Latinos En Optometry (LEO), which launched publicly in February and held an introductory event at Vision Expo East in March, wants to create resources for assisting Latino optometry patients and increase the number of Latino students in optometry schools. To get a better idea of how LEO plans to achieve that goal and what they can offer optometrists, Diana Canto-Sims, OD, co-founder of LEO and founder of Chicago’s Buena Vista Optical, filled OM in.

OPTOMETRIC MANAGEMENT: HOW DID LEO START?

Dr. Canto-Sims: LEO’s other co-founder, Lawrence Chavez, and I met through a Stanford Graduate Business School course offered to Latinos who own businesses. Lawrence is the CEO and founder of a disposable contact lens company, EveryDay Contacts, and we got to talking about how we’d like to see more Latinos in the optometry field. We decided we needed an organization like LEO, not only to provide resources for doctors of any ethnicity who want to better serve their Latino patients, but to inspire more Latino, multi-cultural, multi-lingual students to become optometrists, who can speak to Latino patients in their language and with an understanding of their culture. Currently, only 5.2% of U.S. optometrists are Latino, according to research from the career resource site Zippia (viewable at www.zippia.com/optometrist-jobs/demographics ). We’re hoping to grow that to at least 15% in the next 5-10 years.

OM: WHAT ARE UNIQUE OPTOMETRY CHALLENGES FACED BY THE LATINO COMMUNITY?

C-S: Diabetes is a big one, and Latinos are at a greater risk of glaucoma, as well. But there are non-medical issues, too, such as the language barrier for Latinos who only speak Spanish. At my clinic, I see a lot of Latinos who work in construction, and it’s important to be able to tell them things like how to best protect their eyes from the sun to prevent them from acquiring conditions, such as cataracts and pterygiums.

Another issue is frames, and how many are not designed with Latino facial structure in mind. Latinos typically have rounder faces and higher cheek bones, and I’ve had to create my own frames for patients because the ones I had were not wide enough to fit comfortably on my patients.

OM: WHAT BENEFITS AND RESOURCES CAN LEO OFFER?

C-S: One of our big projects this year to help increase the number of Latinos in optometry is a collaboration with optometry schools in Chicago. They have events for undergraduates to attend, and we have a presence there to let any potential Latino students know that optometry is a career option for them. The response has been phenomenal, so far.

We are also putting together resources that optometrists can use to help their Latino patients. For instance, one of our board members, Lina Arango, OD, is starting a podcast in Spanish that patients can listen to and will explain conditions, such as myopia, astigmatism, and others. Once this is up on LEO’s website, non-Spanish speaking doctors can point it out to their patients as a resource they can use. Another board member, Hector Santiago, OD, PhD, is putting together a CE course on understanding different cultures to help non-Latino doctors better understand the needs of Latino patients. All of our board members are amazing, and I just want to say I’m proud of them.

OM: IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING LEO, WHAT SHOULD THEY KNOW?

C-S: The group is open to anyone working in optometry — optometrists, opticians, techs, and more — and to anyone who wants to support Latinos in the industry or Latino patients. Student membership is free, and the first tier of membership is $25 for one year. More information, including for sponsorships, can be found on our website, www.latinosenoptometry.com . OM