NEW YORK—Transitions Optical, Inc. has announced its 2013 Diversity Advisory Board members, who will continue to help guide efforts through the Transitions Cultural Connections initiative.

Among the goals of the initiative is to raise awareness of the eye health risks faced by growing ethnic minority populations, driving them to their eyecare professionals for more information. The program is also designed to increase consumer understanding of the role that higher-performing vision wear options, like Transitions lenses, can play in enhancing and protecting eyesight, and support to ECPs with the education and tools they need to better serve and improve communication with their culturally diverse patients, Transitions said.

The Diversity Advisory Board is comprised of eyecare professionals and cultural experts who have an extensive knowledge of the largest and fastest-growing demographic groups in the U.S. Transitions Optical will work closely with its board members throughout 2013 to ensure that all of its efforts are culturally appropriate and relevant. Returning members include:

• Allert Brown-Gort – Faculty Fellow, Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame; Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Work and the Economy
• Brian Chou, OD, FAAO – EyeLux Optometry, San Diego
• Edwin Marshall, OD MS, MPH – Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, Indiana University
• Drake McLean – Optician, President, Dietz-McLean Optical Company, San Antonio, Texas
• Charlotte Parniawski, RN, MSN, CN. – Cultural Diversity Trainer, National Multicultural Institute; Nurse Educator, Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing at Bridgeport Hospital, Part of the Yale New Haven Health Care System
• Kirk Smick, OD, FAAO – Chief of Optometry Services, Clayton Eye Center, Atlanta
• Madeline L. Romeu, OD, FAAO – President, Dr. Romeu Eye Associates, West New York, N.J.
• David K. Yoo, PhD– Professor and Director, Asian American Studies Center, University of California at Los Angeles
• Vincent K. Young, MD – Chairman, Division of Ophthalmology, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia

“We rely on our Diversity Advisory Board members to help us identify ideas for new multicultural education, resources and outreach opportunities,” said Manuel Solis, multicultural marketing manager, Transitions Optical. “With their support and guidance, we are committed to further strengthening our efforts to ensure that growing groups at risk are getting the best possible eyecare.”

Throughout the year, Transitions Optical’s Diversity Advisory Board members will continue to share best practices and insights through blog entries. Formerly located within Transitions Optical’s professional website, the blog can now be found at MyMulticulturalToolkit.com/Blog within My Multicultural Toolkit— an online resource launched to help ECPs better understand and meet the needs of their diverse patients.