Pomona's Western University to host optometry congress

Western University of Health Sciences announced this week it will host the sixth International Congress of Behavioral Optometry in April.

Those participating in the international event will meet from April 8 to 11 on the university's campus in downtown Pomona and at the Double-Tree Hotel in Ontario.

Serving as co-sponsors of the event with the university will be the Optometric Extension Program,Foundation, referred to as the OEP, and the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association-International, also known as NORA, according to a university statement.

The congress takes place every four years and rotates through Europe, Australia and the United States, the statement said.

The conference is being held in the Inland Valley because of the university's newly opened College of Optometry, Robert A. Williams, executive director of the OEP Foundation and administrator of NORA, said in the statement.

"The College of Optometry adopted a mission that's virtually identical to ICBO and NORA," he said. "We thought it would be an excellent partnership between NORA, ICBO and Western U."

The College of Optometry's mission statement discusses the need for services related to neuro-optometric rehabilitation along with specialized programs for those living with learning disabilities, brain injuries, developmental disabilities, and other types of visual impairment, said Elizabeth Hoppe, co-founding dean of the college in the statement.

"Our goal is to serve the public by graduating doctors of optometry who can fulfill this increasing public demand," she said.

"Western U is well-suited to pursue this mission because of the unique interprofessional opportunities embedded within the curriculum. Caring for individuals from vulnerable populations, such as those with traumatic brain injury or autism, is always best done with a team approach to health care. Our graduates will have experienced interprofessional communications and team-based care throughout their entire educational process," she said.

The conference is expected to attract optometrists, therapists and other professionals who work in rehabilitation.