Mary Kane, Executive Editor
Mary helps to oversee the editorial coverage of
Vision Monday and its print publication,
VMAIL, e-newsletters,
VisionMonday.com and the
Vision Expo Dailies. She also covers general company news, industry developments and business trends, as well as professional associations news and features. She is also responsible for deadline queries and operational questions for
Vision Monday print editions and
VMAIL. Contact Mary at
mkane@jobson.com.
By Mary Kane
Friday, April 19, 2024 8:30 AM
Just how valuable are a pair of reading glasses? According to a recent study, having access to a pair of readers can make all the difference, especially if you are presbyopic and live in a part of the world with limited access to eyecare and eyewear products. This past week,
VisionSpring, a nonprofit provider of affordable eyeglasses to people in need,
BRAC, an international development organization that works with marginalized communities, and
Queen’s University Belfast released the findings of their collaborative THRIVE study, which found that a pair of reading glasses increases the earnings of people in low-income communities by 33 percent. Ella Gudwin, CEO of VisionSpring, summed it up best when she said, “THRIVE strengthens the case that it’s not about the eyeglasses—it’s about everything that comes after.”
By Daniel Breeman, Mary Kane
Friday, March 22, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—After nearly four decades of showcasing some of the best eyewear products, eyecare technologies and countless hours of continuing education at Vision Expo in New York City, attendees at this year’s Show soaked in every moment and celebrated Expo East held for the final time at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. More than 450 leading eyewear and eyecare companies showcased their latest products and technologies, and attendees were again treated to VisionEd, the accredited educational program of Vision Expo featuring nearly 200 sessions, new product launches, special events and company anniversary celebrations. Read on for a review of special events and photo highlights from the Show.
By Mary Kane
Thursday, February 8, 2024 8:30 AM
The Transplantation of Human Eye Allografts (THEA) program is on the cusp of making whole functional eye transplantation to restore vision for the blind and visually impaired a reality in our lifetime. Last month, the
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced that the THEA program intends to transplant whole human eyes to restore vision by reestablishing visual connection to the brain. Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, president and CEO of
Lighthouse Guild, is the program manager of ARPA-H’s transplantation program.
VMAIL Weekend reached out to Dr. Roberts to get his thoughts about how the THEA program will work and what it will mean to the millions who are experiencing severe vision loss.
By mary kane
Sunday, February 4, 2024 1:29 AM
The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the role it can play in helping doctors to detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy—a common complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness—has the potential to become a real game changer. A recent study by eyecare nonprofit Orbis International has found that AI can accurately detect diabetic retinopathy in children and young adults, an important breakthrough that can mean the difference between healthy sight and irreversible vision loss for youngsters with diabetes.
By Mary Kane
Friday, December 29, 2023 8:30 AM
We can’t take a look back at
Vision Monday’s most read stories of the year without considering
VM’s Latest News features, the backbone of our
VMAIL e-newsletter. Even against the backdrop of a year filled with rising inflation and fears of a recession the optical industry still got down to business despite the personal and business hurdles they faced due to an uncertain financial landscape.
VM readers were especially interested in an ongoing problem in the eyecare industry concerning unsafe eye drops—the story “Dry Eye Foundation Reports Potentially Unsafe Eye Drops to FDA” occupies the top spot for 2023. Other stories in the most read category included features about business mergers and acquisitions, company reorganizations, a new location for Vision Expo East in 2025, and a perennial
VM favorite with readers, VM’s Most Influential Women in Optical. Here’s a look at the 20 most read stories for 2023.
By Mary Kane
Friday, December 1, 2023 8:30 AM
As Diabetes Awareness month comes to a close, the promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the role it can play in helping doctors to detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy—a common complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness—is front and center. A recent study by eyecare nonprofit Orbis International has found that AI can accurately detect diabetic retinopathy in children and young adults, an important breakthrough that can mean the difference between healthy sight and irreversible vision loss for youngsters with diabetes. The peer-reviewed
study, shows that Orbis’ e-learning platform
Cybersight AI can be an effective tool to support medical staff who are often overburdened with patient caseloads, especially in low-resource settings.
By Mary Kane
Friday, November 3, 2023 8:30 AM
This past week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers not to purchase and to immediately stop using 26 over-the-counter eye drop products, including
products from CVS Health and Rite Aid, due to the potential risk of eye infections that could result in partial vision loss or blindness, setting off a flurry of press coverage in the medical community and news media. The eye drops are marketed by
CVS Health,
Rite Aid,
Cardinal Health, along with
Target's Up & Up brand and
Velocity Pharma, the FDA said. In response
to the recent warning,
ODs around the country are stepping up to play an active role in educating concerned patients about eye drop and eye health safety
. VMAIL Weekend reached out to several optometrists to find out how patients are reacting to the warning and how ODs are dealing with patients’ concerns.
By Mary Kane
Friday, September 1, 2023 8:30 AM
September arrived yesterday signaling the lazy days of summer are coming to an end. And with Vision Expo just around the corner, it’s time to get down to business again. In less than a month, the optical industry will be gathering in Las Vegas for Vision Expo West, and this time around, it will have a palpable post-pandemic feel, despite the fact that COVID 19 seems to be rearing its ugly head again. (Click
here to find out what some of our top docs think about the state of COVID today and what might be in store for us). This year’s Vision Expo has a lot to offer attendees including new exhibitors, new neighborhoods on the show floor, a robust curriculum of continuing education and a spate of special events so we opti folk can do what we do best—network with our colleagues.
By Mary Kane
Friday, August 4, 2023 8:30 AM
For more than 20 years,
Vision Monday has been shining a spotlight on women in the optical industry who check all the boxes. They are high achievers, difference makers and trendsetters who just plain stand out and every July we are honored to share their stories of success in our
Most Influential Women in Optical Report. This year’s “class” of honorees does not disappoint. Having finally emerged from the shadows of the pandemic, this year’s honorees are at long last looking forward to a brighter and more promising future. Their positivity and can-do attitudes are apparent as we chronicle their achievements in an ever-changing optical landscape.
By Mary Kane
Sunday, July 23, 2023 2:03 AM
Last year marked the 20th anniversary of our Most Influential Women in Optical Special Report so we did what everyone else does for an anniversary—we threw a party. Actually, it was a luncheon held at Vision Expo West and it was such a resounding success, we decided to make it an ongoing tradition.
By Mary Kane
Friday, July 7, 2023 8:30 AM
Most people over 40 are familiar with the perils of presbyopia, a vision condition in which the lens in your eye becomes harder and less flexible as you age. As a result, the lens loses its ability to focus light correctly on the retina, which makes it difficult to focus on close objects. Many presbyopes can be identified by their reading glasses which often sit on top of their head until it’s time to look at or read something up close. Presbyopia is a natural part of the aging process of the eye. It is not a disease, and it cannot be prevented. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t solutions out there for the nearly 128 million Americans affected by the condition.
By Mary Kane
Friday, June 9, 2023 8:30 AM
According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one million cataract surgeries are performed each year and more than half of Americans over the age of 80 are living with cataracts. Cataract is the leading cause of vision loss in the U.S., as well as the leading cause of blindness worldwide, the CDC said.
VMAIL Weekend recently sat down with Dr. David Litoff, a corneal specialist and surgeon specializing in both cataract surgery and refractive surgery. Here’s what he had to say about the early signs of cataract, how patients can protect themselves from developing cataracts and what's involved in cataract surgery.
By Mary Kane
Friday, May 19, 2023 8:30 AM
It seems only fitting that after celebrating Earth Day last month,
VM tackled the subject of sustainability in the optical industry in our May Cover Story titled "Sustainability Takes Root." Across most sectors of the industry, eyewear companies, contact lens manufacturers, lens makers, optical labs and ECPs are all hopping on the sustainability bandwagon. And for good reason. One of the most powerful ways that people can help save the environment is to support and buy from companies with a sustainability mindset.
VM’s Editors talked to a wide variety of optical players for this special feature and one theme resonated—optical companies are adopting, expanding and advancing their sustainability practices and their efforts are inspiring other optical players to get on board the sustainability train.
By Mary Kane
Sunday, April 23, 2023 12:28 AM
NEW YORK—Jennifer Hauser, managing director, Edelman Health and founder/director, Wellness 360, presented highlights from the Edelman Trust Barometer, the well-respected annual trust and credibility survey. In a session titled Cultivating Trust: The New Urgency in Business and Healthcare, she explained how our attitudes about trust are being shaped, and what businesses and brands can do to strengthen our trust in them.
By Mary Kane
Sunday, April 23, 2023 12:25 AM
NEW YORK—In a presentation titled “AI, ChatGPT and ‘Metaversal’ Madness,” John Whyte, MD, chief medical officer for WebMD, explained how artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality are adding new dimensions to the patient experience. Dr. Whyte believes that health happens when you leave the doctor’s office because today’s patients are using wearables, whether it be smart watches or smart jewelry, to track their health.