Date: 7.10.2020
At Drs. Price, Shepler, & Hall Family Eye Care, Dr. Herb Price is an independent primary health care provider who examines, diagnoses, treats and manages diseases and disorders of the visual system, the eye and associated structures as well as diagnoses related systemic conditions.
Written by Braden Worrell
What first drew you to Eye Care?
Ever since I was a young child I was interested in healthcare. My parents, both Holocaust survivors, encouraged me in that endeavor. In 1971, I graduated with a Doctorate of Optometry Degree. My first job was in Logansport at the Howard Clinic which was renting space from St Joseph Hospital. The nuns that owned the hospital closed the hospital and as a result the Howard Clinic closed as well. So I decided to go into private practice and opened my own clinic in Logansport. And I've been doing that ever since.
How did you first connect with IBCF?
Around 2011, I attended an event with Tom Sullivan as the keynote speaker and I was so impressed by his story, his love of life, and his message that it changed my life. He said he wanted his life to count for something, and he understood it was not enough to just make a living, but to do something to give back. I was so inspired by his words that I came back to my practice looking to provide hope and encouragement to my patients, many of whom were gradually losing their vision. His message that life can be a beautiful thing despite the challenges made me a better doctor because I could share that vision. It gave me a better appreciation of how I could communicate with my patients.
Later that year, we celebrated our 40th anniversary of being in business with a large event and over 400 people in attendance. I invited Tom Sullivan to come and share his story with everyone. That night we collected donations and donated all the proceeds to the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation.
As I became more involved with the Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation, I was so inspired by the students at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. They face so many of their own challenges, yet the Foundation and the School provides them with so many opportunities to thrive. When I attended the Through the Looking Glass Gala, the school jazz band was there playing music and they played so well. I went up and spoke with several of the students and was so impressed with their skill level and passion. It just shows you that if you have the desire to do something, and if you have the encouragement, you can accomplish anything.
As an IBCF Board Member, what do you think is your biggest challenge ahead?
I think that technology is going to be more and more important for these students. I’ve been in contact with a company that has designed a pair of glasses that can scan text and read out loud the information to a person with visual impairments. It’s a great little device, but the technology is very expensive.
I think one of the most important things for people to understand is that when we're talking about the cost of technology for these children’s special needs it's very expensive. For example, if you're buying a regular laptop computer, you might be able to get a nice one for a thousand dollars, right? But when you're talking about a laptop or tablet for a child that's visually impaired, you're looking at six to ten times that cost. And I think that's what people need to understand so that they really appreciate the fact that their dollars are going a long way. I’m grateful we have fundraising opportunities like the Through the Looking Glass Gala and for the Lilly Endowment grant for the No Limits Arts Series. I think No Limits is a great title because we provide these students with the opportunity, and with the teaching at the school and the right equipment, there are no limits to what they can achieve.
These programs will enhance the students' lives so that they can be independent as they become older. As the students graduate from the school, we want to provide them with an opportunity to have no limits in their lives.
