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2013 Keynote Speaker Announced
Internationally renowned pediatric ophthalmologist, Lea Hyvärinen, MD, PhD, FAAP, will serve as the Envision Conference 2013 Keynote Speaker, September 19, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Dr. Lea Hyvärinen is a Finnish pediatric ophthalmologist who, after her thesis on experimental fluorescein angiography in Finland, worked from 1967 to 1969 as the Dr. A. Edward Maumenee's Fellow at the Wilmer Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. While there, she started the first clinical fluorescein angiographic laboratory, an important area in diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa and histoplasmosis at that time. At Wilmer Institute, Dr. Hyvärinen became interested in vision rehabilitation and has worked in vision rehabilitation and development of assessment techniques for more than 30 years.
Dr. Hyvärinen is well-known for the research and development of the LEA Vision Test System and the LEA Symbols tests for assessment and screening of vision in children. The LEA Test System now contains 40+ tests for numerous clinical test situations and vision screening and for the assessment of children and adults with different communication needs.
Dr. Hyvärinen began training rehabilitation teams in 1984 in Madrid and has subsequently given courses in more than 60 countries on five continents. She also worked for seven years as the lecturer in ophthalmology at the Nordic Staff Training Centre for Deaf-Blind Services and spent a sabbatical year at the Smith-Kettlewell Institute in San Francisco to study communication during assessment of deaf-blind patients. Dr. Hyvärinen currently works as the Honorary Professor in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Dortmund in Germany, and as a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Neuropsychology at the University of Helsinki in Finland.
Dr. Hyvärinen’s address will occur during the Envision Conference 2013 Plenary Session, to be held September 19, 2013 at 8 am.
Monteferrante Named President and Chief Executive Officer of Envision
WICHITA, Kan. – Envision, the nation’s most trusted service and employment provider for people who are blind or low vision, has named Michael Monteferrante as president and chief executive officer. He was selected by the Envision board of directors and begins today.
Monteferrante brings with him more than 25 years in corporate leadership in a variety of industries including commercial real estate, e-commerce, transportation, construction and food. “Michael is a dynamic leader. We are fortunate to have him back in the Wichita community, ready to extend Envision’s mission,” said Sam Williams, Chairman of Envision’s Board of Directors. “His passion and his proven record for excellence in leadership make him an ideal fit to lead the organization.”
Since 2010, he has served successively as President and CEO of Future Food Brands, an American Capital-owned company in Carrollton, Texas. Before leaving for Texas, Monteferrante resided in the Wichita-area, leading Optima Bus Corporation in Valley Center until 2006. He then joined Wichita-based Occidental Management as CEO and was responsible for strategic planning, sales and overall activities of the company and its employees.
As CEO, Monteferrante will concentrate on executing the organization’s mission, growing the Envision Rehabilitation Center, enhancing the Envision Foundation and diversifying Envision Industries. “Providing the best service and broadest outreach possible for people who are blind or visually impaired will be my focus,” he said. “I also want to increase Envision’s visibility not only in the Wichita community but on a nationwide scale.”
When he was in Wichita, Monteferrante was involved in numerous civic organizations including the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce’s executive committee, the American Red Cross Midway-Kansas Chapter, the Kansas Humane Society and the Greater Wichita and Park City Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was also on the Envision board of directors for three years.
“My passion for Envision stems from my time spent on the board of directors when I saw the impact the organization has on the lives of those with low vision. Helping to provide rehabilitation and independence is so inspirational,” said Monteferrante. “I look forward to deepening my understanding of people who are visually impaired.
“I’m also excited about returning to Wichita. I’ve always been a fan and supportive of this community. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”
Monteferrante earned his bachelor of business administration from Boise State University.
He assumes the president and CEO position from former president Frank Clepper.
Continuing Education Certificates Now Available
Envision Conference 2012 continuing education certificates are now available for download. Visit the continuing education page. You will need to enter your name and either registration number or badge number to download your records.
Announcing Envision University and the Oculus Society
The number of individuals in the United States age 65 or older is expected to more than double to nearly 70 million by 2030. As the population of older adults increases, so too does the number of people with vision impairments that significantly impact their quality of life. Additionally, vision loss or blindness can originate from injury or trauma, congenital or genetic origin, or disease beginning at birth or early childhood. That means virtually every medical professional will come into contact with a patient with low vision. As such, they need the most up-to-date information and education available to make good clinical decisions for patients in their care. As the need for education increases, so does our responsibility to provide it. It was with this in mind that Envision University was born.
The mission of Envision University is to provide multidisciplinary continuing education and research opportunities for low vision rehabilitation professionals, establishing best practices to ensure continued research and clinical care for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Our promise is to collaborate with vision rehabilitation and research professionals to provide relevant multidisciplinary continuing education and research opportunities that address practice gaps in current standards of care and research.Visit the Envision University website for more information.
Envision University Oculus Society
Best practices in the low vision field are born from collaboration and education. The Envision University Oculus Society was created to ensure access to networking tools and the latest in clinical education and research for low vision practitioners. Through membership discounts and access to membership directories and forums, networking, knowledge and the practice of vision rehabilitation is advanced. For companies and organizations involved in the low vision rehabilitation field, networking means increased sales, referrals and exposure. Combined with marketing discounts, your company has the potential to reach a niche, concentrated group of professionals passionate about the field your products and services are dedicated to.
Oculus Society Benefits
- 20-30% discount on all Envision University continuing education offerings -- a $200 savings just for Envision Conference
- Free Visibility online and print subscription
- Access to membership directory
- Annual membership gift from Envision University
- Opportunity to participate in Envision University committee (excludes student members)
Oculus Society Corporate Benefits
- 10% discount on advertising and exhibiting for all Envision University offerings
- Free Visibility online and print subscription
- Company info included in the Corporate Member Directory
- Access to membership directory
Visit www.envisionuniversity.org to join. Oculus Society members will receive a promotional code to qualify for the discounted Oculus rates for Envision Conference registration. If you are a member and have not yet received this promo code, please email info@envisionuniversity.org.