Throughout August and September, doctors at OCLI performed free surgery at the Island Eye Surgicenter to give the gift of sight back to those who have lost some or all of their vision because of cataracts. OCLI is a participant in the Mission Cataract USA program and offered this outpatient surgical procedure to residents of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens who are not covered by medical insurance and who were unable to pay for the surgery themselves.

“OCLI has a history of giving back to the community, through the personal efforts of our Long Island eye care doctors and as a group. This effort is one more piece of our OCLI ‘Renewed Vision™ program and it is an innovative way to give back to the community we serve” said Tom Burke, CEO of OCLI. He continued, “We participate in similar projects, such as Healthy Vision 2010 with The National Eye Institute and Eye Care America with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. These efforts help us reach vision and service objectives as part of a shared responsibility for national disease prevention that helps to improve the health of all Americans.”

Dr. Stanley Berke performs cataract surgery

OCLI has performed charitable surgical procedures for many years with various local service organizations including The Lion’s Eye Bank and The Sons of Italy. For this Mission Cataract effort, the doctors, technicians and nurses volunteer their services free of charge. The procedures will be performed at the Island Eye Surgicenter, in Carle Place.

Participating cataract surgeons include: Stanley Berke, MD, Robert Broderick, MD, Ronald Caronia, MD, Gerard D’Aversa, MD, Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Russell Fumuso, MD, David Nelson, MD, David Sachs, MD and Richard Sturm, MD.

The following corporate and individual professionals along with their staff, have generously contributed professional services, surgical supplie s , pharmaceuticals and equipment to bring this community service to reality: Island Eye Surgicenter, Julie Suarez, M.D. Rockville Centre, Roman P. Urbanczck, M.D. Valley Stream (Rotacare), Brad Litwak, MD and Nassau Ambulatory Anesthesia Associates, Abbott Medical Optics, Allergan, Bausch and Lomb, Cardinal Health Incorporated and Integrated Medical Supplies.

In March, OCLI held a free “Glaucoma Screening” event for members of the community and staff of the Sterling Glen of
Roslyn, an Atria Senior Living Group community.

Dr. Broderick of OCLI screened 41 people at the Sterling Glen ranging in ages from 21 to 96. March 12 marked the second-annual World Glaucoma Day, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and worldwide.

Did you know a risk factor of glaucoma is heredity?

If you have glaucoma, make sure your family members have been seen by an OCLI eye doctor in the last year for a dilated eye exam.

July 29, 2009 (Westbury, NY) - Nadimire Jules, a second year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine, recently returned from a very special journey to Ghana, where she spent one month helping local ophthalmologists provide eye care to those living in rural villages. Nadimire traveled to Ghana through Unite for Sight, a nonprofit organization providing eye care worldwide and offering high impact hands-on public health opportunities for volunteers.

As part of her preparation, Nadimire shadowed several ophthalmologists at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI), Long Island’s leading multi-specialty ophthalmology practice where she spent several days in their facilities to gain the additional knowledge and skills she will need while in Ghana. During her training at OCLI Nadimire saw patients with cataracts, glaucoma and other eye conditions, and observed Dr. Peter Wong and Dr. David Sachs perform several different eye surgeries at the Island Eye Surgicenter.

Dr. Wong explained, “During our time together Nadimire observed several surgical cases including Ptosis repair, Ectropion repair, and tear drainage procedures. I’m proud to have assisted Nadimire with her request, and to have provided her with the knowledge and skills she needed to help the people of Ghana who cannot avail themselves of medical eye care.”

Dr. Wong, a partner in OCLI, specializes in cosmetic and reconstructive eye and facial surgery. Dr. Wong received his Medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, where he later completed his Residency in Ophthalmology. Dr. Wong completed his Fellowship in Cosmetic and Reconstructive Eye & Facial Plastic Surgery at the Arizona Center for Eye Plastic Surgery. He is a member in many professional organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association and the New York State Ophthalmology Society.

Ms. Jules remarked, “I am so grateful for the positive response that I have received from Dr. Wong and the other doctors at Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island.  I truly appreciate the opportunity to have worked with these distinguished ophthalmologists and technicians.  The skills they taught me were invaluable when I was working with the ophthalmic staff in Tamale, Ghana”.

Ms. Jules continues to fundraise on behalf of Unite for Sight, to help cover the cost of the free eye care services that they provide to patients. To make a donation, please click here.

July 29, 2009 (Westbury, NY) – Dr. Gerard D’Aversa, a partner in Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI), has been listed as one of the top doctors in Castle Connolly’s 12th edition of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area. The authoritative guide to finding the top primary care and specialty care doctors in the tri-state metropolitan New York area, Top Doctors: New York Metro Area profiles more than 6,000 top primary care and specialty care physicians in a twenty-county area spanning three states - New York, New Jersey and Connecticut - who represent the top 10% of doctors in the area in more than 65 medical specialties and subspecialties for the care and treatment of more than 2,100 diseases and medical conditions. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle Connolly guide or lists.

A resident of Garden City, Dr. D’Aversa is a Board Certified Ophthalmologist with vast experience in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. He graduated at the top of his class at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Alpha Omega Alpha, finished his residency in Ophthalmology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and completed a fellowship in cornea and external disease at the University Of Florida College Of Medicine in Gainesville. Dr. D’Aversa has served as Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He specializes in performing topical, suture less, clear corneal cataract surgery; corneal transplants; and laser vision correction using the most technologically advanced flying spot excimer laser. Dr. D’Aversa’s accomplishments have been featured on television news reports, as well as being covered in the Daily News and Newsday. He has written numerous journal articles, authored a textbook chapter and has given frequent lectures locally and nationally.