The quarterly board meeting of Alabama Lions Sight was exceptionally exciting and well-attended as the group welcomed guest speakers from the UAB Department of Ophthalmology. Faculty members Ronald Braswell, M.D., and Jeff Yee, M.D., along with development director, Lindsay Knox, gave an update on the department’s activities and emphasized the importance of the relationship between the Alabama Lions and the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.
As part of the UAB School of Medicine, the Department of Ophthalmology is the state’s premier training sight for ophthalmologists. UAB is ranked 16th nationally in grant funding, with active grants totaling more than $390 million. In addition, the department’s research funding from the National Institutes of Health currently totals more than $3 million, which is quite impressive for a state the size of Alabama.
The department makes an important impact on the community in all areas of patient care, education, and research. The Lions Clinic at UAB is where ophthalmology residents complete a portion of their training and where underserved citizens of the state can receive top notch eye care. The Lions Clinic is an extremely valuable asset to the state of Alabama, and Drs Braswell and Yee expressed enthusiasm about re-energizing the bond between the Lions of Alabama and the department. They quoted Helen Keller’s challenge to the Lion’s in 1925 to become the “knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness.”
The Alabama Lions state meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to meet Lanning B. Kline, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Kline plans to present information about the department and future plans about its growth and development.
