Alphapointe, one of the nation’s largest providers of rehabilitation services and employment for people who are blind, announced its newly forged alliance with Overland Park-based Kansas City Vision Performance Center, an independent practice in Kansas.
This alliance allows the parties to combine efforts to offer low vision rehabilitation and therapeutic services in the Kansas City region on both sides of the state line. The unified efforts of the two practices represent the only non-profit vision service-focused provider for adults in the metro area.
“Alphapointe’s mission is to empower people with vision loss to achieve their goals and aspirations and aligning the efforts of our Low Vision Clinic with the Kansas City Vision Performance Center helps achieve that goal,” said Alphapointe President and CEO Reinhard Mabry. “We’re now in a position to provide incredibly unique services to people throughout the metro area on both sides of the state line. As a result, we’ll be able to help more people lead the lives they want to lead than ever before.”
Opened in 2005 by Dr. John Metzger, the Kansas City Vision Performance Center (dba Metzger O.D., LLC) is the only vision center in the Kansas City area focused solely on the full spectrum of functional optometry for people of all ages, which includes vision therapy, neuro-optometry and low vision rehabilitation. KCVPC ventures well beyond the standard notions of services provided by optometrists such as vision exams and prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses. Specialists at KCVPC spend extensive time discussing client needs and achieving goals whenever vision is an obstacle to enjoying life as a result of development, disease or trauma.
“I’m thrilled to work with Alphapointe and magnify our impact in the community,” said Dr. Metzger, one of Kansas City’s leading optometrists with more than 40 years of experience. “When a person develops low vision at any age, it can be an incredibly traumatic experience that leads to a host of questions about how to proceed. Together with Alphapointe, we’ll be able to provide answers to those questions and to help people regain independence in their lives to a much greater degree.”
KCVPC’s highly specialized services address treatment for a variety of vision performance needs, including reading and learning problems; labels such as AD(H)D, Dyslexia and learning disabilities; developmental delays (such as autism and sensory integration); vision loss and changes from eye disease, accidents and/or strokes; post trauma symptoms such as brain injury; balance and mobility disorders; and poor sports performance.
Alphapointe was founded in 1911 and has provided resources and employment to tens of thousands of people during its 100-plus year history. Already providing rehabilitation services to assist people with vision loss, Alphapointe began working with Dr. Metzger in 2010 when it opened its Low Vision Clinic at the organization’s headquarters at 75th St. and Prospect Ave. Alphapointe’s Low Vision Clinic assists people in adjusting to life with vision loss with a goal of maintaining or regaining independence in all aspects of life. Since opening the clinic has served thousands of clients from the Midwest and beyond.
Patients and referring doctors can continue to make appointments for either the KCVPC or Alphapointe’s Low Vision Clinic by visiting kcvisionperformance.com or alphapointe.org.