Local optomistrist recognized for achievement

By Staff
Slade Gilmer
When Martha Greenberg first heard that she would be honored by the Russellville City Council for being named Optometrist of the South—the first female so honored—in 2008, she immediately thought of the optometric oath she first stated in 1974.
With her work in various vision-related charities throughout the southeast and the country, the part of that oath that says "I will place the treatment of those who seek my care above personal gain and strive to see that none shall lack for proper care" is one she is determined to uphold.
"Next to life, God's greatest gift to us is our sense of sight," Greenberg said after being honored.
Because of this belief, Greenberg has offered a free vision screening for children before school starts, and she plans on doing so again this summer.
"80 percent of what you learn in school comes from your vision," Greenberg said. "We don't want children to get off on the wrong foot to start their schooling."
Greenberg also works tirelessly with InfantSEE, which works in coordination with Johnson and Johnson to do no-cost vision screenings on infants to help prevent eye problems from coming up as they grow older. As the Alabama representative on the executive board of InfantSEE, she has spent time in Washington working with representatives to help enact some of InfantSEE's initiatives.
Along with her work with InfantSEE, Greenberg also works with Vision USA, a program open to children and adults who are uninsured and can not afford to get regular eye exams.
When she is not working with charities around the nation, she also enjoys going to nursing homes in the area with her son to screen senior citizens for potential eye problems.
Greenberg also cites the Optometric Oath when discussing why she is so involved in various optometric charities.
"It is truly important to me," Greenberg said. "I do what I do because I love to do it."