Richard Soden, OD
NEW YORK—According to a recent announcement, SUNY College of Optometry has created a new position to expand the institution’s reach and relationships within the broader healthcare community: director of health care development. Richard Soden, OD will take on the role effective July 1, 2015.
 
In his newly developed role, Soden will work toward integrating SUNY Optometry’s patient care facilities such as the University Eye Center (UEC) and its students more fully into the healthcare systems of New York City and New York State.
 
“As we all know, our healthcare system is in the midst of very rapid change,” said David A. Heath, OD, EdM, president of the SUNY College Optometry. “And we felt that having somebody working to create partnerships with hospitals and other health care organizations that reflect the full integration of optometry into the health care system was imperative at this moment.”

According to the announcement, the recent implementation of the Affordable Care Act will directly affect the new role, which will focus on building and nurturing key relationships for the institution. Additionally, along with building clinical relationships and access to eye and vision care to the New York community, SUNY Optometry seeks to develop relationships with organizations that will provide inter-professional opportunities for its students and support for its research programs, the announcement said.
 
Soden currently serves as executive director of the UEC and vice president for clinical affairs at the college. He joined the college in 1980 after completing a residency program in rehabilitative optometry at the Northport VA Medical Center, where he continued as the associate chief of optometry in addition to working at SUNY. Soden was also a partner in a private practice on Long Island where he specialized in primary care, low vision rehabilitation, visual therapy and head trauma rehabilitation. In 2005, Soden returned to SUNY as the associate director of managed care and vice president for clinical affairs. He is also a past president of the New York State Optometric Association and lectures nationally and internationally on a variety of vision care related issues.

“Dr. Soden is nationally recognized for his expertise on our evolving health care system, and I believe that our organization will benefit immensely with him serving as our director of health care development,” said Heath.

According to Heath, the college has also begun a national search for a new executive director of the University Eye Center.