NEW YORK — Alan R. Morse will step down later this year as president and CEO of the Lighthouse Guild, an organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss, after a career of almost 52 years in the field of vision and health.
James M. Dubin, chairman of the Lighthouse Guild board, said, “Dr. Morse is an innovator with a deep commitment to providing quality programs and services for people with vision loss. His leadership has changed how we as a society think about blindness and low vision. During his distinguished 52-year career at Lighthouse Guild, his extraordinary work and dedication have led to the creation of the largest and most comprehensive vision and related healthcare organization in the United States.
“He has made an indelible impact on the history of our organization and the direction of low vision care. We salute him and thank him for his tremendous contributions that enable us to lead the way in vision loss prevention and care.”
Morse began his career at what was then known as The Jewish Guild for the Blind in 1968 as a rehabilitation counselor. He became COO in 1977 and was named president and CEO in 1998.
In 2013, Jewish Guild Healthcare and Lighthouse International merged to form Lighthouse Guild. Morse spearheaded the merger, which created the largest vision and healthcare organization in the country.
Morse is credited with transforming Lighthouse Guild from an organization focused on providing services to people living in the New York City area to a nationally renowned organization.
“It has been an honor to work with the dedicated Board and Staff of Lighthouse Guild,” Morse said. “I have been privileged to be part of an organization committed to addressing and preventing vision loss.”
Morse’s leadership in the field of vision and health includes an extensive academic portfolio. His research 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. Morse is an adjunct professor in the Department of Ophthalmology of Columbia University. He has served on the editorial board of Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has been a consultant to the Academy’s Vision Rehabilitation Committee. He also has served on the editorial board of JAMA Ophthalmology of the American Medical Association and was a member of the Advisory Panel of Addressing Disparities of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) among many other professional activities over his career.
Lighthouse Guild has been conducting a national search for Morse’s successor since he advised the board of his plans earlier this year.