NSU Horizons Spring 2018

34 NSU HORIZONS As chief of Primary Care at The NSU Eye Care Institute in Wilton Manors, Florida, Melanie Crandall , O.D., M.B.A., FAAO, works to raise the clinic’s profile while supervising the NSU students who staff it. As a consultant for the College of Optometry’s continuing education program, Crandall shows working optometrists the latest developments in eye care. She embraces both roles with enthusiasm. Crandall, an associate professor at the NSU College of Optometry, spends most of the work week at The NSU Eye Care Institute, which treats patients of all ages and insurance status. “Unfortunately, our clinic is a pretty well-kept secret. We want the community to know what vital eye care we offer here,” Crandall said of the clinic, located on the Broward County campus of Kids In Distress. The agency focuses on child abuse prevention, family preservation, and treatment of abused and neglected children placed in foster care. To build community appreciation for the five-year-old optometry clinic, Crandall focuses on outreach. She visits libraries; elementary schools; the local Pride Center; and Poverello, an agency providing food, services, and basic living essentials for those with critical and chronic illnesses. She also has partnered with other organizations that provide area residents with more comprehensive health care that encompasses eye care. Her efforts are yielding results: The NSU Eye Care Insti- tute’s client base includes many return patients, which indi- cates to Crandall that “clearly, we’ve done something right.” Crandall’s discussions highlight the difference in eye care treatment for children and adults. “Children often have numerous unidentified vision issues. Just reading the eye chart at the pediatrician’s office is not an eye exam. You have to understand how children think and that often they can’t express what is wrong with their sight,” she said. To help young patients feel at ease, Crandall ensures that each of the clinic’s rooms is cheerfully decorated, doing a bit extra during holidays. The clinic also is furthering the education of the next generation of professionals with its staff of NSU optometry students. Most are in their third year, with an occasional fourth-year student. A pediatric optometry resident and other faculty members also rotate through the clinic. “Here, NSU students are able to get real-world experience in treating patients and developing their approach to patients. The students learn that greatest sense of satisfaction comes from having creatively helped to take care of a patient’s problem,” said Crandall. That experience appeals to students applying to the NSU College of Optometry. “We are not just looking for grades and high test scores. We like candidates with passion and the ability to communicate,” said Crandall, who serves on the college’s admissions committee. Optometry students are required to put in volunteer hours, which appealed to Melissa Zaleski, a fourth-year optometry student, who also has a master’s degree in public health from NSU. “I was strongly interested in community involvement and participating in activities outside of the classroom,” she said. Zaleski has volunteered at community fairs both on and off campus, participated in vision screenings at Special Olympics in Orlando, and traveled for two international mis- sion trips arranged by NSU students and faculty members. PAYING IT FORWARD Crandall’s commitment to optometry education stems from her background as the daughter of a general practi- tioner. In 1977, Crandall was one of the few female graduates of Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. She also was the first female optometry resident at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Following her residency, she joined her husband, a pediatric ophthalmologist, in private practice. Together, they built a large, multioffice O.D./M.D. practice. Raising two children and working with a pediatric specialist BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI A Visionary Approach to Eye Care FACULTY PROFILE