2015_Annual_Report

13 Gouverneur Health. L O B B Y B E G I N S MA J O R U P G R A D E As part of its ongoing effort to invest in and improve campus infrastructure, SUNY Optometry began a $5.5 million renovation project on the first floor of its building. Once completed later this year, the redesigned lobby, which includes two recently renovated classrooms, will feature a warmer and more accessible environment as well as an art gallery maintained by SUNY Purchase College’s Neuberger Museum of Art. W hile the University Eye Center, with its multiple services and 70,000 patient visits each year, provides SUNY Optometry’s students with a significant range of clinical experiences, it represents just one component of the College’s vast and varied network of clinical relationships. An emphasis is being placed on developing collaborative clinical relationships with hospitals such as Woodhull Medical Center, EZRA Medical Center, Gouverneur Health Medical Center, East New York Diagnostic and Treatment Center as well as Veterans Administration, military hospitals and beyond. These institutions provide students with valuable opportunities to work alongside a variety of different health care providers in team-based settings, caring for patients with a variety of conditions. Additionally, the College’s clinical relationships with school and community-based organizations such as the Bowery Mission and The Door provide students with even richer and more unique experiences. SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher with President Heath and Capital Projects Coordinator Sudeep Lamichhane. A N E T WO R K O F C A R E In all, the College has more than 50 clinical affiliations across North America—as well as in China and India—representing a broad cross section of clinical opportunities designed to expose students to the depth and breadth of what the modern health care delivery system has to offer. “With health care reform placing a greater emphasis on team-based care and efficiency, the range of experiences available to our students—particularly in interprofessional settings—is becoming increasingly important,” said Dr. Richard Madonna, chair of the Department of Clinical Education. “Our network of clinical affiliations is a critical element in our ability to prepare our students for the future practice of optometry.”