Distinguished Alumna Award: Eydie Miller-Ellis. '77

 

 

Such fitting words for a reunion weekend as beauty lies in our strength to hold certain moments within us and not grieve their loss but allow their memory to provide us strength to live our lives peacefully and faithfully.

 

Throughout her life, Eydie has stayed true to the meaning of this powerful quote. She has lived her life peacefully and faithfully and through hard and steady work is an M.D. and currently the Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Director of the Glaucoma Service at the Scheie Eye Institute/University of Pennsylvania.  To arrive in this esteemed position, she earned an A.B. in chemistry at Duke University, a medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh, completed her Ophthalmology residency at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and had a Glaucoma Fellowship at Yale University. She was on the faculty at Yale University School of Medicine for nine years, the Medical College of Virginia for two years, and, since 2001, she has been on the faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Eydie has lectured nationally and internationally on glaucoma diagnosis and management, and on training the eye care team. Her research interests include risk factors for the development and progression of glaucoma, pharmacological and surgical treatment of glaucoma, and diagnostic techniques. She is very involved in resident education and is a three-time recipient of the Surgical Teaching Award at the Scheie Eye Institute. She has also received the Suzanne Veronneau Troutman Mentorship Award from Women in Ophthalmology, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Department of Ophthalmology at the Yale University School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Senior Achievement Award. In 2014, she was elected to the Academy of Master Clinicians at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the go-to doctor for cataract implant surgery, eye emergencies, glaucoma, Myopia (nearsightedness), vision loss, and visual impairment. Eydie is also the President of The Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology. JCAHPO is not-for-profit organization established in 1969 to offer certification and continuing education opportunities to ophthalmic allied health personnel. Currently more than 25,000 people in the U.S., Canada, and around the world hold a JCAHPO certification.She is also a Member of the Accreditation and Certification Committee for the International Council of Ophthalmology and a past board member of the American Glaucoma Society and Women in Ophthalmology.

 

Eydie has authored many publications, most of which are focused on glaucoma. While many of these articles are scientific in nature and demonstrate her expertise in her field, one article in particular caught our eye (no pun intended). In light of her calm and steady countenance, a trait required for the delicacy of her medical care, we in the non-medical world are grateful for her participation in cataract tips from teachers: “In the Wake of a Shake.”

 

When it comes to any procedure, but especially on the eyes, we all want to have a steady eddy doctor at the helm. Eydie couldn’t agree more and says in the article, “A hand tremor can be a problem when performing delicate intraocular surgery. Performance anxiety is more common in a fledgling surgeon. Both the excitement of doing a case and the fear of making a mistake can cause an adrenaline surge that results in a hand tremor. That might not be problematic if you’re amputating a limb (really?), but it is with microsurgery. However, adrenaline is part of the body’s normal response to dealing with an important or stressful situation. It focuses the mind and improves our attention to detail.”

 

Eydie, thank goodness you are a go-to source for ophthalmologists in training! We are proud to bestow this award upon you and congratulate you on your impressive career.

The first line of our mission statement states that at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy we educate students to be innovative leaders, breakthrough thinkers, and imaginative problem solvers. We challenge students to learn in powerful new ways, engage in active inquiry, hone skills of creative and analytic thinking, and celebrate the joy of discovery. Eydie and Rosaleen could not embody these traits or characteristics more, and we thank you for being powerful role models for our students and are proud to have you as alumnae.