Residency in Vision Rehabilitation, with Emphasis in Vision Therapy and Vision Rehabilitation, and Pediatric Optometry
Those who complete their 1-year private practice residency at Wow Vision Therapy will experience personal satisfaction and professional confidence gained through advanced skills in one of optometry’s greatest specialties – developmental vision, vision therapy (VT), and neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation. Our residents will learn the best practices in providing vision therapy, staff training, and practice management tools for building a successful VT practice.
Wow Vision Therapy currently has two clinical locations. The first is located in St. Joseph, Michigan, which is nestled on the shores of beautiful Lake Michigan. Our second office is located in Grand Rapids, MI, which is the second-largest city in Michigan.
PROGRAM MISSION
The resident will experience a unique opportunity to develop proficiency in developmental vision, binocular vision, rehabilitative vision therapy, and pediatrics. Merging principles in cognitive visual neuroscience with human factors in private practice, the post-graduate clinician will acquire the skills needed to excel in education, research, and patient care.
Under the direction of Dr. Dan Fortenbacher, our residents will immerse themselves in a practice that is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with problems associated with binocular vision, accommodation, oculomotor function, visual information processing, visual-sensory, and motor integration.
Dan L. Fortenbacher, O.D., FCOVD
Founder, Residency Supervisor – St. Joseph Office
Dr. Fortenbacher received his Doctor of Optometry from the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University in 1979. His interest in developmental vision and rehabilitative vision therapy began early in his career, working with helping children who struggled with binocular vision problems and vision-related learning problems. He is a Board Certified Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) and lectures extensively on developmental vision, neuro-optometry, and vision therapy. Dr. Fortenbacher is a past examiner for the International Examination and Certification Board of COVD from 1999 to 2004. He has served in several leadership positions on the state and national levels. He served as president of the international COVD in 2007-08. In 2020 Dr. Fortenbacher received the G.N. Getman Award, Developmental Optometry’s highest lifetime achievement award for clinical excellence. Dr. Fortenbacher has developed innovative models for delivering developmental, binocular, and neuro-optometric vision rehabilitative care.
In addition to his private practice, Dr. Fortenbacher is also a clinical professor at the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University and an adjunct faculty position at the Southern College of Optometry, where he is the program supervisor for the Wow Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Private Practice Residency.
Alyssa Parz, O.D., FCOVD
Partner, Residency Supervisor – Grand Rapids Office
Dr. Parz is Board Certified in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation and treats patients in the greater Grand Rapids area to unlock their fullest potential through developmental vision and vision rehabilitation.
As a Chicago, Illinois native, Dr. Parz received her bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Thereafter, she obtained her doctorate degree, summa cum laude (with the highest distinction), from the Illinois College of Optometry. Furthermore, she participated in optometric honor societies such as the Tomb and Key and Beta Sigma Kappa society. During her residency, she completed pediatrics and vision rehabilitation training at the Draisin Vision Group in Charleston, SC. She is a Fellow of the College of Vision Development (COVD) and the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association. Dr. Alyssa enjoys helping both children and adults achieve optimal binocular vision!