Pepose pledges $1 million to initiative with UMSL

University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor Tom George (left) is pictured with Dr. Jay Pepose, medical director of the Pepose Vision Institute. The eye institute has extended its refractive surgery initiative with the College of Optometry at UMSL. The initiative began in 2001.

The University of Missouri-St. Louis announced today that Dr. Jay Pepose and the Pepose Vision Institute have pledged $1 million to continue a refractive surgery initiative in cooperation with the university’s College of Optometry. The pledge, part of UMSL’s Gateway for Greatness comprehensive campaign, will be used to augment a cooperative training program established in 2001 between the college and the Pepose Vision Institute.

“This generous contribution from the Pepose family will not only extend our successful partnership with the Pepose Vision Institute, but also enhance it for the benefit of many,” UMSL Chancellor Tom George said. “Our students will continue to receive invaluable hands-on training while low-income residents and first responders in the bi-state region will receive the eye care they need.”

The partnership enables UMSL optometry students to learn diagnostic techniques and pre-operative examination methods associated with laser vision correction procedures from cornea-trained surgeons provided by the Pepose Vision Institute to the university-operated East St. Louis Eye Center in Illinois. Students also will have the opportunity to observe surgical procedures at the Pepose Vision Institute in Chesterfield, Mo. In addition, prospective patients benefit through no-cost vision correction surgery. The free surgical eye care is available to low-income families living in the East St. Louis area and police officers, firefighters, paramedics and field agents serving that area.

“This is a win-win-win program,” Pepose said. “With health care dollars stretched the way they are, health professionals need to learn how to work together to find efficient ways to provide access and high quality care to all residents in the bi-state region.”

More information:
http://www.umsl.edu/~optomety
http://www.peposevision.com/

souri-St. Louis announced today that Dr. Jay Pepose and the Pepose Vision Institute have pledged $1 million to continue a refractive surgery initiative in cooperation with the university’s College of Optometry. The pledge, part of UMSL’s Gateway for Greatness comprehensive campaign, will be used to augment a cooperative training program established in 2001 between the college and the Pepose Vision Institute.

“This generous contribution from the Pepose family will not only extend our successful partnership with the Pepose Vision Institute, but also enhance it for the benefit of many,” UMSL Chancellor Tom George said. “Our students will continue to receive invaluable hands-on training while low-income residents and first responders in the bi-state region will receive the eye care they need.”

The partnership enables UMSL optometry students to learn diagnostic techniques and pre-operative examination methods associated with laser vision correction procedures from cornea-trained surgeons provided by the Pepose Vision Institute to the university-operated East St. Louis Eye Center in Illinois. Students also will have the opportunity to observe surgical procedures at the Pepose Vision Institute in Chesterfield, Mo. In addition, prospective patients benefit through no-cost vision correction surgery. The free surgical eye care is available to low-income families living in the East St. Louis area and police officers, firefighters, paramedics and field agents serving that area.

“This is a win-win-win program,” Pepose said. “With health care dollars stretched the way they are, health professionals need to learn how to work together to find efficient ways to provide access and high quality care to all residents in the bi-state region.”

Visit http://www.umsl.edu/~optomety for more information about the College of Optometry at UMSL and http://www.peposevision.com/ for more information about the Pepose Vision Institute.