Page 26 THURSDAY,OCTOBER 2, 2008 La Cañada Flintridge Outlook COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY Local Doctor Focuses Ford Named Vice Dean On Children’s Vision at USC’s Keck By ELENA EPSTEIN School of Medicine Special to the Outlook Henri R. Ford, M.D., a La Children’s vision should be Cañada Flintridge resident who is tested long before they are able to vice president and chief of surgery talk or identify letters or shapes on at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles an eye chart, according to Dr. and professor of surgery at the Keck Mark Borchert, a La Cañada School of Medicine of the Flintridge resident and head of the University of Southern California, Division of Ophthalmology at has accepted additional responsibil- Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. ities as vice dean for Medical Since many vision problems Education at Keck. The announce- become less treatable with each ment was made by Carmen A. passing year, the earlier a problem Puliafito, dean of the Keck School is detected improves the chances of Medicine. of saving the child’s eyesight. “I am deeply honored to have Childrens Hospital Los been selected to serve as the vice Angeles is home to perhaps the dean for Medical Education at the largest pediatric ophthalmology Keck School,” said Ford. “I recog- program in the United States, Dr. Mark Borchert (left), a La Cañada Flintridge resident, is the nize the magnitude of the task at where physicians treat many com- opthalmology head at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. hand and the significance of this Dr. Henri Ford plex forms of eye disease, includ- position. What could be more ing cancer and cornea and retinal important to the mission of the disorders. Childrens Hospital also equally. Pediatricians should per- child’s eyes are not straight in the school of medicine than the educa- treats many young children facing form a dilated eye exam to detect first year of life, depth perception tion of its medical students?” new sources for medical student permanent vision loss that could any serious eye problems within the will be diminished. Ford replaces Dr. Clive Taylor, financial aid. have been prevented if only they first two months of life. “If your child has cross-eyes at who had served as senior associate “My predecessor, Dr. Taylor, had received the needed treatment • Parents should take flash pho- three months of age and you wait dean for Educational Affairs with has done a magnificent job as a just a few months earlier. tographs of their infants without until one year of age to seek treat- distinction since 1997. senior associate dean for “Vision disorders significantly using the red-eye reduction feature ment, you have lost the critical “Dr. Ford has shown exception- Educational Affairs over the past impact a child’s ability to explore on their camera. “This is a very sim- window of opportunity for the al leadership as vice president and decade,” said Ford, “…and I hope the environment, learn and devel- ple way to detect vision problems in brain to learn to use both eyes chief of surgery at Childrens to build on the strong foundation op relationships with family and pre-verbal children, Borchert said. simultaneously,” Borchert said. In Hospital Los Angeles,” said he has created and work with the friends,” said Dr. Borchert, who is “If the photo shows one eye red and many cases, children with cross- Puliafito. “As a professor in the outstanding staff that he has assem- also an associate professor of clin- not the other, it could be an indica- eyes can be treated with glasses, Department of Surgery at the Keck bled to achieve much more in the ical ophthalmology and neurology tion that there is some abnormality which they eventually outgrow. School of Medicine, he has been an years to come. at University of Southern in the eye. If this happens several But for treatment to be successful, important role model for young “It is my hope that the Keck California’s Keck School of times, parents should have their early intervention is the absolute physicians and medical students. School of Medicine will not only Medicine. “Parents play a key role child’s eyes examined by a pediatric key. Together, these outstanding traits attract and train the best medical in ensuring proper eye care for ophthalmologist.” • Tear duct obstruction, in the will help Dr. Ford advance the med- students in the country, but also their children.” • Cross-eyes are not typically majority of cases, is self-correct- ical school’s educational mission. become the training ground for According to Borchert, who is self-correcting. A misalignment of ing. “Working closely with faculty future leaders of American medi- also the director of both the Eye eyes is one of the most common Twelve percent of children are leaders and me,” Puliafito said, “Dr. cine.” Birth Defects Institute and the Eye vision problems in children, affect- born with this problem and in 95% Ford will promote excellence in Prior to his appointment at Technology Institute within the ing about 4% of youngsters under of cases, the problem resolves medical education as one of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles in Vision Center at Childrens age 6. When children are born, they without any medical intervention. highest priorities of the Keck January 2005, Ford was professor Hospital, there are some important are unable to use both eyes together. The best treatment, Borchert said, School.” and chief of the Division of guidelines that parents must fol- In order for the brain to develop this “is preventing the tear sac from In his new role, Ford counts Pediatric Surgery and surgeon-in- low to better understand common skill, the vision in both eyes should building up too much pressure by among his early priorities develop- chief at Children’s Hospital of eye problems and how to best treat be about equal and both eyes must gently squeezing it against the side ing a strategic plan for medical edu- Pittsburgh and the University of them: be looking at the same thing at the of the nose with your little finger cation, reviewing and revising the Pittsburgh School of Medicine. • Primary physicians must per- same time. Learning to use both to express accumulated mucous Year III/IV medical student curricu- Ford is a leading authority on form basic tests on the eyes of eyes together begins by two to three back onto the surface of the eye. lum, strengthening research oppor- pediatric trauma, and his scientific infants and toddlers during well- months of age and the majority of From there it can be wiped away tunities for medical students, studies have generated novel child visits to ensure the eyes look the development of the binocular increasing the proportion of stu- insights into the pathogenesis of straight and they reflect light vision in the first year of life. If a See BORCHERT, page 59 dents who spend a fifth year doing necrotizing enterocolitis, the most full-time research and developing common and most lethal disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract of newborn infants. Ford has been active on local and national professional and sci- entific committees. He is a member of the American Surgical Society and past president of the Association for Academic Surgery. He also serves in various leader- ship roles with the Society of University Surgeons, the Society of Black Academic Surgeons, the You’ve heard about the health benefits on Surgical Infections Society, the 60 Minutes. Experience this total American College of Surgeons and body exercise for yourself. the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Ford has been an oral board examiner for the pediatric certify- Commit to three classes ing examination for the American a week and you will: Board of Surgery since 1999. The National Institutes of Health and • Relieve Stress various other governmental agen- • Lose Weight cies have funded his research. • Build Strength He is the author of more than 300 publications, book chapters, • Increase Flexibility invited manuscripts, abstracts and • Feel 10 Years Younger presentations. Ford has served on the editori- Introductory Offer: One Week Unlimited Yoga for $20 al board of numerous professional publications, including Pediatric 711 FOOTHILL BLVD. #J LA CAÑADA, CA 91011 818.952.5335 Critical Care Medicine (2001-04), Check out our website for more information: www.bikramlacanada.com See FORD, page 59 COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY La Cañada Flintridge Outlook THURSDAY,OCTOBER 2, 2008 Page 59 FORD YMCA contact Ana Marie Schaefer at Local T.B. Testing contd. from page 26 contd. from page 27 [email protected] or Surgery (2001-04), the Journal of For additional information, call 790-0123 ext. 231. Surgical Research (2001-04), contact Nancy Turney at ntur- The Crescenta-Cañada Surgical Infections (1998-present), [email protected] or call 790- YMCA offers on-site and out- Journal of Pediatric Surgery 0123 ext. 225. reach programs that help the (2005–present) and Pediatric ❑ entire family enjoy healthier, Surgery International (2005-pres- Italian Cooking for Kids more active lifestyles focusing ent). (ages 10-16) class will be Oct. 4 on the development of spirit, He has been an ad hoc reviewer from 4 to 6 p.m. mind and body. Activities for numerous other professional Children are given the include sports programs, sum- publications, including Clinical opportunity to learn how to cook mer camps, preschool, after Gastroenterology and Hepatology, delicious Italian food through school programs, a variety of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, demonstration. They will learn exercise classes, senior well- the Canadian Journal of how to prepare rosemary bread- ness programs, extensive offer- Gastroenterology, Cancer Detec- sticks, traditional lasagna and ing of aquatics programs, yoga, tion and Prevention, the Journal of chocolate chip hazelnut cookies pilates and a state-of-the-art the American Medical Association, and sample the delicious results. workout facility. For additional Gastroenterology, the American The fee is $33 for YMCA information, contact Kim Journal of Physiology: Gastro- members and $54 for communi- Beattie at (818) 790-0123 ext. intestinal & Liver Physiology, the ty members. 266 or at kbeattie@ymcacc. Photo courtesy Dale Storz Journal of Trauma, the Journal of For additional information, org. Michiko Hartzberg, a local resident who volunteers at Paradise Immunology, Shock, the Journal of Canyon Elementary School, received her T.B. test from Linda Surgical Research, Digestive Greenwood, a registered nurse and infection control practitioner. Diseases, the Journal of Pediatric Surgery and the Archives of Surgery. Ford is a fellow of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the American Surgical Association, the American cynthia bennett Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Surgeons. He received a bachelor’s degree in pub- & associates, inc. lic and international affairs, cum laude, from Princeton University in 1980 and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1984. Ford completed his internship (1984-85) and residency (1985-87; 1989-91) in general surgery at New York Hospital Cornell Medical College. He completed a research fellowship in immunology (1987- 89) in the Department of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh and a clinical fellowship (1991-93) in pediatric surgery at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

BORCHERT contd. from page 26 with facial tissue.” Eyelashes crust- ed with dried mucous can be wiped clean every morning with a warm damp cloth. If the tear sac swells too much, germs from the sac can break through into the skin, causing an infection of the skin on the side residential of the nose with redness, swelling and tenderness. Such an infection remodeling and additions needs to be treated immediately by a doctor. If infection is avoided, the tear duct, which allows the tears to new construction drain from the eyes into the nose, usually opens naturally by one year of age. Continued tearing beyond creative kitchen this age should be evaluated by an ophthalmologist. and bath design * Reading problems are rarely caused by vision problems. There are many “developmental interior design optometrists” selling “eye exercis- es” to parents, believing this will make their child a better reader, Borchert said. Parents need to know that vision training will not affect or cynthia bennett & associates, inc. improve a child’s reading or aca- demic performance. 501 Fair Oaks Avenue • South Pasadena, California 91030 • 626 799-9701 “I have seen many parents with children who have dyslexia or other learning differences and who false- www.cynthiabennett.com ly believe that certain eye exercises will cure their child,” Borchert said. gen. contractor lic. # 676471 • cid #801 • asid “What these children need are tutors, not eye doctors.”

Author Elena Epstein is a free- lance writer and the Community Outlook Ads Call (818) 790-7500. Education Consultant with GET RESULTS. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.