It’s been a busy 2023 for Corinne Casey, O.D. This spring, she became the clinic director of Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Odenton satellite clinic and started seeing patients at Wilmer’s Glaucoma Center of Excellence in East Baltimore.

As clinic director, Casey is responsible for working with faculty and staff in the Odenton clinic to provide outstanding patient care while maintaining high quality and safety standards. She also recently helped develop Wilmer's optometry residency program, and its first resident began this summer.

We spoke with Casey, who has provided comprehensive care and glaucoma management to patients at Wilmer’s Odenton and Columbia clinics since February 2021, about her new roles and her work.

What does being clinic director mean to you?

I'm honored to have the opportunity as clinic director to advocate on behalf of Odenton's team and our community of patients. As Wilmer Eye Institute continues to increase access to care across Maryland and Washington, D.C., it's necessary to consider the unique needs for each of our satellite locations. As a liaison between departmental leadership and our clinic, my goal is to ensure that the Odenton team members are well-supported. When team members thrive in their roles, patients enjoy excellent care.

What do you like about practicing at Odenton?

Our clinical support team in Odenton is a delight to work with. There are a lot of moving parts in our day-to-day clinic operations, and the members of this team work seamlessly to provide patients with excellent care while celebrating one another's personal and professional achievements.

How did you become interested in glaucoma?

After optometry school, I completed a year of residency training at the Baltimore VA Medical Center. This program included an intense focus on glaucoma due to its high prevalence in the community. Much of the literature we studied was published by glaucoma experts at Wilmer Eye Institute, and I'm thrilled to now work where I can continue to learn from leaders in the field. I enjoy investigating various risk factors and changes related to glaucoma development and I like educating patients about their specific findings and management options.

Where do you see opportunities for advancement or innovation in your specialty?

Optometrists are well-positioned to meet the increasing demand for primary eye care. Beyond delivering routine vision care services, optometrists in the Division of Comprehensive Eye Care at Wilmer serve as an entry point for subspeciality ophthalmology care. This team approach provides efficient care for patients with routine and complex conditions, and quickly connects patients to subspeciality experts when advanced management is needed. Introducing collaborative care early in clinical training can better prepare eye care providers for delivering exceptional patient care to a growing population.

Can you describe your interest in helping to establish the optometry residency program at Wilmer?

Prior to joining Wilmer Eye Institute, I spent several years as a clinical preceptor for optometry students, medical students and PGY1 medical residents. My own mentors during residency helped focus my clinical interests and prepare me for a rewarding career. Contributing back to the profession by precepting novice clinicians allows me to pass forward my clinical skill set and lessons learned. I'm grateful to work with fellow optometrists who are similarly passionate about shaping the trajectory of our field. Together, we helped establish Wilmer's optometry residency program to recruit and train the brightest optometrists for careers in an academic medical setting.

Is there anything else you’d like others to know about you or your work?

As a member of the Maryland Optometric Association, I work to educate patients, fellow optometrists and other health care professionals about the role of eye and vision care in the greater healthcare delivery system. With continuous discoveries in the field of eye care, periodic updates to clinical practice are necessary to advance patient care. In 2019, my public health advocacy efforts helped expand eye care services offered by optometrists in Maryland. I hope to inspire younger optometrists to pursue personal and professional opportunities for continued learning, leadership and collaboration.