IAPB Announces Dr. Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, President and CEO of Lighthouse International as New Board Member
Dr. Cortes joins more than 50 renowned leaders worldwide in fighting vision loss
New York- The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has named Tara A. Cortes, PhD, RN, President and CEO of Lighthouse International as a member of their Board of Trustees. Dr. Cortes joins more than 50 distinguished researchers, doctors and international leaders from many countries fighting vision loss and promoting vision rehabilitation programs and strategies.
"It is indeed an honor to be named to the Board of Trustees of IAPB," Dr. Cortes said. "More than 161 million people worldwide suffer from vision impairment. In the United States, we predict that vision loss caused by age-related macular degeneration and other age-related eye diseases will increase dramatically from 28 million people today to 43 million by the year 2020. Working with the IAPB, Lighthouse International is dedicated to bringing awareness to the vision loss epidemic and providing solutions to it."
For 103 years, Lighthouse International has been a leader in fighting vision loss in this country and abroad. It has, for example, trained professionals in low vision in numerous countries and Lighthouse experts often address international forums.
Tara A. Cortes, RN, PhD, is the President and CEO of Lighthouse International, headquartered in New York City. Lighthouse International fights vision loss through prevention, treatment and empowerment.
Dr. Cortes has been a distinguished leader in health care for more than 40 years. She served as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Yale New Haven Health System's Bridgeport Hospital and has extensive clinical, administrative, research and academic experience, having worked for several of New York City's premier academic healthcare facilities throughout her career. These include The Mount Sinai Hospital, The Rockefeller University Hospital, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Hunter College School of Nursing, and New York University Medical Center. Dr. Cortes currently serves as a Clinical Professor at Yale University's School of Nursing Doctoral Program.
A graduate of Villanova University and New York University, where she received her PhD in Nursing Science and Research, Dr. Cortes was named a Fellow in the highly competitive and prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Executive Fellow Program in 1999. She was Associate Professor (tenured) at Hunter College School of Nursing for over 20 years.
Dr. Cortes is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and the recipient of numerous grants, as well as professional and academic honors, including the NYU Grace E. Davidson Award in Recognition of an Outstanding Administrator Contributing to Nursing Education. Dr. Cortes is also a member of the Villanova University Board of Trustees, the Governor's appointee to the Executive Board for New York State's Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped, and a member of the National Advisory Committee to the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship Program.
Founded in 1905, Lighthouse International is a leading non-profit organization dedicated to preserving vision and to providing critically needed health care services to help people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Through services, education, research and advocacy, the Lighthouse enables people with low vision and blindness to enjoy safe, independent and productive lives. For more information about vision loss and its causes, contact Lighthouse International at 1-800-829-0500 or visit www.lighthouse.org.
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