Honoring A Lifetime of Groundbreaking Work

Dr. Fishman in the clinic. Text says: The Pangere Center for Inherited Retinal Diseases

As Dr. Gerald A. Fishman moves into retirement, his 50-year legacy of pioneering research and treatment of inherited retinal diseases will live on, both in practice and in spirit, at The Chicago Lighthouse.

The Chicago Lighthouse is proud to unveil the Pangere Partnership for Inherited Retinal Diseases, a venture with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. The new Pangere Partnership will combine The Lighthouse’s vision rehabilitation and treatment programs with UIC’s ophthalmologic expertise. Together, these services will offer patients access to the premier vision care for which both organizations have become renowned.

“The Pangere Partnership for Inherited Retinal Diseases brings together two world-class services,” says Dr. R.V. Paul Chan, Department Head, at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago. “Our complementary services will help patients manage their condition most effectively, optimize their remaining vision, and provide them access to cutting edge therapies and clinical trials.”

Through the alliance, The Lighthouse will continue to work with patients on low vision rehabilitation and treatment, assistive technology consultations, psychological counseling, occupational therapy, and orientation and mobility training. Annual appointments to monitor patients’ conditions will be coordinated with UIC. Dr. Kara Crumbliss, The Chicago Lighthouse’s Vice President of Low Vision Services, will oversee the Pangere Partnership’s vision care services. Dr. Robert Hyde, a Vitreoretinal Surgeon and Specialist in Inherited Retinal Diseases at UIC, will serve as the Partnership’s primary ophthalmologist and eye-care provider.

side by side photos of Dr. Kara Crumbliss and Dr. Robert Hyde

Meanwhile, The Chicago Lighthouse will serve as the main repository for Dr. Fishman’s esteemed research and work. The new “Gerald A. Fishman, M.D., Archives of Inherited Retinal Disease at The Chicago Lighthouse” will house patient data accumulated over Dr. Fishman’s career, enabling academics, pharmaceutical companies, and other researchers to further build upon Dr. Fishman’s work in inherited retinal diseases.

Anyone interested in contributing to the creation of The Fishman Archives should call Temple Seigler, Chief Advancement Officer, at (312) 997-3687 or temple.seigler@chicagolighthouse.org.

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