Eyeworld

16 | EYEWORLD | OCTOBER 2019 ASCRS NEWS Contact information Varnon: mvarnon@ascrs.org by Denise Monasterio ASCRS Marketing and Communications Manager Reena Patel, MD thousand other things. My Operation Sight pa- tients remind me that we are so fortunate to be able to make a direct impact on someone's life in a short amount of time. Being involved with Operation Sight won't slow you down. In fact, I think it will make you love your job even more." Dr. Patel became interested in ophthalmol- ogy as a young child. "I was the only one in my family to wear glasses and contacts, so my in- troduction to ophthalmology started at age 10. In medical school, I loved the delicate nature of ophthalmologic surgery and how happy patients were after their surgeries. I had LASIK 20 years ago and that cemented my plan to become a cornea specialist." Dr. Patel is the founder and a practicing ophthalmologist at the Wichita Vision Insti- tute, Wichita, Kansas. She received her med- ical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She completed an internship at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, an ophthalmology residency at Tulane University School of Medicine, and a cornea fellowship in external disease and refractive surgery at the Dean McGee Institute at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has published numerous papers and has given multiple presentations nationwide. Dr. Patel has received several honors including the "America's Top Ophthalmologists" award every year from 2006 to 2019. Every month, ASCRS features one of its dedicated member volunteers. This spotlight introduces an individual who has contributed to the society's outstanding education and initiatives, helping members strengthen their skills and sharpen their expertise—and provide better care to patients. ASCRS member spotlight: Reena Patel, MD T his month's spotlight member is Reena Patel, MD. Dr. Patel has been a dedicated member of ASCRS since 2000. She heard about ASCRS during residency and first became involved by attending an annual meeting. "My first ASCRS meeting I felt like I was home. I loved the focus on my two areas of specialty. ASCRS helped me grow into refractive cataract surgery by keeping me on the forefront of laser cataract surgery technology," she said. Dr. Patel has been highly active in the ASCRS Foundation's Operation Sight domestic program. "It was exciting to get my office and sur- gery center staff involved in the process," Dr. Patel said. "A lot of patients were curious, and they were excited to learn we were offering this service to patients in need, and some have even referred patients. It was fantastic to see so many others volunteer their time to help our patients in need. "Operation Sight helped my office stream- line the process by vetting and approving indi- gent cataract surgery patients. We see indigent patients with partnerships from other organi- zations, but it has been a struggle at times to get free surgery scheduled for patients through other programs. Operation Sight got rid of the stumbling blocks and helped us foster a better relationship with industry partners to get what we needed for our patients." When asked what she would share with colleagues interested in volunteering for Op- eration Sight, Dr. Patel said, "Remember why you chose this profession: to help people. The joy I receive from seeing the positive impact I have on these patients' lives reminds me why I chose to get into medicine. There is so much that we juggle daily, and we get mired down by a More information Interested in becoming a volunteer with ASCRS? Visit ascrs.org/volunteer. Not a member? Joining is easy. Visit ascrs.org/join for full information.

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