Glaucoma Research Foundation: Advancing Vision & Hope

Brizette Castellanos: In your opinion, why are events like the Patient Summit important?

Ben Grass: It’s so important because not only does it educate and provide questions and answers, but it provides a community. Right? This is a patient community attending this event that you can talk amongst yourselves and gain insights about best practices, how everybody’s coping. In a way it’s very supportive, on top of just being aware of the new directions and that hope and optimism of a cure on the horizon.

Barbara Wirostko, MD: I’ve been so impressed by this organization. I’m really in awe of all the patients that actually have come from all over the country to learn, and to listen, and really become an advocate for themselves, and know what they can do differently to help better understand glaucoma. And it’s just such a great way I think for us as clinicians also to see the patient’s perspective.

Julie Grutzmacher: I think it’s really important, especially on the heels of the pandemic, to bring people together in person and be in community to learn so many new things. You know, the cutting-edge research, advancements in technology, and then to meet clinicians and researchers, but also to meet other individuals who have glaucoma as well. There’s immense power in meeting people and coming together in community, especially when it comes to advocacy.

Tad Heitmann: It’s really great to see local clinicians coming to the program, talking about their work, working very hard to help patients understand how they can take control of their treatment and be more successful in their treatment by being their own advocate, by knowing what questions to ask. And there’s a nice dynamic going on in the room now with questions and answers, and people meeting each other. It’s a wonderful program.

Phillip Van Lear: The information that you get at a Patient Summit like this is invaluable. And the encouragement that you get from listening to subject matter experts, from researchers, from ophthalmologists, is just going to inform you, and make you feel more comfortable, and truly get you excited about how you can better deal, live, not just survive but thrive, with the disease of glaucoma.

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