Dr. Raymond J. Mis This is Me

Education

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1. 1. acg.gi.org

   acg.gi.org/physicians/profiles - [Cached]

   Published on: 5/25/2008   Last Visited: 8/15/2008

   Raymond Mis, DO
   ...
   Dr. Raymond Mis, a gastroenterologist from Rhode Island, lost his central vision to a condition called optic nerve atrophy, and was eventually declared legally blind.His doctors and colleagues thought it would be impossible for him to continue his practice."Loving the practice of gastroenterology, I refused to give up," said Dr. Mis.
   
   Despite being legally blind, hearing impaired, and faced with the potential loss of his career, Dr. Mis overcame significant odds to continue practicing medicine.He voluntarily stopped performing endoscopic procedures but continued to see patients, and relied on his staff to read charts and medical records for him.Eight months later, his partner left the practice, leaving him to cope alone.Dr. Mis overcame these setbacks, eventually regaining his life, career, and independence back.
   
   With the help of modern technology, Dr. Mis discovered a video monitor, which if he sat close enough to it, could correct his vision loss to 20/25.As part of a re-credentialing process, Dr. Mis had to perform 60 supervised procedures in order to be deemed a safe practitioner.On April 18, 2002, Dr. Mis became the first visually impaired gastroenterologist to receive accreditation by the State of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Medical Society, paving the way for other professionals with physical limitations.
   
   Currently approaching the completion of his memoir entitled, "Blind Sighted," Dr. Mis travels the country as an inspirational speaker sharing his story of courage and hope to people with disabilities.Additionally, he has delivered inspirational keynote speeches at medical conventions, various organizations, hospitals and nursing groups.
   
   Dr. Mis teaches medicine at the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and is chief of the gastroenterology department at Kent County Memorial Hospital in Warwick, RI.He was named one of the top gastroenterologists in the state by Rhode Island Magazine in 2000 and 2007.

2. 2. Dr. Raymond Mis

   www.drgglobal.com/Raymond_Mis. - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/27/2006   Last Visited: 11/25/2007

   The DRG Speakers Forum Headliner:  Dr. Raymond Mis
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   Dr. Raymond Mis
   ...
   The DRG Speakers Forum Headliner: Dr. Raymond Mis
   
   Just as quickly as Dr. Raymond Mis reached the top of his game, it was swept out from under him.Now as he concludes his talks, members of the audiences stand to applaud him for all he has achieved despite what hurdles have been thrown his way.But it has not always been so.Now a hero to many in the disability community, this physician found himself faced with the potential loss of his profession and all he had worked so hard for.
   
   At age 38, Mis, a practicing Gastroenterologist, unexpectedly developed a rare disease that threatened to render him both deaf and blind."It was 1998, my practice was booming, my family life was good, and my wife and I decided to take our kids on a trip to Florida," Mis explains."We landed in Florida for a great vacation and I couldn't figure out what it was; it just felt like my ears were plugged."
   
   Several doctor's visits and healing attempts later revealed that Mis had permanently lost fifteen percent of his hearing in both ears.Faced with this shocking news, Mis attacked it head on as a challenge and continued to care for his patients and maintain his practice.He had no idea that he was about to be thrust forward as one of the best examples of ability in cooperation with technology to come out of the disability community in a long time, perhaps forever.
   
   In 2001, the odds turned against Mis again; this time on another trip.He and his wife Margaret had gone to see the New York Giants play in the Super Bowl when Mis began to notice that he was experiencing extreme sensitivity to light and a definite blurriness in his vision.Then in June of that year, on his 40th birthday, Mis's optometrist finally declared that he was now legally blind as well.
   
   Mis had spent years studying to become a doctor and in the proverbial blink of an eye, all was dramatically changed.His doctors told him he would no longer be able to drive, and was no longer able to perform endoscopic procedures, which are central to the work of a Gastroenterologist.His partner in his practice walked away, leaving him to cope all alone.His immediate future, he said, appeared very bleak.
   
   "Once we're nested in our own way of life, it can be very difficulty to change," Mis explains.
   ...
   Mis asks."My doctors told me it couldn't be done.They told me I would be putting people at risk.Fortunately though, I had patients that believed in me, people who stood by me, and family and friends that helped me through it."
   
   With the help of modern technology and some doctor friends, Mis discovered a television monitor device that was custom designed for him to help bring his vision from 20/400 to 20/25.This technology was the pathway Mis needed to take back his career, which he did.It was a trying and challenging task, but Mis was eventually recertified on April, 18, 2002, to perform endoscopic procedures.And Mis has excelled in his field ever since.
   
   Raymond Mis was voted the Chief of Gastroenterology at Kent Hospital, where he currently practices.He also teaches at the University of New England Medical School and is Director of the Internal Medicine Program for medical students rotating through Kent.It is for all these reasons and many more that DRG has chosen Dr. Mis as a DRG Speakers Forum headliner.He is a motivational speaker spreading his important message to people with disabilities or who know people with disabilities in the medical community.He is a shining example of what people with disabilities are capable of, what adaptive technology can make possible, and the emergence of professionals with disabilities in the 21st century.
   
   If you want to invigorate that sales force that thinks they have things too tough, say to your own clients that everything is possible, or put powerful images behind your new disability inclusion policies, Dr. Raymond Mis is an excellent choice."Adults and children grappling with disabilities should never have to give up hope or abandon a normal way of life," Mis announces with the conviction that is his life.

3. 3. Foundation Board of Directors

   www.kentri.org/body.cfm?id=61 - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/8/2006   Last Visited: 7/8/2006

   Raymond J. Mis, MD