Congressman Lamar Smith, Twenty First Congressional
District of Texas
(WASHINGTON) – Congressman Lamar Smith today announced that $250,000 for the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) was included in the FY2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations bill and passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The federal funding will be used to purchase equipment and technology for the UIW’s new School of Optometry and a planned East Side eye care clinic, which will provide quality eye exams and vision services to under-served residents in East San Antonio.
“Texas has a great need for optometrists. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, in 2006 there were 30,000 practicing optometrists in the U.S. and only 2,690 serving Texas’ more than 23 million residents,” said Smith. “Local need is even greater due to the significant prevalence of diabetic eye disease in San Antonio.”
UIW’s new School of Optometry will open this Fall and the eye care clinic is expected to open in Spring of 2010. These facilities will educate new optometrists and offer clinical optometry services, particularly in the field of pediatric and geriatric optometric services. The long-range goal of the program is to increase the number of professional optometrists in Texas
According to UIW School of Optometry Founding Dean & Professor Dr. H. Simon Ghazi-Birry, “We are honored to receive this award and grateful to Congressman Smith for his vision and help in this public health care project. The Eastside Clinical facility is, in my opinion, what constitutes the jewel of our clinical program. We are able to serve a significant population of the underserved. We are also able to expand the mission of the university in terms of social justice, community service and the provision of healthcare. The faculty, administration and staff of the UIW School of Optometry are committed to fostering academic and clinical excellence, professional growth and community outreach.”
At least 50 fulltime, permanent jobs are expected to be created at the eye care clinic with the assistance of this federal funding. UIW is the fourth-largest private university in Texas. The East Side eye care clinic will be located on East Commerce Street near downtown San Antonio.
