GuildNet focuses on the health care needs of people who are blind and visually impaired and live in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It provides coordinated health care services for adults with vision impairments who also have a chronic illness. Enrollees are Medicaid recipients who are able to receive comprehensive health care while remaining independent at home.

In 2008, GuildNet expanded its program to include a Medicare Advantage/Medicaid Advantage Plus Special Needs Plan, known as GuildNet Gold. Today it is the largest program of its kind.

As an ongoing program, up to 16 scholarships of up to $15,000 are awarded each year just prior to the start of the academic year in which the students begin their freshman year. Scholarship candidates are chosen through an on-line application process that includes criteria relating to academic excellence, extra-curricular activities, community involvement, legal blindness and U.S. citizenship.

All colleges or universities selected must be accredited by a body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and all admissions policies must be nondenominational, open to applicants of all religions, faiths and beliefs.

The 78 students who have been awarded Guild Scholarships over the last five years are residents of 30 different states and now attend or have attended colleges and universities located across the country. Universities attended range from Ivy League and state universities to many smaller liberal arts colleges.

The Guild is currently accepting applications for the 2011 GuildScholar awards. For information on the program, contact Gordon Rovins at 212-769-6801 or e-mail guildscholar@jgb.org.

Frederic Siegel, AMAC’s Executive Vice President stated, “We are extremely pleased that GuildNet will be evaluating our system in this initiative and believe MedSmart will complement GuildNet’s mission to enhance and support independent living activities. MedSmart is an easy-to-use solution for organizing complex medication regimens and will provide GuildNet with enhanced monitoring and notification capabilities to encourage patient compliance and foster greater patient provider communication.”

The MedSmart® System organizes, reminds and dispenses the correct pills at the correct time from 1 to 6 times per day ensuring safe and appropriate medication use. Containing a two-way communication modem, MedSmart uploads device and dispensing information on a daily basis to a secure, web portal for access by authorized individuals. If a dose is missed or medications are low, the system will promptly notify designated caregivers via text, voice or email message, allowing for early intervention and timely tray refill.

About GuildNet

GuildNet, a subsidiary of The Jewish Guild for the Blind, is a program designed to keep visually impaired, blind, multi-disabled and chronically ill persons in their communities. It helps more than 6,500 people in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Nassau and Suffolk by providing long term care services to Medicaid eligible persons over age 18 through its managed long-term care program and GuildNet Gold, its Medicare Advantage/Medicaid Advantage Plus Special Needs Plan. To learn more, call 1-800-932-4703.

About American Medical Alert Corp.

AMAC is a healthcare communications company dedicated to the provision of support services to the healthcare community. AMAC’s product and service portfolio includes Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and 24/7 monitoring, electronic medication reminder devices, disease management monitoring appliances and healthcare communication solutions services. AMAC operates eight US based, communication centers under local trade names: HLINK OnCall, North Shore TAS, Live Message America, ACT Teleservice, MD OnCall, Capitol Medical Bureau, American MediConnect, and Phone Screen to support the delivery of high quality, healthcare communications. To learn more about AMAC, visit www.amac.com.

Contacts:

Michael Simone, Vice President, Marketing, GuildNet, 212-769-7854, simonem@jgb.org

Randi Baldwin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, AMAC, 516-536-5850 ext. 3109, randi.baldwin@amac.com.

A graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, MA, where he received a BSBA, Mr. Weiner attended both New York University Graduate School of Business and Harvard Business School.

Mr. Weiner is a Board Member of the Cancer Research Institute, a Trustee of both the Citizens Budget Committee of New York City and the Jewish Communal Fund, and a Past Member of the Executive Committee of the American Jewish Committee. He is also a Past Chair of the Grants Committee of the UJA Federation of New York.

The author of articles entitled "Owner Capital" and "Owner Compensation" which appeared in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA) Practice Handbook for 1999, 2000 and 2001, Mr. Weiner also co-authored "Coping with Tax Reform" for the AICPA Accounting Practice Committee. He is also a past editor of The CPA Journal.

The Bressler Committee chose Dr. Friedlander because of his work with cell biological research and clinical issues of retinal disease. At The Scripps Research Institute, Dr. Friedlander’s interests focus on the use of biochemical, cell biological and stem cell approaches to understand basic underlying mechanisms of ocular angiogenesis and identifying therapeutic approaches to treating ocular neovascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He has also had a long-standing interest in translocation and integration of polytopic membrane proteins including rhodopsin and sodium-calcium exchangers. The two research programs are joined by their application to the treatment of neovascular eye disease and inherited retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa.

A graduate of the University of Illinois and of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School, Mr. Pantowich began his career at Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young LLP) in 1963 and became a partner in 1974. In 1983 he co-founded TAG Associates, a portfolio management services company, and at that time, a pioneer in the concept of multi-generational, multi-family offices.

Mr. Pantowich serves on the Board of Directors of both the American Jewish Committee-New York Branch and the Alpine Capital Bank. He has served as a Trustee of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and as Director of the US Committee for UNICEF.

The author of many articles on the subject of the multi-client family office, Mr. Pantowich also lectures widely in the field of taxation and has chaired a number of conferences that deal with family office and wealth management issues.

A former teacher of one of the winners is also being acknowledged for his role in encouraging and bringing out the best in his students. Each applicant was asked to write an essay about a teacher who is of great importance to them. The teacher chosen from among the applicants’ essays will receive a prize of $5,000.

The recipients were chosen by a selection committee not only experienced in overseeing programs for blind and visually impaired persons, but also knowledgeable in matters of student financial aid and the non-profit organizations that fund educational programs. The members of the 2010 selection committee were:

Allen C. Harris, MA, Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind;

Patricia N. Lewis, PhD, Executive Director of the AIM Foundation, Houston, TX;

Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, President and CEO of The Jewish Guild for the Blind;

Frederic K. Schroeder, PhD, Research Professor, San Diego State University, former Director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA.

The 2010 GuildScholar Program scholarship winners are:

*Ryan Alsman of Normal, IL - University High School

*Carlos Baeza of Rockport, ME - Camden Hills Regional High School

*Nathaniel Book of W. Suffield, CT - Suffield High School

*Kyle Coon of Jacksonville, FL - Paxon School for Advanced Studies

*Matthew Cooper of Durham, NC - Charles E. Jordan High School

*Jameyanne Fuller of Concord, NH - Concord High School

*Marcus Meyer Goldberg of Austin, TX - McNeil High School

*Dillon Hawley of East Arlington, VT - Arlington Memorial High School

*Claire Elizabeth Johnson of Portland, OR - St. Mary’s Academy

*Cord LaBarre of Hayward, WI - Hayward High School

*Ashleigh Ladner of Slidell, LA - Northshore High School

*Andrew Luk of Chino Hills, CA - Diamond Barr High School

*Duncan McLaurin of Jackson, WY - Jackson Hole High School

*Jeremy Morak of Hewlett, NY - George W. Hewlett High School

*Helen Georgie Sydnor of Lynchburg, VA - E.C. Glass High School

*Daniel White of Watertown, MA - Watertown High School

The teacher chosen to receive a prize is: David Eckstrom of Hayward High School PO Box 860, Hayward, WI 54843

Dr. Beck is perhaps best known for his design and management of clinical trials in ophthalmolgy, which have resulted in landmark investigations related to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the retina, cornea and nervous system in both adults and children. Part of his unique approach to clinical trials is found in his understanding of the needs of the practicing medical doctor while integrating the rigorous demands of an epidemiologist.

A former teacher of one of the winners is being acknowledged for her role in encouraging and bringing out the best in her student. Each applicant was asked to write an essay about a teacher who is of great importance to them. The teacher chosen from among the applicants’ essays will receive a prize of $4,000.

The recipients were chosen by a selection committee not only experienced in overseeing programs for blind and visually impaired persons, but also knowledgeable in matters of student financial aid and the non-profit organizations that fund educational programs. The members of the selection committee are:

Allen C. Harris, MA, Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind;

Patricia N. Lewis, PhD, Executive Director of the AIM Foundation, Houston, TX;

Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, President and CEO of The Jewish Guild for the Blind;

Thomas A. Robertson, former Associate Commissioner of the New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped;

Frederic K. Schroeder, PhD, Research Professor, San Diego State University, former Director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA.

The committee chose the 13 winners after a rigorous application process that included criteria such as academic excellence, community involvement, legal blindness, financial need and US citizenship. The 2009 GuildScholar Program scholarship winners are:

*James Baker of West Valley, NY - West Valley Central

*Nicole Caso of Bronx, NY - Preston High School

*Gabriel Castellanos of Tempe, AZ - Brophy College Preparatory

*Michael Forzano of Yonkers, NY - Yonkers High School

*Briana Friel of South Salem, NY - John Jay High School

*Brian Kempfer of Springboro, OH - Springboro High School

*Janice Jihyun Lee of Huntington Beach, CA - Marina High School

*Samantha Pinnell of Carlsbad, CA - La Costa Canyon High School

*Nicole Press of Norwalk, CT - Norwalk High School

*Heather Marie Rasmussen of Watertown, TN - Watertown High School

*Abby Schoenbeck of Apple Valley, MN - Apple Valley High School

*Rose Sloan of Schaumburg, IL - Schaumburg High School

*Ashley Claire Townsend of Ormond Beach, FL - Seabreeze High School

The teacher chosen to receive a prize is: Nancy Burrows of Pine Trail Elementary School 300 Airport Road, Ormond Beach, FL 32174

The new renovation comprises 7,000 sq. ft. of interior space and is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs. The main entrance doors are automated and there are five bathrooms which are all wheelchair accessible. Amenities include a full kitchen for training blind and visually impaired individuals in the preparation and cooking of food in a safe and independent manner. The entire interior space is fully fitted with a sprinkler system and includes other state-of-the-art safety features. A full 80 feet of windows have been included to allow adequate natural light. The site can easily handle a daily population of between 50 and 70 registrants.

GuildCare Yonkers currently serves registrants who come to the program daily from the Bronx, Dobbs Ferry, Harrison, Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, White Plains and Yonkers.

All GuildCare clients have a vision impairment as well as additional medical problems. Once enrolled in the program, registrants receive nursing care, vision rehabilitation, health monitoring, nutrition education, social work services, physical, occupational and speech therapies and therapeutic recreation.

Specialized Services

Twenty-three years after its inception, GuildCare is New York State’s only ADHC provider specializing in services to the community of persons with vision impairment and chronic medical conditions. In 2007, the GuildCare network provided services to more than 844 individuals. Since its founding in 1985, the program has helped many thousands of New York State residents.

GuildCare officially began at the Guild Home for Aged Blind in Yonkers in 1985. In 1990, GuildCare opened in Manhattan and three years later, the program became established in Albany and Buffalo. In 1996, it opened in Niagara Falls, and is also offered at The Guild’s Boston subsidiary, Greater Boston Guild for the Blind, located in West Roxbury.

Medical Model

From its beginnings, the program has offered a health-focused model in which concrete nursing services are provided. “Over the years, we have seen increasingly frail individuals joining the program, many of them often with extremely complex medical needs,” said Patricia F. Hayden, RN, Director of the GuildCare Network. “Tube feedings, nebulized medications, continuous oxygen administration, Diabetic teaching and blood glucose monitoring are now provided as part of GuildCare’s daily routine,” she concluded.

Extensive case management is now practiced in the program and this enables GuildCare’s aging and frail population to remain in their homes and communities rather than having to enter skilled nursing facilities.

If you, or people you know, are impacted by LCA or other rare blinding eye diseases, more information can be found at www.project3000.org or you can reach Joe Schmidt at The University of Iowa at 319-384-8529 or via e-mail at joe-schmidt@uiowa.edu.

Testing can be conveniently arranged through local physicians and financial aid is available for people with LCA who need assistance with the cost of testing.

Dr. Horton is respected both as an outstanding clinical neuro-ophthalmologist as well as one of the leading neuroscientists in the country. His contributions can be broadly categorized under three headings: clinical neuro-ophthalmology; amblyopia and strabismus; and the function of the visual cortext and how it mediates visual perception.

Dr. Horton's important contributions are numerous, and they all share a similar goal, which is to bring state-of-the-art neuroscience from the laboratory and apply it to important clinical problems facing the clinician, especially in the case of amblyopia and strabismus.

Under the terms of the contract, The Guild's Assistive Technology staff, with the support of the Academic Rehabilitation staff, will provide assessment and training to CBVH-referred consumers who are either attending college or other vocational training, who are working or who are seeking employment.

Other training available under the terms of the contract will be for CBVH counselors, so that they can keep up to date with the latest in adaptive technology, as well as training for CBVH-referred persons who will become job coaches to visually impaired clients. On-site technical consultation to employers who have hired clients who are blind or visually impaired is also covered under the new contract.

As part of a continuing effort to expand and enhance its broad array of services designed to improve the health and well-being of people who are blind and visually impaired, The Guild announced in November that it has entered into a collaborative arrangement with Jewish Home & Hospital Lifecare System to create The Guild Institute for Vision and Aging. The Institute is a new, state-of-the-art residential facility dedicated to the care of elderly persons who are blind or visually impaired.

The new Guild Institute will be located in a soon-to-be-renovated building on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus of the Jewish Home & Hospital, located in the Bronx.

As part of this arrangement, residents at the Guild Home for Aged Blind are relocating to the Jewish Home, or to another facility of their choice. The Home for Aged Blind, a Yonkers landmark since 1937, will close.

A Wide Range of Benefits

Dr. Alan R. Morse, President and CEO of The Guild, said, "This new program will provide a wide range of benefits and address several important issues. Above all, we have created a new facility equipped with the latest amenities and features, all of which conform to the most modern standards of residential nursing care. We ar pleased to work with the Jewish Home & Hospital, one of the foremost residential care providers in the nation, whose Bronx campus is just a few miles from our present facility." (See Winter 2007/2008 Guild Newsletter for further details.)

This year, for the first time, teachers of some of the winners are being acknowledged for their role in encouraging and bringing out the best in their students. Each applicant was asked to write an essay about a teacher who is of great importance to them. The three teachers chosen from among the applicants' essays will each receive a prize of $2,500.

The committee chose the 15 winners after a rigorous application process that included criteria such as academic excellence, community involvement, legal blindness, financial need and US citizenship. The 2008 GuildScholar Program scholarship winners are:

Zoe Anthony, High Tech High School, North Bergen, NJ

Derek J. Czajka, San Ramon Valley High School, CA

Spencer DeSena, Garden City High School, NJ

Matthew David Devcich, Chantilly High School, VA

Eric Glasser, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Port Washington, NY

Rachel A. Hockenberger, Harpeth High School, Kingston Springs, TN

Lauren Long, Deer Park High School, TX

Steven Maxfaults, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Jamaica, NY

Sean O'Keefe, St. Joseph High School, Metuchen, NJ

Patrick Saley, Jonathan Law High School, Milford, CT

Caitlin Sarubbi, Dominican Academy, New York, NY

Katelyn Schuit, Oak Forest High School, IL

Emily Townsend, Mainland High School, Daytona Beach, FL

Jordan Walters, Air Academy High School, USAFA, CO

Craig Warren, Scotts Valley High School, CA.

The three teachers chosen to receive a prize are:

Roberta Goldman of Brookfield Elementary School, Chantilly, VA

Maureen E. Owens, PhD, of Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Jamaica, NY

Deborah Dunnel of Alstead, NH

For information on the GuildScholar Program's scholarships for the 2009 academic year, contact Gordon Rovins at 212-769-7801 or e-mail guildscholar@jgb.org.

Approval for the expansion was recently received from the New York State Department of Health. A GuildNet office that will serve members living in Nassau and Suffolk Counties is being established in Melville. GuildNet draws on The Guild's broad continuum of health, vision and rehabilitation services, as well as The Guild's many years of experience in addressing the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired.

Within the plan, GuildNet nurse case managers work with members who are dealing with complex health issues such as complications of diabetes, mental health issues including substance abuse, extensive rehabilitation needs or end-of-life issues among others.

For more information, including eligibility questions, call Michael Simone, GuildNet Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Medicare Project Manager, at 212-769-7854.