Jacobs, a southern Illinois native, has been a practicing optometrist for more than 40 years in the Marion, Carbondale, and Union County areas. Jacobs offered the following remarks to attendees at the annual Illinois Optometric Association’s annual conference held in Springfield at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center on Saturday, October 5, 2024.
“We optometrists are often the first line of defense against a wide array of health issues such as diabetic retinopathy, hypertensive retinopathy, treatment and diagnosis of glaucoma and macular degeneration. Our role is indispensable,” Jacobs said. “As a legislator, I have the privilege of meeting many people and hearing their stories, and stories I have from almost 45 years of practice. Whether it’s a 10-year-old boy finally getting to a neurosurgeon for a malignant brain tumor after 6 months of treatment for daily vomiting spells from an unknown virus or an elderly patient who finally got to a surgeon for a now routine cataract surgery which allowed them to regain a normal life. These are stories that fuel my commitment to continue advocating for our profession. I pledge to continue standing with you, to listen to your concerns, and to fight for the policies that allow you to do what you do best – improving the lives of those we serve.”