Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards

4 College of Optometry Andrew S. Morgenstern , O.D. (’99), is an expert in optometry at Booz Allen Hamilton, a management consulting firm headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. Working at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Morgenstern helps to fulfill the mission of the Joint U.S. Department of Defense Veterans Affairs Vision Center of Excellence, which is to address the full scope of vision care needs for veterans. “I have the high honor of working with our wounded warriors and past and present service members at the premier health care facility. I get to help people with their most important sense—sight—on a daily basis. Besides life, there is nothing more important than our vision. The NSU College of Optometry enabled me to experience this opportunity.” Morgenstern is president-elect of the Maryland Optometric Association and president-elect of the Optometric Council on Refractive Technology. He also serves as chair of the American Optometric Association’s new technology committee. He is a past recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the American Optometric Association. Morgenstern is a second-generation optometrist, following in the footsteps of his father and uncle. “It is the people who make NSU great and, in turn, who impacted my career for the positive,” Morgenstern said, reflecting on his experience at NSU. “We had a great class—a perfect mixture of fun and hard work. The professors are world class; many are leaders in our profession. “NSU gave me the opportunity to work under some amazing physicians at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. It was the total experience of collaborating with all my classmates and professors that enabled me to achieve my goals. College of Osteopathic Medicine Mayrene Hernandez , D.O. (’01), is the market medical director at United Healthcare in Florida, an executive-level clinical leadership position that includes direct involvement with employer-based plans, exchange health plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. Hernandez’s responsibilities include working with large employer groups in reviewing population health trends and strategically evaluating distinct benefit design levers to make health care more affordable without sacrificing quality of care. Prior to this position, Hernandez served as the company’s inpatient care management regional medical director overseeing inpatient concurrent reviews for appropriate levels of care and length of stays. “NSU prepared me with a well-rounded medical education that focused on treating the patient as a whole,” said Hernandez, who is a board-certified family practice physician. “The family practice residency program and rural rotations included exposure to a diversity of diseases and provided a strong primary care focus. NSU training gave me confidence in handling the most complex patients from my early years as a practicing physician.” Hernandez is president of the Broward County Osteopathic Medical Association. She is a trustee of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, representing the state at the American Osteopathic Association national level. A clinical adjunct professor at NSU, she was nominated for recognition as one of the Influential Hispanic Women Leaders in South Florida. Hernandez earned a Bachelor of Science degree at Florida International University. She completed her residency at Palmetto General Hospital. “I have many positive memories of NSU,” she said. “Most memorable include the white-coat ceremony, the first day at the anatomy lab, and multiple all-nighter study marathons among friends for our osteopathic manipulative treatment lab exams. The histology lab was also unforgettable.” A Cuban-born immigrant and a fan of the arts, Hernandez aims to pursue an M.B.A. in health care management and work on a manuscript for a book series called Children of the Rainbow . Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award Winners