FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2012

CONTACT: ERIN VANSICKLE
(850) 339-3184

Tallahassee—The Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO) sponsored the Sixth Annual Florida Vision Summit today, providing a presentation on cutting-edge medical advances in the treatment of premature babies born with progressive eye diseases. The Vision Summit, hosted by the Florida Legislature's Vision Caucus and the Florida Association of Agencies Serving the Blind (FAASB), educates those living with vision loss and promotes the importance of maintaining early-intervention services for blind babies.

“Our mission at the Florida Society of Ophthalmology is to promote the highest standard of eye care throughout the state of Florida, and participating in the annual Vision Summit is a proud tradition for our society and our physician members,” said Charles B. Slonim, MD, President-Elect of the FSO. “We are grateful for the efforts of our colleagues at the FAASB for educating Florida families about the resources available to blind and visually-impaired individuals.”

The FSO, the preeminent professional association for medical and osteopathic doctors who specialize in vision care, represents more than 500 medical doctors across Florida. The FSO has sponsored and participated in the Vision Summit since its inception.

“There is no better advocate for Florida's blind and visually-impaired individuals than Representative Dennis Baxley,” continued Dr. Slonim. “Raising an adopted son who became blind as an infant, Rep. Baxley relied on early-intervention services—providing a unique insight and passion to his advocacy efforts to increase funding for Florida's blind babies program. The FSO is proud to join Rep. Baxley, the Florida Vision Caucus, and the FAASB here today.”

About Dr. Slonim:
Charles B. Slonim, MD, is President-Elect of the FSO. He serves as Director of Oculoplastics for the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa. Dr. Slonim is an Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa and a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Dr. Slonim is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and New York Medical College. He completed an Internship and Residency in Ophthalmology at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He serves as the team ophthalmologist for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, served as a consultant at the Olympic Vision Center in the Olympic Village during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, and was named an Honorary Member of the Haitian Ophthalmology Society after assisting in the relief effort following the 2010 earthquake.