Eyeworld

Dr. McCabe noted that many places offer free care through their practice just out of their office financ- es, but as more people know that's available, it could come to a breaking point. "Those are the people we really need to connect with Operation Sight to keep that activity moving forward," she said. Dr. Rajpal added that his practice used to commit to this humanitarian work on their own, but after being acquired by private equity, they're developing a process where they're signing all the surgeons up for Opera- tion Sight. Dr. Levenson has been doing free cataract surgery for 35 years. He noted that there are roughly 25 million Americans without health insurance, and 1 out of 4 Americans don't have $1,000 in the bank to pay for an un- expected medical expense. "There's no reason in our country for these people to be without the care they need," he said, adding that "it's the purest distillation of my best self and reminds me why I wanted to be an ophthalmol- ogist in the first place." Ms. Boling is the CEO of a third-generation ophthalmology practice—her grandfather, father, and sister are all ophthalmologists. "Hu- manitarian care has been part of our DNA for all 65 years that we've been in practice," she said. "We've been tak- ing care of people in need and believe every single human being deserves access to quality eyecare, no matter what you look like, what language you speak, where you come from, or how much money you have." Ms. McCoy works at the John A. Moran Eye Center. Her mentor was Alan Crandall, MD, who "set the foundation for humanitarian eyecare around the world and in the state of Utah," she said. She noted that her center does more than 72 charitable clinics each year to provide eyecare and has expanded to cover every sub- specialty. continued on next page Dr. Shakir said that one of the ways he's able to offer humanitarian care through his cataract, refractive, and retina private practice is by using office-based surgery. He said the experience has been fantastic, not just for himself, but for his staff and the community. You always want to think of ways to leverage your expertise, knowledge, and skill, he said, adding, "Surgical skill is an incredible thing to have in your arsenal, and to be able to offer that up to society is a privilege." Dr. McCabe noted that she is able to offer humanitarian care to patients who come to her practice in Florida, and she's also involved in international humanitarian activities. If you hav- en't been involved in volunteerism, and you're wondering what impact it will have on your practice and your patients, Dr. McCabe said that "it is the most rewarding thing that I do. I have a skill, a patient has a need, and I can provide for them." Dr. Al-Mohtaseb recently became the ASCRS Foundation Chair. "Every day we make decisions about where we want to concentrate our limited time," she said. "Looking at the big picture around the world, it's import- ant at this time to remember what makes all of us human, the similarities between all of us, and doing things that make a difference that are not just for our own personal gain. This is my next chapter of where I want to concentrate my energy." Dr. Park, a new member of the ASCRS Foundation Board, said that one of the challenges is to see where there's need and to understand that it could be right in front of you. She pointed out that the group of patients called the "working poor" exist at 200% of the federal poverty level. These patients are at the most risk for not receiving adequate medical care because their income is too high for safety-net programs but may be too low to absorb healthcare costs. Obsta- cles to care may include transportation limitations, inability to take off time from work, postop escort require- ments, health literacy challenges, and language barriers. Through Vision Health Interna- tional, Ms. Fedoravicius said they are able to provide high-quality eyecare around the globe. While historically focused more on Latin America, she noted their expansion into domestic care and establishing an effective domestic model partnering with local organizations that are already con- nected to uninsured and underinsured patients. "There's nothing better than helping someone who can't see one day and can the next," she said. Dr. Rajpal, who has experience working as a physician and within industry, said there are "many plac- es where industry can help support what we're all interested in doing." He noted that his practice is part of a private equity group that is interested in supporting eyecare for all. Ms. Duval shared ways that physicians and practices can work with Operation Sight. Source: ASCRS Ms. Fedoravicius spoke about the work of Vision Health International, noting how fulfilling it is to help a patient regain sight. Source: ASCRS

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