CHICAGO—Prevent Blindness announced that it will host its annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit on July 18, 2018 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. A series of presentations will be conducted in relation to this year’s summit theme, “Research to Impact: Honoring 50 Years of the National Eye Institute.” Attendees of this free event include patient advocates, national vision and eye health organizations, government representatives, and community-based organizations. Those unable to attend in person will have an opportunity to watch a live video stream of event presentations as well as follow the event on Twitter at #eyesummit.

Lily Peng, MD, PhD, of Google Brain—a deep learning artificial intelligence research project at Google—will be the keynote speaker for the Summit. Dr. Peng will speak about developing innovations that will specifically impact the future of eyecare.

Additional presentations at the Focus on Eye Health Summit include: Improving Access Through Telemedicine; Innovative Screening Models and Their Impact on Global Eye Health; Promising Practices Emerging from NEI Partnerships; Advancing Eye Health in Native American Communities; Vision’s Impact on Learning With Children; Eyes on the Hill—A Congressional Conversation; and National Eye Health Surveillance System.

During the event, Prevent Blindness will present the 2018 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health to the Johns Hopkins University School-Based Eye Care Team. Team members include Megan E. Collins, MD, MPH; David S. Friedman, MD, MPH, PhD; Michael X. Repka, MD, MBA; Robert E. Slavin, PhD; and Nancy A. Madden, PhD. In addition, a Recognition Award will be presented to Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, on behalf of the National Eye Institute, honoring its 50th anniversary.

Prevent Blindness will also hold its annual Eyes on Capitol Hill event, providing volunteer patient advocates with the opportunity to meet with their government representatives on Tuesday, July 17. A reception for the Congressional Vision Caucus will be held the evening of this Capitol Hill event. A Congressional briefing will be held on Thursday, July 19.

Current Gold sponsors of the Summit are Allergan, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, The EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, Genentech, International Retinal Research Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Vision, Lighthouse Guild, National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, NORC at the University of Chicago, Shire and the Vision Impact Institute.

Silver sponsors include the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Academy of Optometry, American Optometric Association, BrightFocus Foundation, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Lions Clubs International, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Thrombogenics and Vision 2020 USA.

To register or for more information about the 2018 Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health National Summit and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.preventblindness.org/eyesummit or call (800) 331-2020.