIVING AND BRINGS JOY TO EVERYONE SHE MEETS.

Resident and Fellow EducationEducation and research are at the core of the UK HealthCare’s Advanced Eye Care’s mission in the Commonwealth. From housing some of the best ophthalmologists in the field today, to one of the most distinguished residency and fellowship programs in the nation, education and research continue to propel us forward. Robust investments in education are essential as we tackle increasing demands in patient care, medical breakthroughs, and treatments for eye disease:

• Support trainee education and research to promote medical knowledge of residents and fellows, and in turn, advance the field of ophthalmology.

• Establish an international clinical and research training program to deliver the best in ophthalmologic practices on the international stage as well as in Appalachia.

• Finance a Distinguished Visitor Speaker Lecture Series.

• Support online programming for continued education of staff, residents, and fellows.

• Establish an Appalachian eye care training program to provide needed ophthalmologic care to traditionally underserved areas in Eastern Kentucky.

• Support Educational Resources and online programing for residents, fellows, and staff.

UK RESIDENCY AND FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Graduate 4 ophthalmology residents, 2 vitreoretinal fellows, and 1 glaucoma fellow each year.

Elite program ranks among TOP 5% NATIONALLY in patient volume.

DISTINGUISHED, HIGHLY SKILLED, and PREPARED to advance the field of ophthalmology in Kentucky and beyond.

Jennifer Whittaker is a woman of service. Jennifer and her husband are missionaries who feel called by God to travel the world, using the talents He gave them to help provide for those who weren’t given the same access to opportunities and resources. In her everyday life, Jennifer’s career allows her to compassionately interact with patients who need lifesaving procedures through her employment as staff support at UK HealthCare in the Heart Transplant Department. However, it was through a health scare in her life where Jennifer felt her eyes were finally opened to the world around her, both literally and figuratively.

Jennifer has always had bad vision, and got glasses when she was in the 3rd grade. She was consistent with her annual eye exams, but she eventually got to the point where she could tell something was “different.” She visited with a doctor at a local eye clinic who referred her on to UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care.

“It was like someone was slowly putting wax paper over my eyes,” Jennifer explained. “I could still see, but not clearly.”

She met with Dr. John Conklin who scheduled additional consultations with other physicians within UK HealthCare Advanced Eye Care to provide Jennifer with a comprehen-sive diagnosis. While Dr. Conklin and the other physicians were working on a diagnosis and plan of action for Jennifer, she and her husband had a planned mission trip to Haiti.

“Being in an unfamiliar place where you are exposed to the reality that not everyone has the same luxuries and conveniences as those of us born in the United States, is a very emotional experience in and of itself,” Jennifer said. “But when you are immersed in this reality, are having issues with your vision, and health care isn’t readily accessi-ble, the emotional impact on you, as a person, magnifies.”

When Jennifer returned from her mission trip, Dr. Conklin informed her that she had cataracts and needed surgery. If Jennifer was elderly, this wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to anyone, however, Jennifer was only 40.

In the weeks that followed, Dr. Conklin and his team continued to do testing and worked to find the plan that would provide the best outcome for Jennifer. It was decided that cataract surgery was the best option for Jennifer to provide her the best possible outcome.

The surgery went well, and it wasn’t until after, that she fully realized how isolated her world had become. “I didn’t remember how bright the world was, the colors were so loud. I think I had a panic attack; the whole world had changed,” Jennifer recalled.

Jennifer remembers crying tears of gratitude for what Dr. Conklin had done for her through the cataract surgery, “This man just changed my world; he changed my life. I would be blind at this point if I hadn’t gotten the surgery. The gift of sight from Dr. Conklin is pretty amazing. I am truly, forever grateful to him, and humbled that there are people that don’t know you, but care that much about you.”

Jennifer pointed out that at each of her appointments, Dr. Conklin always asked about her mission trips which meant so much to her, “This man sees a gazillion people; I’m so insignificant in the amount of people he sees in his practice, but he not only remembered me, but he remembered what is important to me and my heart.”

Through this experience, Jennifer has changed the way she approaches her job and interactions with patients. “I now have an inside perspective of healthcare. I’ve always been a person of compassion, but I now take a moment to pause when dealing with each patient. I’m the first contact they have when they are referred to our program and naturally, they feel petrified. I ask myself, ‘How would I want someone to treat my mom and dad?’ Navigating healthcare can be tricky. The amount of thought and effort Dr. Conklin put into making everything easier for me had a huge ripple effect in how I talk to, and deal with people. This whole process made me more sensitive to the needs of people. I learned to see the person, not the problem. God used Dr. Conklin to open my eyes, in every sense of the word.”

“ GOD USED DR. CONKLIN TO OPEN MY EYES, IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD.”

UK HEALTHCARE ADVANCED EYE CAREKENTUCKY VISIONLindsey ClemDirector of PhilanthropyUK HealthCare Office of PhilanthropyPO Box 34184Lexington, KY 40588O: 859.323.1313C: 859.321.8252j.lindsey.clem@uky.edu

Lindsey ClemDirector of PhilanthropyUK HealthCare Office of PhilanthropyPO Box 34184Lexington, KY 40588O: 859.323.1313C: 859.321.8252j.lindsey.clem@uky.edu

Advanced Eye Care