Our Staff

	Kara Hagerman-Crumbliss, O.D. Director of Clinical Services Dr. Crumbliss received her optometry degree from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2003 and completed a residency in Low Vision and Ocular Disease at the ICO and the Deicke Center for Visual Rehabilitation in 2004. Upon joining the faculty of the Illinois College of Optometry on a part-time basis in 2004, she also began practice as a Low Vision Consultant with The Chicago Lighthouse. Dr. Crumbliss is currently the Director of Clinical Services at The Chicago Lighthouse. She also works as the Coordinator of ICO's Low Vision and Ocular Disease Residency and as an Associate Clinical Professor in the Primary Care and Low Vision Rehabilitation Services of the Illinois Eye Institute. Her research interests include the association of Low Vision with: Charles Bonnet Syndrome; Cognitive Impairment; and Alzheimer's. Dr. Crumbliss is a member of the American Optometric Association Low vision Section, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and a board member of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness.
	Alfred A. Rosenbloom, M.A., O.D., D.O.S. Chair Emeritus Dr. Rosenbloom is one of the founders of The Chicago Lighthouse Low Vision Rehabilitation Service and has been the driving force for opening low vision satellite locations. Dr. Rosenbloom is the former Distinguished Professor of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) and served as ICO's Dean, then President for over 25 years. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Medical Center and is a Diplomate of the Low Vision Section of the American Academy of Optometry. In his role as Past President of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, he completed over 25 eye missions to foreign countries to provide free eye examinations and eyeglasses to individuals in need and was recognized for his contributions as VOSH/International's 2007 Humanitarian of the Year. He is an author of numerous scientific papers and a contributing author and editor to several textbooks in the field including the 3rd edition of Vision and Aging. Dr. Rosenbloom has received Lifetime achievement awards from The Chicago Lighthouse and Prevent Blindness America, as well as the Distinguished Service Award from the American Optometric Association where he served previously as acting chair of their Low Vision Rehabilitation and Geriatric Services. He is also a recipient of the William Feinbloom Memorial Award for excellence in low vision services and the Migel Medal from the American Foundation for the Blind.
	Tracy Matchinski, OD, FAAO Low Vision Optometrist Dr. Matchinski graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1995 and completed her residency at the William Feinbloom Low Vision Rehabilitation Center of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1996. She splits her time between The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired and the Low Vision Rehabilitation Services at the Illinois Eye Institute. She has been practicing Low Vision Care for 12 years and has a special interest in pediatric Low Vision Rehabilitation. Dr. Matchinski is a Low Vision Diplomate of the American Academy of Optometry and has lectured both nationally and internationally on Low Vision Rehabilitation. She is a chapter author in the low vision textbook "Essentials of Low Vision Practice", and she is involved in several research projects including portable electronic magnifiers and the National Eye Institute EP Hemianopic Lens multi-center clinical trial. Dr. Matchinski is currently the Chief of the Low Vision Rehabilitation Service at the Illinois Eye Institute and the Low Vision class coordinator for third year optometry students. She also is president-elect of Illinois Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity and an active member on volunteer missions providing eye care, glasses and low vision devices.
	Elise Corgiat, O.D. Low Vision Optometrist Dr. Elise Corgiat is a 2005 graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry and received her undergraduate degree from the Illinois State University in 2001. She then received advanced clinical training during her completion of a Low Vision/Ocular Disease Residency at the Illinois College of Optometry in conjunction with The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind or Visually Impaired concluding in July of 2006. She was added to the Chicago Lighthouse staff of low vision doctors in August of 2006. She was appointed as an Adjunct Clinical Instructor of Optometry with the Illinois College of Optometry in 2007 for her work with teaching students and residents at The Chicago Lighthouse. She is also a member of several professional organizations including the American Optometric Association and the Illinois Optometric Association since 2005, the Low Vision Rehabilitation Section of the American Optometric Association and the Illinois Society of the Prevention of Blindness.
	Karen Squier, O.D. Low Vision Optometrist Dr. Karen Squier is a 2001 graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, and in 2002 completed a residency in Low Vision Rehabilitation at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University Of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. Dr. Squier served as a clinical instructor of third and fourth year students at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry before relocating to Chicago. She joined the Lighthouse staff in 2006. She currently serves as a Clinical Instructor of Optometry teaching ICO students and residents in the Illinois Eye Institute's Low Vision Rehabilitation and Primary Care Services and at The Chicago Lighthouse.
	Carol L. Barron, O.D. Low Vision Optometrist Dr. Barron received her degree in Optometry from the State University of New York College of Optometry and her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She formerly served as Chief of Primary Eye Care Education at the State University of New York, University Optometric Center where she also served as attending staff in the department of Low Vision Services. Dr. Barron is former Director of Low Vision Services at Illinois Masonic Hospital and at Resurrection Medical Center. She is an honored Diplomate of the Low Vision Section of the American Academy of Optometry. Since 1994 Dr. Barron has been the Director of Low Vision Services at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and has an academic appointment with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology. In addition, she heads the Low Vision Service at North Suburban Vision Consultants, a private group practice in Deerfield, Illinois. Dr.Barron is an adjunct faculty member of the Illinois, Pennsylvania at Salus University, and University of St. Louis at Missouri Colleges of Optometry. With the affiliation of The Chicago Lighthouse and Northwestern Memorial Medical Faculty Foundation, Dr. Barron plans to continue her long tradition of delivering state of the art low vision rehabilitation services to her patients.
	Gerald A. Fishman, M.D. Consulting Ophthalmologist Dr. Gerald A. Fishman is currently Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Electrophysiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, UIC Eye Center. A graduate of Ohio State College of Medicine in 1969, Dr. Fishman pursued his internship training at the Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio from 1969 to 1970. He then completed a three-year residency training program in ophthalmology in 1973 and a one-year fellowship in ophthalmic pathology in 1974 at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago. After joining the staff at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in 1974, as an assistant professor, Dr. Fishman spent the subsequent 34 years caring for patients and conducting investigations on various forms of hereditary disorders of the retina. Dr. Fishman has published over 200 articles in major opthalmic journals. He was listed as one of the "Top Doctors in Chicago" by Chicago Magazine, as well as one of "The Best Doctors in America". He has served as a consultant to the Lighthouse's Low Vision Clinic since 1976, where he provides opthalmological examinations to people who are blind or visually impaired.
	Patricia Grant, M.S. Director of Low Vision Research Ms. Patricia Grant, Director of Low Vision Research, has been involved with VA research for seven years in collaboration with the Jesse Brown VAMC and the University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Ophthalmology. Ms. Grant has been instrumental in providing training for patients with macular disease in our reading rehabilitation program funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her research interests include methods for assessing vision loss in retinal diseases and investigating the relationship between the psychological status and visual function in low vision patients. Ms. Grant has an educational background in psychology and is currently pursuing her Master's of Science in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
	David M.C. Rakofsky, Psy.D. Associate Director Psychological Services Dr. David M.C. Rakofsky is the Associate Director of Psychological Services at The Chicago Lighthouse. Trained as a generalist in the field of clinical psychology, Dr. Rakofsky has spent the majority of his career treating a highly diverse clientele within a range of settings, including: his Chicago private practice; several hospitals where he is on staff; and in community mental health centers, serving some of the most economically disadvantaged outpatients in an urban context. It was within this latter setting where he was a director of internship training, recruiting and working with students from around the nation poised to complete their final year of doctoral work under his supportive guidance. Dr. Rakofsky has brought his passion for psychology training to the agency, where he will be developing America's future Low Vision Psychologists. A former research consultant to University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, he consulted on research studies focused on the best possible functional rehabilitation of patients with age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Rakofsky's work in this realm continues at the Chicago Lighthouse where he is collaborating with a number of research teams, including the agency's new Low Vision Research group. Dr. Rakofsky earned a doctorate from Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, and a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Adult Psychology from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.
	Hillary Napier, M.S., OTR/L Associate Director of Occupational Therapy Ms. Hillary Napier is a graduate of the Colorado State University Masters of Science Occupational Therapy program in 2005. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Rehabilitative Services at The University of Northern Colorado in 2003. She has been part of the Low Vision Clinic since June 2008. She works with the Low Vision Team to help her patients maintain quality of life and independence with daily activities through maximizing each individual’s remaining vision. Ms. Napier has presented topics related to Low Vision at The University of Illinois at Chicago Occupational Therapy Master of Science program, Discovery 2009 The Low Vision Conference, American Academy of Optometry’s annual conference, and support groups, senior centers and retirement communities in the Chicagoland area. Ms. Napier served as a guest instructor at Governor’s State University presenting Low Vision Therapy for the Adult Population to the Master of Occupational Therapy students. Before joining the Lighthouse team, Ms. Napier’s experience was with In-patient Stroke, Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury populations at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Ms. Napier actively participates in low vision care and is continuously updating her knowledge base in Occupational Therapy and Low Vision.
	Laura Hayes, M.S., OTR/L Occupational Therapist Occupational Therapist Ms. Laura Hayes is a graduate of Boston University’s Master of Science Occupational Therapy program at Sargent College in 2011. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Loyola University in Maryland in 2006. Laura joined the Low Vision clinic in April 2011, providing rehabilitation services to adults within their home, community and clinic. Laura is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association and Illinois Occupational Therapy Association. She has presented on the topic of low vision at the Massachusetts State House as well as at The University of Illinois at Chicago Occupational Therapy Master of Science program. She was inducted into the Omicron Chapter of Phi Theta Epsilon National Honor Society for Occupational Therapy. Prior to joining the Chicago Lighthouse, Laura has had experience with a variety of populations including working with adults with developmental disabilities as well as with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. She also has experience working with children with autism in a school-based and home setting. Through her experiences, the area of low vision has emerged as a particular field of interest. Specifically, Laura enjoys collaborating with our clients by identifying strategies to maximize their vision with the goal of continued participation in enjoyed activities both in the home and community.

Chicago Lighthouse

Our Staff