Eyeworld

EW IN OTHER NEWS 218 April 2016 As for his own daughter, Dr. Timothy Gess said he did not strong- ly encourage Dr. Ristvedt toward ophthalmology. She agreed, saying that she, of her own volition, talked about being a doctor as a child. "When I moved back [to Alexandria] after residency, my mom found this letter I had written when I was 8 years old, saying 'I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I really want to be a doctor,'" she said. It was a trip to Sierra Leone to visit the Kissy UMC Eye Hospital (currently named the Lowell and Ruth Gess UMC Eye Hospital), which her grandfather and grand- mother established in 1984, that lead her to specialize in ophthalmology. "To see the work that was being done, I thought, 'This is just so amazing, they're restoring eyesight," Dr. Ristvedt said. "You would see these patients lined up for days." After joining the practice es- tablished by her grandfather where her father worked for more than 35 years, Dr. Ristvedt said she thinks the bond among the family in this business is attractive to patients. "I have patients who say, 'I started with your grandpa, and it's so neat that we can continue in your family,'" she said. "I think that makes patients here a lot more com- fortable knowing that we're carrying on a tradition in this community." And will that tradition continue beyond her? Dr. Ristvedt, expecting her third child, said it's a "hope and a prayer" that 1 of her children will consider going into ophthalmology someday. But just as her father and grandfa- ther didn't push her, she doesn't intend to push them. "[Medicine] is a tough road," she said. "When I look back though and think, 'Would I do this all over again?' I think, without a doubt in my mind. I just hope that my kids see that passion in me and see that I love what I do and that they're mo- tivated by that to pursue, hopefully, ophthalmology." Dr. Lowell Gess, who went to West Africa during the height of the Ebola epidemic at 93 years old to help, crossed the ocean for the 187th time to assist in the collab- oration for research on persistence of the Ebola virus in January 2016. The continued research will involve Kissy UMC Eye Hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and Emory University, he said. When it comes to getting the whole family together again, Dr. Lowell Gess expressed excitement for a family reunion on July 13. "For my birthday," he said. "It will be my 95th." EW Reference Resnikoff S, et al. The number of ophthalmol- ogists in practice and training worldwide: a growing gap despite more than 200,000 prac- titioners. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012;96:783–787. Contact information Lowell Gess: gessla@charter.net Timothy Gess: gesstj@charter.net Deborah Gess Ristvedt: debbygess@hotmail.com 3 continued from page 217 With eyecare being such a large part of her family, Dr. Ristvedt said she hopes 1 of her children might someday consider pursuing ophthalmology. Source (all): Lowell Gess, MD " I have patients who say, 'I started with your grandpa, and it's so neat that we can continue in your family.' I think that makes patients here a lot more comfortable knowing that we're carrying on a tradition in this community. " –Deborah Gess Ristvedt, DO

• Cover