2010 Annual Report

Best Practices in the Practice
The Clinic as Classroom
“The course of my career revolves around
Brittney Mazza: Realizing her vision
Brittney Mazza, OD ’10, made her career choice early. During her senior year in
high school, she interned with an optometry and ophthalmology practice in her
hometown of Dartmouth, Mass., where she watched grateful patients leave the
office with improved vision. “I knew right away that optometry was the career I
wanted to pursue,” she says.
“Once the lenses were in place, his vision was clearer than it had been in a very long time.
one thing. It’s about decreasing visual
health disparities and impairment, and
if impairment occurs, helping patients
to manage it.”
- Susan Primo, OD ’85, MPH
His whole life will be different now.” – Brittney Mazza, OD ’10
That pursuit began in earnest at NECO, the school she chose in part for its superior
clinical program. “NECO gave me the opportunity to do pediatric vision screenings
during the first month of school,” she says. “From the beginning, I was exposed to
all areas of optometry and had the chance to network with experts in the field.”
Her residency in NEE Commonwealth’s cornea and contact lens area is an extension
of that training, giving her first-hand experience with patients seeking routine eye
exams, contact lenses, and follow-up care. In preparation for a career in specialty
contact lens fitting, she often treats post-surgical patients or those with corneal
disease and determines the lenses that will best address their unique conditions.
“I recently treated a 30-year-old patient with keratoconus in both eyes,” she says.
Although his corneal deterioration could not be corrected with glasses or traditional
contacts, Dr. Mazza hypothesized that rigid scleral lenses might be the solution.
“Once the lenses were in place,” she says, “his vision was clearer than it had been
in a very long time. His whole life will be different now. Experiences like that are my
reason for choosing this career.”
In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Mazza mentors and instructs students in
Commonwealth contact lens rotations, confirming their patient assessments. In turn,
Dr. Mazza’s attending optometrists – Commonwealth contact lens specialists Susan
Baylus, OD ’89, Jason Chin, OD ’04, and Ron Watanabe, OD – verify her evaluations,
providing guidance as needed. “They’re always available to share their expertise,”
says Dr. Mazza. “They encourage us to remain current on developments in optometry
from basic science and academics to managing the practice once we’re established in
our career. Keeping up with the always-changing field provides a strong foundation
for best practices, and that translates to what’s most important – quality and
compassionate care for our patients.”
Susan Primo, OD ’85, MPH learned the power of
compassionate community service early. The daughter
of an Episcopalian minister, she accompanied her father
when he sat with hospitalized parishioners, observing
as he dispensed comfort and hope. She was at his side,
too, one fortuitous summer afternoon when he paid a
visit to his optometrist. “My father took me with him
when he went for an eye exam,” she recalls. “The
doctor explained to me his instruments and how the
eye works – and I was fascinated.” And at 15, she
knew her future would include helping people to see.
Multiple roles, single focus
In addition to her duties as mom to her 12-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, Dr. Primo’s myriad
responsibilities include her role as director of Vision and Optical Services and Low Vision at Atlanta’s Emory
Eye Center and assisting medically underserved patients at Grady Memorial Hospital’s neighborhood health
center. “My career revolves around one thing,” says Primo. “It’s about decreasing visual health disparities and
reducing the risk of visual impairment, and if impairment occurs, helping patients to manage it – all with the
goal of improving quality of life and better overall health for members of our community.”
PASSION
12 ANNUAL REPORT 2010
ANNUAL REPORT 2010
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