The Department of Ophthalmology held its first Community Vision Day on December 6 at the UPMC Vision Institute. Vision screenings, eye health evaluations, and exams for vision conditions were offered for children and adults with or without insurance.
“UPMC Community Vision Day, in addition to our mobile vision clinic programming throughout the city and region, is the ultimate realization of Dr. José-Alain Sahel and the Eye & Ear Foundation Community Outreach Committee’s dream of providing low to no-cost vision services for patients of all ages experiencing financial barriers to eye care,” said Zeila Hobson, Community Ophthalmology & Remote Access Program Manager. “By providing on-site screenings and free eyeglasses on a quarterly basis, we hope to build trust in UPMC Ophthalmology and optimize preventative care for our neighbors in need. Additionally, we expect to partner with community and organizational partners to further reduce barriers to care, such as food, housing resources, and on-site insurance enrollment.”
“This is a new and essential component of our multipronged strategy to facilitate access for all, following the launch of the Guerilla Eye Service by Dr. Jake Waxman almost 20 years ago, our partnership with Mission of Mercy, and the daily engagement of our patient navigator, Dana McGinnis-Thomas, all benefiting from strong support by the EEF,” Dr. Sahel added.
The December Community Vision Day (CVD) was a pilot event, “the likes of which are at the forefront of community initiatives in the UPMC ecosystem,” Hobson said. Hobson called it a game-changer because it does not require the set up and tear down of remote ophthalmic devices and caters to underserved neighbors with state-of-the-art equipment in an environment that providers and support staff are most comfortable in, resulting in the highest quality of care.
At other community events, patients often wait for hours outside in the cold and experience extensive wait times. For CVD, shelter was provided for all patients, and though wait times were not optimal, they were significantly lower than at Mission of Mercy events. A total of 135 people were served by 80 volunteers, with the majority being UPMC faculty, staff, and medical students.
Of the 135 patients seen, 49 were uninsured and 108 were new patients. CVD experienced the “good trouble” of supporting dozens more than expected, so the second floor was opened to accommodate the influx of walk-ins. This will be the blueprint for additional CVDs. Hobson said they also plan to recruit additional language support volunteers, adopt the triage protocols used for Mission of Mercy events, and tighten up communications internally and with patients before and during CVDs.
Organizers were Dr. Waxman’s team, Community Ophthalmology & Remote Access Programs (CORAP), and along with Hobson, her colleague, Dr. Valeria Villabona-Martinez, together with Department managers led by Brian Rudolph and Mary Pitcher. The event was a massive team effort that spanned all specialties and would not have been possible without buy-in at every administrative level. Hobson collaborated closely with UPMC operations staff such as building manager Talisha Richardson, Margo Dominicis, and their coordinators Sandy Kremer and Jennifer Craze. She said UPMC leadership’s willingness to accommodate CVD is also worth highlighting. “Without stakeholders earnestly supporting Dr. Sahel’s vision, none of this is possible,” she said. “Managerial staff at every level should be commended, especially the pod coordinators, Erika Crenshaw and Seana Baker. Lastly, a huge thank you to UPMC Health Plan and the community resource volunteers who provided insurance and SNAP support for our patients.”
CVD will occur quarterly. Future dates are February 21, May 30, August 22, and December 5.