About the doctors

Sari R. Schwartz, OD, FOVDR, FAAO

Dr. Sari Schwartz, originally from Westfield, NJ, has worked as a Clinical Attending Optometrist overseeing optometric students at the New England College of Optometry (NECO). She has also worked in private practices in New Jersey and Massachusetts specializing in Optometric Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation, and with professional and collegiate athletes and their coaching staff to develop visual strategies to enhance performance.

She received a Bachelor of Science from Bucknell University, studying Neuroscience and Spanish. She received her Doctor of Optometry from NECO in Boston, where she achieved clinical honors and was recognized for excellence in vision therapy and pediatrics. She completed a Residency at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, specializing in Vision Therapy, Pediatrics, and Rehabilitation.

Since her residency she has completed her Fellowship in the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association (FOVDR; the organization was formerly the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, COVD) and a Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). She has presented her work nationally and is a published author. She is a member of the Optometric Vision Development & Rehabilitation Association (OVDRA, formerly COVD), AAO, the Optometric Extension Program Foundation (OEPF), and the American Optometric Association (AOA). She has traveled to the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and rural communities in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee to provide eye care to underserved communities.

Alicia Defonte, OD

Dr. Alicia Defonte earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from the SUNY College of Optometry, where she also completed a microcredential in Vision Therapy. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the College of Staten Island.

Her training included primary eye care, vision rehabilitation, myopia management, contact lenses, ocular disease, and hospital-based urgent eye care. Her vision rehabilitation training covered binocular vision disorders, strabismus and amblyopia, traumatic brain injury, and visual perceptual difficulties. She completed a residency in Vision Therapy and Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation at Eyecare Professionals PC with Dr. Barry Tannen through Southern College of Optometry. She has volunteered with Special Olympics, providing vision screenings to athletes with special needs.

Coogee (Bear, to her friends), Therapy Dog

Coogee (Ku-ji), who also goes by Bear, is a therapy-certified mini Whoodle (soft coated wheaten terrier–mini poodle mix) who enjoys visiting with patients. Her coat is non-shedding, so she is hypoallergenic to most people.