Hero Potential

One of the most rewarding ways optometrists can contribute to the greater good is by delivering high quality eye care to people who live in disadvantaged communities. We can take care of patients in need of yearly comprehensive examinations and those with ocular and systemic medical emergencies who require timely treatment. Our training and experience allow us to treat vision-threatening diseases, alleviate eye pain, and provide accurate prescriptions for vision correction.

Unfortunately, access to our services is out of reach for a growing number of communities globally, and even some here in the United States. Once I became aware of this reality, I knew I wanted to do something to help bridge that gap.

ENTER THE VISION PROJECT

My practice, Minnesota Eye Consultants, offers ophthalmic surgical procedures to members of our community who are unable to pay or obtain coverage through medical insurance. We dedicate two Saturdays each year to performing necessary surgeries for these patients through a program called The Vision Project.

The first patient I helped through this valuable program was a 12-year-old boy with advanced pediatric glaucoma. The patient received a tube shunt to treat his condition, and the cost of the procedure was completely covered by the program. All necessary items, along with staff and surgeon time, were donated. Today, 14 years later, his condition is still well controlled.

This case had a profound and lasting impact on me. Not only do I make it a priority to be involved in some type of philanthropic eye care initiative, but also I am motivated to teach the value of philanthropy to optometric students and to work with respected colleagues on similar programs.

SPREAD THE WEALTH

That young patient from many years ago has kept me motivated to work hard to realize the full potential of my clinical experience and training. I knew that I could be a valuable asset to my community and that I had a responsibility to reach out to folks who may not be able to afford medical care. I realized that, if I stayed in my comfort zone, I’d be missing a wonderful and important aspect of what it is to be an optometrist. I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in several other charitable programs offering eye care to those who need it.

The EYE Initiative

One such program, the Early Youth Eyecare (EYE) Initiative, relies on one of optometry’s strongest skills: careful vision screening. It’s astounding to me that we still don’t have a highly standardized vision screening program for all of our schools across the country. In fact, many of the basic screening programs are at risk of being reduced in scope due to tightening school budgets.

Through the EYE program, school-aged kids with abnormal findings are identified at vision screenings and then directed to optometrists for comprehensive examinations. The most common vision problems in these children are typically uncorrected refractive error, amblyopia, and binocular vision disorders. Kids experiencing these conditions during such a critical developmental stage often start to fall behind. Being able to prevent this is one of the most powerful and rewarding aspects of what we do.

The Kausay Wasi Clinic

I’ve had the privilege of going on multiple trips to the Kausay Wasi Clinic (Figures 1 and 2) in Coya, Peru, organized by Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH). On these trips, I was the only optometrist on a team of volunteers, mostly engineers, researchers, and students (Figure 3). Our goal was to identify individuals with pterygium needing excision, those in need of bilateral cataract surgery, those with glaucoma, and those with any other vision-threatening condition. A surgical team would then follow up and perform the procedures on the people we identified.

On my first trip to the clinic, I did a simple cycloplegic trial lens refraction on a 1-year-old boy. He was described by his mother as always unhappy and frustrated and not well coordinated. We found that he had close to +8.00 D of hyperopia in each eye. We provided him with a pair of glasses that same day, and I was stunned by his behavioral transformation. I’ll never forget it. His connection with his mother changed immediately, once he had the glasses on. It was an overwhelming honor to be a part of such a special turning point in his life.

It may not seem like a big deal, but the challenge of simple uncorrected refractive error continues to be a main cause of global preventable blindness—and one we are able to help alleviate.

GOODWILL FOR ALL

Contributing some of your time and experience to philanthropic eye care initiatives is one of the most valuable things you can offer your community. I encourage everyone reading this article to look into becoming involved in similar projects. There’s hero potential in all of us. It’s your choice whether to tap into it or not.

There are many ways to contribute. Sustaining and growing these projects is not easy. In addition to patient care, these types of programs are always in need of sharp, dedicated organizers. Serving on planning committees for these organizations can be just as valuable as providing the treatment. A strong, motivated team is needed to identify and remove barriers to access (eg, transportation), reach out to donors, and collaborate with other health care specialists. If you haven’t done so yet, try it for yourself. I guarantee that the experience will change your life!