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Lighthouse Guild Salutes Retiring President and CEO Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD
After an extraordinary career of almost 52 years as a leader and innovator in the field of vision and health, Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, is stepping down as Lighthouse Guild’s President and CEO. Dr. Morse will continue with Lighthouse Guild as President Emeritus.
Dr. Morse transformed Lighthouse Guild from a local institution focused on providing services to people living in the New York City area, to the leading organization in the nation dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. He began his career in 1968, as a rehabilitation counselor at what was then known as The Jewish Guild for the Blind. He became COO of that organization in 1977. Then, in 2013, he spearheaded the merger of Jewish Guild Healthcare and Lighthouse International to form Lighthouse Guild, now the largest vision and healthcare organization in the country.
“Dr. Morse has made an indelible impact on the history of our organization and the direction of low vision care,” says James M. Dubin, Chairman of the Board of Lighthouse Guild.
As a nationally renowned organization, Lighthouse Guild has continued to deliver exceptional integrated programs and services. In addition, during decades of pioneering leadership, Dr. Morse’s research accomplishments have expanded perspectives about vision care in the broader context of healthcare delivery. His academic interests include the influence of vision loss on healthcare use, functional implication of vision loss, patient communication issues in care delivery and patient engagement and adherence. He has published numerous articles, editorials and book chapters on these and related topics.
“It has been an honor to work with the dedicated Board and Staff of Lighthouse Guild,” says Dr. Morse. “I have been privileged to be part of an organization committed to addressing and preventing vision loss.”
Dr. Morse is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology of Columbia University. Among many professional activities, he has served on the editorial boards of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and JAMA Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association. He also was a member of the Advisory Panel of Addressing Disparities of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.
“Dr. Morse is an innovator with a deep commitment to providing quality programs and services for people with vision loss,” says Mr. Dubin. “His leadership has changed how we as a society think about blindness and low vision. We salute him and thank him for his tremendous contributions.”
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