“Dr. Baas is well trained in the facets of eye disease as it relates to geriatric populations,” said Dr. Leonard Messner, executive director and vice president for patient care services at the Illinois Eye Institute. “Additionally, he has significant experience within the low vision arena. So he is somewhat of a unique provider in that he bridges the spectrum of primary eye care to the geriatric population with cognizance of the low vision options that are available to partially sighted individuals.”
As service chief for the Rosenbloom Center, Dr. Baas will be responsible for all clinical practice activities at the Center, as well as for all of the College’s service-related educational activities. Other responsibilities of the position include developing the Center’s marketing plan, managing quality assurance and compliance issues, and creating a continuing education geriatric program.
“As a fourth year student, I knew that I ultimately wanted to return to ICO in a role that allowed me to have the greatest and most influential impact on students, fellow faculty, and patients alike,” says Dr. Baas. “This exciting new position represents an ideal combination of clinical practice management and education, all the while paying tribute to, and continuing the legacy of, a true pioneer and role model in our profession.”
The Rosenbloom Center will ultimately have four essential functions: to promote optometry students’ and practitioners’ increased knowledge and understanding of the inter-relatedness of aging and vision care; to provide vision care, counseling and support services for older adults and underserved communities in and around Chicago; to develop ongoing relationships with selected geriatric care facilities in the Chicago area for education and patient care services; and to sponsor vision-related geriatric research.
About the Illinois College of Optometry and the Illinois Eye Institute
The Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), founded in 1872 by Dr. Henry Olin, provides excellence in optometric clinical education and is one of the world’s leading optometric institutions. Located in Chicago, ICO has a long and distinguished legacy as the oldest continually operating educational facility in the world dedicated solely to the teaching of optometrists. The Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) is the clinical division of ICO. With over 95,000 annual visits, the IEI is the largest eye care provider in Chicago. For more information about the Illinois College of Optometry, visit www.ico.edu.
