Louis J. Papa, M.D.
Primary Care Physician
Partner, Olsan Medical Group, Strong Health, Rochester, NY

Louis J. Papa M.D., FACP is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a primary care physician and partner at Olsan Medical Group.  He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Rochester, where he helps educate internal medicine residents on primary outpatient care.  In 1989, Dr. Papa graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine and came to Rochester to complete his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital where he is currently an attending physician. Dr. Papa is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a former Delegate for the Young Physicians Section representing New York State to the American Medical Association, and was named by his peers to "Best Doctors in America" in 2001.  He was selected by "Rochester Business Journal" as one of the "Forty under Forty" young community leaders in 2001 and was named as one of only 25 physicians under 40 years old nationally to receive the "Excellence in Medicine Award" from the American Medical Association Foundation for leadership in 2003. Dr. Papa is involved in a number of medical, civic and community activities and boards including his role as a board member of the largest health foundation in Upstate New York - the Greater Rochester Healthcare Foundation, volunteer work with the uninsured, as a New York Council member for the American College of Physicians and is currently President of the local medical society.

Kathy Cole-Kelly, MS, MSW
Professor, Family Medicine
CWRU School of Medicine

Kathy Cole-Kelly, MS, MSW is professor of Family Medicine at Case School of Medicine. She is the Director of the Communications in Medicine curriculum at the medical school as well as co-directing the Foundations of Clinical Medicine seminars ON DOCTORING. Ms. Cole-Kelly is a frequent national and international speaker or workshop leader at meetings dedicated to doctor patient communication, medical family interviewing, and addressing the core competencies in medical education. She has been part of several major grant initiatives on doctor patient communication curriculum, most significantly with the Macy Foundation on Healthcare Communication grants both at Case Western School of Medicine and University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. She has been recognized as an outstanding teacher and won the most prestigious teaching award at the medical school, the Kaiser Permanente Outstanding Teacher award that was given to one clinical faculty and one basic science faculty each year.

Ms. Cole-Kelly has published multiple articles in the areas of doctor patient communication and medical family interviewing. She has written many book chapters on these topics and is a contributor to the doc.com interactive educational modules produced by the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare. For 19 years Ms. Cole-Kelly directed the psychosocial curriculum in the Department of Family Medicine at Metrohealth Hospital.

Steven J Rose, M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor of  Ophthalmology
University of Rochester Medical Center

Dr. Rose is Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York and a partner in Retina Associates of Western New York. His training includes a fellowship at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard University.  He specializes in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery with a special interest in age-related macular degeneration. He has also has an interest in the development of outpatient retinal surgery centers looking at improving the cost-effectiveness of these services.  He has lectured throughout the United States on the current treatment of age related macular degeneration, having co-authored many  scientific articles, and several book chapters.

He has served as a principal investigator of 10 national clinical trials related to new treatments for vitreoretinal diseases. He serves as a scientific consultant and advisor to several ophthalmic companies within the health care industry.

Dr. Rose is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Michael B. Rivers, M.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor
Georgetown University Hospital

Dr. Rivers is a Ophthalmologist and Retina Specialist in private practice with The Retina Group of Washington.  Located in Washington, D.C., The Retina Group is the largest group of Retinal specialists in the country.  Dr. Rivers has a special interest in surgical treatments of retinal diseases such as Retinal Detachment, Diabetes and Ocular Trauma. He has also participated in international clinical trials of treatments for Macular Degeneration, Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy, and Diabetes. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the American Society of Retinal Specialists.

Gwen K. Sterns, M.D.
Chief of Ophthamology
Rochester General Hospital

Dr. Gwen K. Sterns is an internationally renowned ophthalmologist in private practice in Rochester, NY, with a specialty in diagnostic ultrasound and low vision rehabilitation. Dr Sterns has been the Chief of the Department of Ophthalmology at Rochester General Hospital since 1995, and a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology since 1994. She has been Medical Director at the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill since 1978.

Dr. Sterns earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, and completed her residency at Nassau County Medical Center.  She completed a fellowship at the Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, studying the use of ultrasound to evaluate ocular and orbital tumors. Dr. Sterns has been a faculty member at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry since 1978.

Dr. Sterns is well known and respected for her work in the field of low vision rehabilitation, which she has practiced for over 30 years. She has been a member of the National Eye Institute's National Eye Health Education Program since 2002, and serves as their co-chair on the Vision Rehabilitation sub-committee.  Dr. Sterns has presented at numerous national and international meetings, and has authored or co-authored several articles and book chapters.

Dorothy Boyer
Macular Degeneration Patient

Dorothy Boyer, 89 years young, has been treated for macular degeneration since 2002. Dorothy was a homemaker, and had various jobs while her children were growing up. At age 60,she worked as a friendly visitor to the elderly through Monroe County. She was the chairman of the Arthritis Support Group for 19 years. Sustaining her independent living is very important to her. She continues to enjoy sewing, gardening, and cooking. One of her ongoing projects is making walker bags for residents of local nursing homes and cage pads for cats at Lollipop Farm.

Since being diagnosed with Macular Degeneration 5 years ago, Dorothy has actively pursued treatment.  She now has partial peripheral vision in her left eye, and maintaining normal vision in her right. She has had several photosensitive laser treatments, and injections of cortisone, and avisten over the years.  She sees her retinologist approximately every 8-10 weeks.

Dorothy has made many adaptations in her life style to maintain her independent.  Most important, she says, is don't be afraid to ask for help from family, friends, or neighbors.  Most often they would be glad to help if they knew.