On the evening of October 4th the Glaucoma Service Foundationand Wills Eye Hospital celebrated40 years of training glaucoma fellows with a magnificent gala at the Kimmel Center for thePerforming Arts. Over 400 guests,including over 100 of the 194 currentand former Fellows from around theworld, known collectively as theInternational Society of SpaethFellows (ISSF), gathered for a black-tie event to celebrate a training program that has produced a uniquegroup of individuals, treating peo-ple, teaching and discovering newknowledge about glaucoma on sixcontinents with a superb combina-tion of medical knowledge and sensitivity to individual patients.

From their vantage point on thefirst tier above the Kimmel Center’sCommonwealth Plaza where theyhad gathered for a cocktail recep-tion, the guests could view the flagsof every country in which an ISSFmember is now practicing, presidingover tables colorfully set for dinneron the Plaza below.

Following dinner, the attendeeswere invited to enter the PerelmanTheater for the evening’s program.Two ballets commissioned for theoccasion, with costs underwritten bythe Jack Wolgin Charitable Founda-tion, formed the centerpiece. Devel-oped by Roy Kaiser, artistic director,and Meredith Rainey, choreographer

of the Pennsylvania Ballet, theseexquisite works presented, in a waythat only great art can do, the dramaof joy and the experience of sicknessand healing. Both explored the ideathat the practice of medicineinvolves the same types of knowl-edge, technical excellence, dedica-tion, and attention to individualitythat are essential in the other arts.

Following the program, the guestsenjoyed a selection of desserts from

around the world along with dancing to the upbeat sounds of The Joey Roberts Dance Band in the Commonwealth Plaza.

The Celebration was a powerfulsymbol of what the physicians onthe Glaucoma Service and theGlaucoma Service Foundation atWills Eye Hospital are working toachieve — an effective movementtowards a world free of preventableblindness.

Searchlight on Glaucoma

THE GLAUCOMA SERVICE FOUNDATION TO PREVENT BLINDNESS

December 2003 Vol. 12, No. 3Wills Eye Hospital

Pennsylvania Ballet members perform in the premier of Verum Gaudium, a ballet commissioned by Dr. George Spaeth especially for the Celebration of 40 Years of Glaucoma Fellowship event,October 4, 2003, in the Perelman Theater of the Kimmel Center. The dancers, members of thePennsylvania Ballet, are, left to right, Tara Keating, Edward Cieslak, Heidi Cruz, Neil Marshall (hidden), Jessica Gattinella, and Juan Carlos Peñuela. With costs underwritten by the JackWolgin Charitable Foundation, the ballet, set to J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G Major for unaccom-panied cello, explores a rich spectrum of human sentiment and emotion through the pure joy ofmovement. It is a celebration of the beauty and the nobility of life. Photo by Roger Barone

Celebration of 40 Years of Glaucoma Fellowship: A Moving Tribute Unfolds at the Kimmel Center

Wills Eye Hospital Glaucoma Service StaffAnne K. Chan, MD • Mary Jude Cox, MD • Eugene Fernandes, MD • Jeffrey D. Henderer, MD • L. Jay Katz, MD • Marlene R. Moster, MD

Jonathan S. Myers, MD • Joseph Ortiz, MD • Douglas J. Rhee, MD • Ralph S. Sando, MD • Courtland Schmidt, MDGeoffrey Schwartz, MD • Louis W. Schwartz, MD • George L. Spaeth, MD • Tara Ulher, MD • Elliot Werner, MD • Richard P. Wilson, MD

ME E T I N G T H E CH A L L E N G E O F GL A U C O M A TH R O U G H ED U C AT I O N A N D RE S E A R C H

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Wills Eye Hospital

Dr. Spaeth with the volunteers who attended to the needs of the Celebration guests: (left to right) Lyn Thomas, Lori Dell’Gesso, Ann Helbe, Dr. George Spaeth, Michael Chen, Sheryl Wizov, Emily Thomas, and Fillis Samuel (seated). Not pictured: Joseph Grande, Lisa Skalski, and Gloria Fischer. Photo by Roger Barone

Anne d’Harnoncourt, George D. WiednerDirector and CEO of the Philadelphia Museumof Art, addresses guests in the PerelmanTheater, drawing a strong connectionbetween the visual arts, the performing arts,and the art of medicine. Photo by Roger Barone

Mr. Samuel Evans, a major mover in the Philadelphia scene for over 60 years (left) with theHonorable Ethel S. Barnett. Photo by Roger Barone

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Wills Eye Hospital

LuminariesAlcon Laboratories, Inc.AllerganHirtle, Callaghan & Co.ICON Health & Fitness, Inc.Merck, Inc.

VisionariesPfizer, Inc.The Tuttleman Family FoundationThe Jack Wolgin Charitable

Foundation

BenefactorsMr. and Mrs. James KimMr. and Mrs. Gerry Lenfest

PatronsMr. and Mrs. Lloyd AlexanderMr. Don CaldwellDr. James CartyCMS CompaniesEboniteMr. and Mrs. Louis J. EspositoDr. and Mrs. James P. GallagherJobson PublishingMr. Ira M. LubertMr. and Mrs. Michael PanzanoDr. Anne Chan and Mr. Plato ChanSanten, Inc.Mr. Steven Tuttleman and

Ms. Elizabeth CuthrellSpaeth, Katz, Myers, P.C.Dr. and Mrs. George L. SpaethMr. R. Andrew Swinney

PartnersDr. David AdamanyMr. and Mrs. Mark BaiadaMs. Sigi BerwindDr. and Mrs. Paul C. BruckerMr. and Mrs. Peter ButtenweiserMr. and Mrs. G. Robert CarrMr. Richard Gilder, Esq.Dr. Bennett GoldsteinMr. and Mrs. Bert KormanMr. and Mrs. Harold LehDr. Suzanne G. LiMr. and Mrs. Dan MatthiasMr. Harvey S. Shipley MillerMs. Deborah Van Cleve PhelpsMr. and Mrs. Frank PiaseckiMr. Morey RosenbloomDr. and Mrs. Richard Wilson

DonorsMr. and Mrs. James AdelmanMr. Dean Adler and

Mrs. Susanna Lachs AdlerMr. and Mrs. Ben AlexanderMr. and Mrs. Dennis AlterDr. and Mrs. Gary AndersonMr. and Mrs. Theodore AronsonMr. John K. BinswangerBlank Rome, LLPDr. and Mrs. Joseph CalhounCorneal Associates, P.C.Mr. and Mrs. John C. HaasMr. M. Donaldson HendererKrzyzanowski FoundationMr. Gerald LevinsonMr. Henry McNeilMr. and Mrs. George L. Melas

Mr. E. Lewis PardeeWon-Jun and Young Ae ParkPerformance, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Donald PulverMr. and Mrs. Ralph S. SaulMr. and Mrs. Harold Sorgenti

FriendsMr. and Mrs. Samuel AbramowitzMr. and Mrs. Gary AndersonMr. and Mrs. Charles AndesMr. and Mrs. Theodore H.

Ashford IIIMr. and Mrs. Harris J. AshtonMr. and Mrs. R. Rhett A. Austell IIIMr. and Mrs. Robert BaronDr. Harry BartfeldBCIMr. George BeckerDr. and Mrs. Robert D. BeharMr. Peter Benoliel and

Ms. Willo CareyMrs. Frances BiddleMr. and Mrs. Joseph Bilson*Dr. and Mrs. Harry BishopDr. and Mrs. Lewis W. BluemleDr. and Mrs. David BoesDr. and Mrs. Brent BondMr. and Mrs. Francesco BonmartiniMr. and Mrs. Gerald L. BowenMr. and Mrs. Salvatore J. BrancoDr. and Mrs. James D. BrandtMr. Harold BrenerDrs. Kathy and Scott BrenmanDr. and Mrs. Paul J. CannonDr. and Mrs. Louis B. CantorMr. and Mrs. Raymond H. CarrMr. and Mrs. G. Robert Carr, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. John CarterDr. and Mrs. Neil T. ChoplinMs. Constance ClaytonDr. D. Walter CohenMrs. Gerda CohnMr. and Mrs. Harry M. ConleyMr. Robert A. ConnDr. and Mrs. Brian P. ConnollyDr. and Mrs. Anastasios CostaridesDr. Mary Jude CoxDr. E. Randy CravenMs. Maude de SchauenseeMs. Donna DePianoMr. and Mrs. Michael DifebboMrs. Mimi DimelingDr. Diana Van Do and

Dr. Quan NguyenDr. and Mrs. David DonaldsonMr. and Mrs. Kevin F. DonohoeDr. Ralph C. Eagle, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. David P. EastburnMr. Samuel EvansDr. and Mrs. Ronald L. FellmanDr. Eugene A.S. FernandezRev. Richard Fernandez and

Dr. Happy FernandezMr. Marian FilarMr. and Mrs. Graham S. FinneyDr. and Mrs. David FischerDr. and Mrs. Joseph C. FlanaganMr. and Mrs. Christopher ForsterMr. Oliver S. FranklinMr. and Mrs. Robert FranklinMr. Robert FrylingMr. and Mrs. W. Roderick Gagne

Dr. Sai B. GandhamDr. and Mrs. Herman H. GoldstineMr. and Mrs. Richard GouldDr. Ronald L. GrossMr. Alvin GutmanMrs. Dorrance HamiltonDr. and Mrs. Paul HarasymowiczMs. Ruth HarleyDr. and Mrs. Robison HarleyMr. and Mrs. Jon HarmelinMr. and Mrs. Stephen HarmelinMs. Ann M. HelbeDr. and Mrs. Jeffrey HendererMr. and Mrs. Thomas D. HendererDr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. HurvitzMr. John Immerwahr and

Ms. Kathy ByrnesDr. and Mrs. Alan E. IrwinDr. and Mrs. George JacobyDr. and Mrs. Edward A. JaegerDr. and Mrs. Joel S. JaspanDr. Lawrence F. JindraDr. Nirmal KanalMr. and Mrs. James M. KeatingDr. and Mrs. David KimDr. and Mrs. Reed KindermannMr. and Mrs. John D. KomarDr. and Mrs. Thomas LangfittDr. Daniel LaRocheMr. and Mrs. John LehmanMr. Joseph Leive*Dr. Mark LeskMr. and Mrs. Robert F. LinkMr. Peter A.C. LongMr. and Mrs. Hyman LovitzDr. and Mrs. John N. Lukens, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Joseph I. MaguireMr. Harry B. Martin and

Dr. Melanie MartinMr. and Mrs. Francis E. MartinMr. and Mrs. Thomas L. McLaneDr. Richard P. MillsDr. Hiromu MishimaMr. and Mrs. Christopher Mogle*Dr. Antonio A. MontalboDrs. Marlene and Mark MosterMr. and Mrs. Peter B. MulloneyMr. and Mrs. James Mulvihill*Ms. Alice M. MurphyDr. Erkan MutlukanDr. Dan A. NicholsMr. and Mrs. Michael NovakovicDr. Silvia Orengo-NaniaDr. Fred OrlandoDr. Richard ParrishDr. and Mrs. Robert PenneDr. Mary Lucy PereiraMr. and Mrs. Raymond PerelmanMr. and Mrs. David PitardDr. John D. PolanskyMr. and Mrs. Edmund A. PribitkinMr. and Mrs. Edward L. QuinnDr. and Mrs. Peter RandallDr. and Mrs. Christopher RapuanoDr. and Mrs. Robert D. ReineckeDr. Shari RothMr. Andrew M. RouseMr. and Mrs. Ron RubinMr. and Mrs. Charles W. SamphDr. and Mrs. Thomas W.

SamuelsonDr. and Mrs. Ralph S. Sando, Sr.Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Satinsky

Dr. Courtland Schmidt andDr. Colleen Christian

Mr. and Mrs. Irvin SchorschDr. Hermann SchubertDr. and Mrs. Louis W. SchwartzDr. Gail SchwartzMr. Robert Montgomery ScottDr. George Shafranov and

Ms. Irina V. KaplanDr. and Mrs. Rajesh ShettyDr. M. Bruce ShieldsDr. and Mrs. Robb R. ShraderDr. Richard SimmonsDr. and Mrs. Steven T. SimmonsMr. and Mrs. S. Stoney SimonsDr. Tharmalingam SivendranMr. and Mrs. Richard SmootJudge and Mrs. Edmund B.

Spaeth, Jr.Dr. and Mrs. Philip G. SpaethMr. and Mrs. Karl H. SpaethMr. Eric E. SpaethDr. and Mrs. William C. SteinmannMr. and Mrs. Jerry SternDr. and Mrs. Michael C. StilesMs. Julie StoneMr. and Mrs. Benjamin StraussMrs. Bruner H. StrawbridgeDr. Janine Tabas and

Mr. Robert TabasDr. and Mrs. William Tasman*Dr. Annette TerebuhDr. Patrick TiedekenMr. James A. TorchiaMs. Marie T. Torchon-SixtoDr. Shigeo TsukaharaDr. and Mrs. Nibondh VacharatMs. Rosemarie VerlengiaDr. Stephen M. WahlDr. and Mrs. John D. WalkerMr. and Mrs. James B. WardenMr. William B. WashburnMr. Gilbert Weinberger and

Ms. Caryl PickerMr. Lloyd P. WellsMr. and Mrs. Richard T. WelshMr. and Mrs. Rainer WestphalWilliam Blake Associates, Inc.Dr. and Mrs. Dennis WintDr. P.K. WishartMr. and Mrs. Richard WittkowskiMr. and Mrs. Richard A. WoldinMr. Stanley R. WolfeDr. Isam J. ZakhourSr. Antoinette ZimmermanMr. and Mrs. Maximo Zyleberdrut

Gifts in KindBayada NursesBloomeryCreative CharactersDiva GraphicsEvantine DesignLord West AccessoriesMcManus EnterprisesParkway CorporationPhiladelphia UniversityRadnor Studio 21Roger Barone PhotographySign-a-rama

*Contribution to Wills Eye Hospital

With Sincere Appreciation for their Support of the Symposium and Celebration…

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Wills Eye Hospital

(left to right) Foundation Managing Director Nancy Petrongolo, Greg Petrongolo, Dr. Gerald Long,and Foundation board member Bonnie Carr Long. Mrs. Petrongolo and Ms. Long began planningthe Celebration event two years ago together with the other Steering Committee members,Stanley Tuttleman, Ann Ward Spaeth, and Dr. George Spaeth. Photo by Kristin Spaeth

(left to right) Food Committee Chair Sanna Henderer, Glaucoma Service physician and ISSF member Dr. Jeffrey Henderer, Anne d’Harnoncourt, Joyce Sando, Glaucoma Service physician and ISSF member Dr. Ralph Sando, Mrs. Ruth Perelman, and Honorary Committee Co-Chair Mr. RaymondPerelman. Photo by Susan Scovill, courtesy of The Suburban and Wayne Times

Pennsylvania Ballet members (top to bottom)Tara Keating, Jessica Gattinella, and Juan CarlosPeñuela perform in the premier of There andBack Again, a second ballet commissioned byDr. George Spaeth especially for the Celebrationevent, with costs underwritten by the JackWolgin Charitable Foundation. The piece casts aspiritual quest as a metaphor for the healingprocess of medicine. Dynamic oppositions, suchas that of light and dark, are used to support andconvey this sense of journey, epiphany, andtransformation. Photo by Roger Barone

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Wills Eye Hospital

ISSF member Dr. Karin Baez (left) withDr. Spaeth. Currently in private practice inLondon, Dr. Baez was a Research Fellow on theGlaucoma Service 1990–1991.

Photo by Susan Scovill, courtesy of The Suburban and Wayne Times

(left to right) Christopher Mogle, Wills Eye Hospital (WEH) Chief Financial Officer Jeri Mogle, WEHExecutive Director and Chief Executive Officer James Mulvihill, Dolores Mulvihill, WEH ManagingDirector Joseph Bilson, and Eileen Bilson. Photo by Roger Barone

Honorary Committee Co-Chair Mrs. DorranceHamilton. Photo by Roger Barone

ISSF members (left to right) Drs. Rekha Khandelwal, Omolola Idowu, and Suneeta Dubey. Dr. Khandelwal, currently at the N.K.P Salve Institute of Medical Sciences in Nagpur, India, was a Research Fellow first in 1996 and most recently in the summer of 2003. Dr. Idowu, a currentResearch Fellow, received her medical school training in Nigeria, and her ophthalmological train-ing at the Harold Wood Hospital, Rainham, Essex, United Kingdom. Dr. Dubey, a Research Fellow in 2001, is in private practice in New Delhi, India. Guests had the choice of formal or native attire.

Photo by Roger Barone

Mrs. Andrew Kim in Chinese attire. Mrs. Kimwas a guest of Foundation Board memberMr. James Kim. Photo by Roger Barone

Over 100 of the 194 members of the International Society ofSpaeth Fellows (ISSF) returnedfrom around the country andaround the world to take part inthe Wills Eye Hospital GlaucomaSymposium and Celebration of40 Years of Fellowship Trainingon the Glaucoma Service,October 3–5. Countries repre-sented included Turkey, England,Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia,Poland, Canada, Japan, the CzechRepublic, Germany, Italy, andGreece. Others came from 23States across the country.

Members of the ISSF hold lead-ership positions in nearly everymajor glaucoma society aroundthe world. As an organized group,they have tremendous potentialto bring the knowledge and skillsthey have acquired on theGlaucoma Service of Wills EyeHospital to bear, in a powerfuland focused way, on meeting thechallenge of glaucoma world-wide. Their reunion at Wills EyeGlaucoma Service Symposiumand Celebration constituted amajor step forward in attainingthis goal.

As ISSF member from PolandPatricia Krzyzanowska put it: “Itwas an amazing and outstandingexperience! I will remember it tillthe end of my days. I was sotouched and so honored. I reallyfeel proud to be one of the Spaethfellows! Thanks to this event I feellike a member of the interna-tional, ophthalmological familyand nobody will take it away fromme. It’s extremely important tome to have contact with the bestspecialists in the world!”

Amid their great diversity, onething the ISSF members appearto hold in common from the training they received on theGlaucoma Service is a focus onthe individual patient, the samefocus sounded throughout the

Symposium and Celebration. In responding to a recent survey about their experiences on the Glaucoma Service, with remarkable unanimity the fellows said that the mostimportant thing they learned onthe Service was to focus on theindividual patient. “Listen to thepatient.” “Treat each patient as an individual.” “Listen to whatyour patients are telling you.”“Listen and talk to the patient.”“Understand that every patient is different, even if all of them haveglaucoma.” “Care not only for thedisease but also for the mind andspirit.”

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Symposium and Celebration Draw Over 100 Former Fellows Back to Philadelphia

ISSF members Drs. Oluwatosin Smith, Douglas Rhee, and Annette Terebuh at a brunch heldSunday October 5th at the Dorrance Hamilton Rooftop Garden in the Kimmel Center. Dr. Smith,originally from Nigeria, was a Clinical Fellow on the Glaucoma Service 2002–2003. Dr. Rhee, inaddition to being a physician on the Glaucoma Service, is Director of the Laboratory for MolecularBiology at Wills Eye Hospital. Dr. Terebuh, now in private practice in Dublin Ohio, with an appointment at the Ohio State University Hospital, was a clinical fellow 1992–1993.

Photo by Nancy Petrongolo

With our deepest appreciation to Allergan for their generous support of the Friday eveningReception and InternationalTasting Honoring the ISSF. Guestsenjoyed foods and music frommany of the countries where ISSFmembers are now practicing.

The Glaucoma ServiceFoundation and the ISSF are also indebted to Allergan forfunding the production of the ISSF Yearbook, distributed to allmembers to encourage them to get to know each other and worktogether to meet the challenge ofglaucoma throughout the world.

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ISSF members Dr. L. Jay Katz (left) and Sai Gandham at the Symposium luncheon.Dr. Katz, a Glaucoma Service physician, was a clinical fellow 1984–1985. Dr. Gandham, currently Director of the Glaucoma Service at Albany Medical College, was a researchfellow 1991–1993 and a clinical fellow1996–1997. Photo by Ken Parker

ISSF members Drs. Detlev Spiegel (left) and TarekEid at the Sunday brunch. Dr. Spiegel, currentlyProfessor of Ophthalmology at the University of

Regensburg, Germany, was a clinical fellow1997–1998. Dr. Eid, currently Consultant

Ophthalmologist at the Glaucoma and CataractUnit, Magrabi Eye & Ear Center in Jeddah, Saudi

Arabia, was a research fellow 1995–1997.Photo by Ken Parker

ISSF members Drs. Agnes Nowosielska (left)and Augusto Azuara-Blanco. Dr. Nowosielska,currently pursuing a PhD program in her nativeWarsaw, Poland, was an observer on theGlaucoma Service in 2001. Dr. Azuara-Blanco,Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University ofAberdeen and Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon,Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, was a clinical fellow1996–1997 and a research fellow, 1995–1996.

Photo by Nancy Petrongolo

Fellowship Coordinator and Searchlight editorKen Parker with ISSF member Dr. Tomas Kubena.Dr. Kubena, currently practicing and performing

research in Zlin, Czech Republic, was a researchfellow in 1995. Photo by Rekha Khandelwal

ISSF members Drs. Marlene Moster, Vital Costa, Leslie Jones, and MarkLesk. Dr. Moster, currently on the Glaucoma Service staff, was a clinicalfellow 1983–1984. Dr. Costa, currently Director of the Glaucoma Serviceat the University of Campinas, Brazil, was a research fellow 1992–1993.Dr. Jones, now head of the Glaucoma Unit at Howard University, was a clinical fellow 2000–2001. Dr. Lesk, currently Associate ClinicalProfessor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University ofMontreal, was a clinical fellow 1994–1995. Photo by Dr. Mark Moster

ISSF members Drs. Sushma Rai, Tara Uhler, and Muge Kesen. Dr. Rai,currently in an ophthalmology residency program at Interfaith MedicalCenter in Brooklyn NY, was a research fellow 2002–2003. Dr. Uhler, nowon the Glaucoma Service staff, was a clinical fellow 2001–2002 and aresearch fellow 2002–2003. Dr. Kesen, currently in an ophthalmologyresidency program at Temple University Medical School, was aresearch fellow 2000–2002. Photo by Roger Barone

Wills Eye Hospital

Drs. Christina Tam, SonjaWamsley, and Heather Nesti, began their one-year fellowshiptraining program July 1st. Eachbrings a unique background ofskills and personal characteristics,all focused on a career caring forpatients with glaucoma and teach-ing and discovering new knowl-edge about the disease.

After receiving a BA and MA in Psychology from StanfordUniversity, Dr. Christina Tamreceived her medical degree fromthe Case Western ReserveUniversity School of Medicine,where she received the Award forClinical Excellence and the Awardfor Excellence in the Art & Practiceof Medicine. She completed aninternship at the Long IslandJewish Hospital, New Hyde Park,NY, and an ophthalmology resi-dency at Brown University/RhodeIsland Hospital in Providence.

“I chose to pursue a glaucoma fel-lowship long before my husbandand I coincidentally and unexpect-edly diagnosed my mom with glau-coma. Having a family memberwith the disease has made me moresensitive to my patients’ fears andanxieties about treatment and theprogression of their disease. I ammore aware of how using a simpleeye drop can significantly affect aperson’s life. I also have a betterappreciation for the vital impor-tance of patient education. Taking

the time to counsel patients regard-ing their expectations and appre-hensions is much more importantthan treating a pressure reading.”

Dr. Sonja Wamsley grew up innorthern California. After taking aBA from the University of Californiaat Davis with degrees in Interna-tional Relations and Russian, andanother BA from Merrimack College

with highest honors in Biology, shepursued her medical degree atJefferson Medical College.

During medical school, Dr.Wamsley took a leave of absence toattend the Johns Hopkins School ofHygiene and Public Health, fromwhich she received a Masters inPublic Health. While there, she com-pleted a non-clinical fellowship inPublic Health Ophthalmology at theDana Center for Preventive Ophthal-mology (Wilmer Eye Institute). Dr.Wamsley completed her residencyin ophthalmology at the Universityof Wisconsin, Madison, and servedas co-chief resident in her final year.As a resident she spent an electiverotation at Aravind Eye Hospital inIndia. She explains that her long-standing interest in public healthplayed a major role in this fellow-ship decision, as glaucoma is thesecond leading cause of blindnessin the world.

Dr. Wamsley admits beingstrongly influenced by her ophthal-mologist-parents, Drs. Tamara andPaul Suslov. Together they started afamily non-profit foundation forblindness prevention, VisionInternational — Eye Missions (VI) in

1993. “Our foundation is commit-ted to training ophthalmologists incountries where there is a severeshortage of eye care practitioners.Through VI, two physicians fromMadagascar have been successfullytrained in ophthalmology and eyesurgery, and we are currently help-ing to build a new eye hospital inMadagascar in collaboration withthe Lions Club.”

Despite the public health interest,she will quickly tell you that thegreatest pleasure she derives fromher work is interacting withpatients. “Taking care of patientswith glaucoma,” she says, “is theaspect of ophthalmology that Ienjoy the most. It suits my person-ality and strengths, which includeestablishing good rapport withpatients. This is important in treat-ing glaucoma, since communicat-ing effectively by helping patientsunderstand their disease andthereby encouraging compliance, isperhaps the most crucial part ofbeing an effective glaucoma doctor.It is also a fun and gratifying way torepay the debt to society that everyhuman being owes.”

After her fellowship she plans tojoin her mother’s private practice.“My intent is to develop a balancedcareer by taking good care ofpatients and being their advocate,pursuing my intellectual interests inthe form of clinical research, andexpanding the blindness preven-tion program of VisionInternational.”

Dr. Heather Nesti graduated with honors in Biology from theUniversity of Delaware, andreceived her Medical Degree withhonors from Jefferson MedicalCollege, where she was a memberof the Ethics Committee DiscussionPanel. She took her ophthalmologyresidency at Wills Eye Hospital,where she was Co-Chief Resident.Says Dr. Nesti: “A career in medi-cine is an intricate combination oftechnical skill, knowledge, commu-nication, and service. When I

Three New Fellows Train on the Service

Dr. Tam with Dr. Spaeth’s patient, ZoeDiamantopoulos from Athens, Greece. Mrs. Diamantopoulos found Dr. Spaeth on theinternet with the help of her daughter inPhiladelphia, Aella Diamantopoulos.

Photo by Ken Parker

Dr. Wamsley with Dr. Katz’s patient, Frances Lerer. Photo by Ken Parker

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Over 240 people, including over100 members of the InternationalSociety of Spaeth Fellows (ISSF)(current and past fellows of theGlaucoma Service) from aroundthe world, attended the Wills EyeGlaucoma Service Symposium,October 3–4, at the Park Hyatt atthe Bellevue in Philadelphia. Fifty-six luminaries of the world ofglaucoma, 46 of them ISSF mem-bers, spoke, moderated, or servedas discussants for the eventfocused on the theme:“Enhancing the Quality of Life ofPatients with Glaucoma: A Worldof Individuals.” In a special lunch-eon address, ISSF member KevinGreenidge, Professor andChairman, and Richard C.Troutman, MD, DistinguishedChair in Ophthalmology andOphthalmic Microsurgery at theDepartment of Ophthalmology,SUNY/Downstate, spoke on“Race, Politics, Ethnicity, Science,and Willie Sutton.”

Proceeding from a wide-rangingassessment of glaucoma through-out the world, speakers succes-sively focused on the geneticsand risk factors of glaucoma andwhy people lose function fromglaucoma, how glaucoma is diag-nosed and treated (including sur-gery), and teaching and learningabout glaucoma throughout theworld. Finally ISSF members fromEgypt, Turkey, Europe, China, andUpstate New York spoke abouttheir experiences working withglaucoma patients in these verydifferent settings.

Dr. George Spaeth, Director ofthe Glaucoma Service and organ-izer of the conference remarked:“There was an underlying elec-tricity and intensity that made theconference unlike anything I haveever attended in medicine before.There was a real passion that wasconstantly evident as well as areal interest in compassion. It was

certainly about fellowship, fellow-ship in the most wonderful senseof the word, and it was about thisamazing privilege we have ofbeing able to work with individu-als in order to try to heal them,and to work with populations inorder to try to heal them.”

Science and Sound Bites“An abundance of new and

exciting information and a lot of

good science emerged,” com-mented Dr. Spaeth. “For example,ISSF member, now on the staff ofthe Wills Glaucoma Service, Dr.Marlene Moster, mentioned theexciting new finding that serumhomocysteine levels are elevatedin a very common type of glau-coma. Another ISSF member, Dr.Mark Sherwood, Professor andChairman of the Department ofOphthalmology at the Universityof Florida, talked about the needto measure visual function by per-formance-based standards, not bythe usual methods that have beenemployed for years, such as acu-ity, field, contrast sensitivity, etc.”

Dr. Spaeth continued, “Therewere many ‘sounds bites’ that Iwill not forget. For example, onewas said by ISSF member Dr.Lorenzo Pecora, now in private

practice in Upstate New York,when he was talking about themechanics of working in a med-ical office in a nonacademic set-ting. He stressed the importanceof totally clear communicationbetween the physician and thepatient as well as the physicianand the office staff. One of hissentences will always remain withme, specifically, ‘In every patientthere is a universe.’”

Science and the Individual Patient

Reverberating throughout theconference was the question ofhow to introduce the use of sci-ence into the care of individualpatients. Scientific studies pro-vide information about popula-tions of individuals, but how thatinformation is best used in indi-vidual doctor-patient encountersremains problematic.

Dr. Spaeth approached thistopic in the final presentation ofthe conference, in which he usedjust five slides. The first was ablank slide with nothing on it, sothat the screen was simplybrightly illuminated with “white”light. The next was all red, thenext all green, the next all blue,

Symposium Focuses on the Care of Individual Glaucoma Patients

(Continued on Page 10)

Symposium audience in the Ballroom of the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. Photo by Nancy Petrongolo

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Symposium Focuses on the Care(Continued from Page 9)

and the final one again the samecolorless slide, so the screen wasjust bright. The comments thatwent along with the five slideswere merely identifications ofeach color or the lack of color thatwas on the screen.

With the final slide (white light)came the comment that in lookingat this final colorless slide, eventhough one saw no color, in actu-ality all colors were there. “Within‘white’ light,” he reminded theaudience, “are red, green, blue,and in fact every color that exists.That we cannot see these colorsdoes not mean that they are notthere. In the same way, there arereal differences between individu-als that we frequently miss, espe-cially when we do not look forthem. There is a real differencebetween red and green, and it isessential to recognize that differ-ence accurately, reproducibly, andvalidly. We must be able to see redas red, describe it accurately,reproducibly, and know its signifi-cance. But we also must know thatwithin that red there are many dif-ferent shades of red that we canonly distinguish if we search forthem knowledgeably and skillfully.Further, within that red are shadesof red we cannot distinguish nomatter how skillfully we try.Making the effort but recognizingthe limitation, is essential to goodscience and good care.”

Individuals Caring forIndividuals

Another ISSF member,presently on the staff of WillsGlaucoma Service, Dr. CourtlandSchmidt, in the next-to-final talkof the conference, “IndividualsCaring for Individuals,”approached the topic of individu-als and science from the perspec-tive of the individuality of doctorsrather than the individuality ofpatients. In his talk he stressedthe inherent, unavoidable subjec-

tivity in every person who pro-vides care. Patients bring to thepatient encounter their own cul-ture, values, and assumptions.Unless physicians know who theythemselves are they cannotmeaningfully correct for their ownbiases or beliefs. “Everything wedo with patients,” explained Dr.

Schmidt, “will be affected by whowe are.” Thus, one of the mostessential aspects of being a goodphysician is understanding theanswer to the question, “Who am I?” Whether we round figuresup or round them down, what wevalue, how we address thepatient, how aggressive or con-servative we are with treatments,our concerns about the patient’sfamily, or the cost of care — all ofthese, and in fact everything — isaffected by who we are. Thus it isas essential for doctors to knowwho they are as it is for them toknow who their patients are.

Expanding on the theme of Dr.Schmidt’s talk, Dr. Spaeth, com-mented: “Of course we want tobe ‘objective.’ And of course goodscience tries to limit bias. But bet-ter science recognizes that it isnever possible completely to con-trol bias, and it is certainly notpossible to eliminate bias if we donot recognize the inherent natureof it. For me, Dr. Schmidt’s talkwas the high point of the confer-ence. His comment was some-thing we virtually never hear butwhich is absolutely fundamentalto good care. We forget that it isnot just patients who are differ-

ent, but also physicians and sci-entists. We forget that differentpeople define themselves in dif-ferent ways, and how they definethemselves influences what theydo and how they interpret whatthey do. For example, if a physi-cian is performing a study investi-gating the value of a new treat-ment that he has originated, thereis a built-in push to make sure thestudy demonstrates that the treat-ment is effective.”

A sub-theme of the conferencewas that just as the world con-sists of individuals, so the wholeworld of individuals also needs tobe addressed. Dr. Spaethexplained, “It is not enough for usto be doing better and better withfewer and fewer patients; we alsohave to be addressing passion-ately and compassionately thewhole world of individuals. Theworld’s population is increasingmore rapidly than access to care.”

Reflecting on the conference,ISSF member Clive Migdal (fromEngland) commented, “I sincerelyfeel that this was one of the mostinteresting and thought-provok-ing glaucoma symposia that Ihave attended.…The personaltouch and patient-orientateddirection was notable.” Echoingthis thought, ISSF member Dr.Vital Costa (from Brazil) com-mented: “It was absolutely mar-velous, a delightful encounter ofindividuals with the same pur-pose: healing patients.”

“It [the Symposium] wasabsolutely marvelous,

a delightful encounter of individuals with the same

purpose: healing patients.”(ISSF member Dr. Vital Costa, Brazil)

Chat Support Groupwww.willsglaucoma.org

Wednesdays, 8:30–9:30 pmhosted by a Wills glaucoma specialist

Mondays, 8:00–9:30 pmpatients and family members

11

Wills Eye Hospital

By now you should havereceived our year-end mailingfor the Foundation’s 2003Annual Fund. If you havealready made a donation, manythanks for your support! If youhaven’t yet, we hope you willtake a moment and contributetoday. Your gift will truly makea difference.

The Glaucoma Service Foundation is seeking to strengthen and extendavailable giving opportunities by providing techniques that will enabledonors to make gift commitments that not only will achieve their ownfinancial planning objectives but also will help address the Foundation’slong-term needs. Such giving opportunities include:

• Cash• Securities• Bequests• Retained Life Income Gifts• Annuities

For more information, please contact the Glaucoma Service Foundationoffice at 215-928-3190 or visit our website at www.willsglaucoma.org.

Donor Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________

My gift is given in the (honor) (memory) [circle one] of: ____________________________________________________

Please acknowledge my gift to: ____________________________________________________________________________

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

decided to pursue a career in medi-cine, my goal was to preparemyself to provide excellent medicalcare to my patients — not onlytreating disease, but helpingpatients understand their diseaseand adapt to limitations that the ill-ness may produce in their dailylives. I have found the challenge oftreating a disease process with vari-able presentations, therapies, andoutcomes to be most rewarding.Most importantly, I have enjoyedthe follow-up care of patients thatglaucoma management entails. In

pursuing glaucoma fellowshiptraining, I want to expand myknowledge of the diagnosis andtreatment of glaucoma, as well asgain more experience in surgicaltechniques and postoperative man-agement. I intend to participate inactive research and resident teach-ing as I continue my education infellowship training. My future pro-fessional goal is to provide excel-lent glaucoma care to my commu-nity and dedicate my time,knowledge, and experience to helptrain future ophthalmologists.”

Three New Fellows Train on the Service(Continued from Page 8)

You Can StillMake a

Difference!

Planned Giving Opportunities to Help the Foundation

Many who support the Foundation like to do so in honor of or in the memory of a loved one or friend. If you would like to do so, please use this form.

Dr. Nesti with Dr. Henderer’s patient,George Anders. Photo by Ken Parker

Wills Eye HospitalSearchlight on GlaucomaTHEGLAUCOMASERVICEFOUNDATIONTOPREVENTBLINDNESS

Wills Eye HospitalSM

840 Walnut Street, Suite 1130Philadelphia, PA 19107-5109

Editor:Ken Parker, PhD215-928-3283kparker@willseye.org

Printed on recycled paper

Wills and Wills Eye are service marks of Wills Eye Hospital

Printing and distribution of the Searchlightare made possiblethrough a generous grant from the Scholler Foundation, abequest from the Estate of Tamara K. Hareven, and contributions to the Glaucoma Service Foundation Annual Fund.

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDUpper Darby, PA 19082

Permit No. 42Patient Support Group Meetings

Meetings are in the 8th floor auditorium of the “new” Wills Eye Hospital. The exact dates for the April andJune meetings have not been set. Please call the Foundation office the month before.

January 11Dr. Jonathan MyersCurrent Controversies in theManagement of Glaucoma

February 15Dr. Elliot WernerTraining Glaucoma Specialists

March 7Dr. L. Jay Katz Lasers in Glaucoma

March 28Dr. Richard WilsonGlaucoma Around the World

AprilDr. Marlene MosterWhat’s New In Glaucoma Surgery?

May 23Dr. Courtland SchmidtGlaucoma Medications

JuneDr. Christopher RapuanoWhat Glaucoma Patients Need toKnow about the Cornea

The Glaucoma Service Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity of theEstate of Tamara K. Hareven in supporting the publication and distribution of

Searchlight on Glaucoma.