Moore Eye Foundation

A Non-Profit Institution for Vision Rehabilitation, Vision Care for the Indigent, Research & Education

Mission of the Moore Eye Foundation

  In response to the continual rise of individuals with low vision and subsequent increase in demand for vision rehabilitation services, the Moore Eye Foundation has been developed.  This Not-For-Profit Service is committed to providing the highest quality of low vision services in the nation.  The Foundation has not only recruited a nationally  and internationally respected team of low vision professionals but has also purchased state of the art low vision devices and the most advanced diagnostic equipment for the benefit of low vision patients.

  Significant improvements in low vision rehabilitation require the contributions of quality clinical care, responsive education and research programs.  These three functions of education, research and service delivery, therefore, become the structural framework for the realization of the “total rehabilitation” philosophy.  “Total rehabilitation” means an individualized program of rehabilitation that provides for both vocational rehabilitation and independent living.  Fundamentally, “total rehabilitation” is a process of striving to meet life’s adjustment goals that are on a continuum from self-determination to self-care to self-support.

  Illness and disability very often impose catastrophic financial hardships on people.  Too often, those that need rehabilitation services the most are least able to afford them.  The Moore Eye Foundation (Low Vision Service) was built on the premise that no person will be denied rehabilitation services because of his/her inability to pay for them.  Certainly, operating a specialized rehabilitation center is extremely costly.  Elaborate equipment and specialized supplies, in addition to the enormous cost of keeping an appropriate staff of highly skilled professionals requires significant sources of revenue.  Unfortunately, third party reimbursement is minimal to non-existent for this type of service.  One major goal of the Moore Eye Foundation is to develop a substantial endowment, which will assure services to all patient’s regardless of the ability to pay.

  Some might wonder why we need a Center for Vision Rehabilitation at a hospital setting in the Delaware Valley.  It is rooted in the mission of all health professional institutions, namely, to promote the health and welfare of society.  It is an expression of institutional commitment and capability.  It is the responsibility of this institution to maximize its unique potential to significantly improve the lives of individuals with reduced (low) vision.  Only through such a service can the hospital provide a holistic approach to total eye care and rehabilitation.

  The support of the vision rehabilitation service will come from many sources, some of which are: the patients themselves; third party reimbursement, where possible; philanthropic sources; and community support.  It is important to note that the philosophical framework of the Moore Eye Foundation is that “no patient will be denied services due the inability to pay”.  This framework applies to eye care within the Moore Eye Foundation which presently covers services to the low vision population as well as the local indigent population.

It is with the above philosophical framework in mind that an endowment be established to help support the program and maintain it in the future.  With this in mind, a board of trustees, as well as a board of advisors, will be established to preserve the goals and guide the Moore Eye Foundation to a higher threshold.

  The Moore Eye Foundation Triad

With the success of the Moore Eye Vision Rehabilitation Center, the two other components,
research and education, can now be realized.  The following outline describes the three major components of the Moore Eye Foundation and the interaction between them.

  Moore Vision Rehabilitation Center

1.         Vision Rehabilitation Services

2.         Indigent Services

3.         Patient/Family Support Group

4.         Interaction with the Education Component:

            A.         Clinical education of interns and residents of various disciplines

            B.        Clinical education of professionals in the field

            C.        Publications in the clinical areas of eye care

5.         Interaction with the Research Component:

            A.         Clinical studies on the efficacy of potential low vision prosthetics and systems

            B.        Clinical studies on the efficacy of pharmaceutical agents (both prescription and non-prescription)

6.         Apply for grants as it relates to support of services

Moore Educational Center

1.         Continuing Educational Programs:

A.         Ophthalmology and Optometry lectures

            B.        Lectures to professionals in the field of vision rehabilitation (i.e. Social     Workers Rehabilitation Therapists, Occupational/Physical Therapists, Rehabilitation Teachers, Orientation and Mobility Therapists, Vision Rehabilitation Counselors, , etc.)

            C.        Patient/Consumer lectures

2.         Diabetic Educational Programs

3.         Establishment of interns and residents rotating through the services from other educational institutions (i.e. PA College of Optometry, SUNY College of Optometry, New England College of Optometry, Osteopathic department of Ophthalmology, Temple University department of Ophthalmology, etc.)

Moore Research Center

1.         Establish relationships with drug and equipment companies in the field of eye care

2.         Establish relationships with vision rehabilitation prosthetic manufacturers

3.         Establish clinical research trials within the Moore Eye Foundation

4.         Publications and transmission of the results of the clinical research

5.         Innovations in delivery of care, including telemedicine

6.         Apply for research grants