Eyeworld

EW INTERNATIONAL 62 July 2015 by Lauren Lipuma EyeWorld Staff Writer Oculoplastic surgeon brings eyecare to those in need around the world I t's hard to find an area of the world where Bert Bowden, MD, in private practice, Huntsville, Ala., hasn't practiced medicine. Whether it's in Asia, Africa, or Central America, Dr. Bowden dedi- cates much of his time to providing quality eyecare to those in need. As an oculoplastics special- ist, Dr. Bowden's skills have been in high demand in the volunteer world. He began volunteering in 1998 with Medical Ministry Interna- tional (MMI), a non-profit organiza- tion that provides long-term health- care programs across the globe. During the previous year's American Academy of Ophthal- mology (AAO) annual meeting, Dr. Bowden attended an MMI event where Juan Batlle, MD, asked if any oculoplastic surgeons present would be willing to volunteer to teach residents at the Elias Santana Hospital in Santo Domingo, Domin- ican Republic. Dr. Bowden felt an immediate call to action. "I raised my hand and said, 'Here I am, send me,'" he recalled. Dr. Bowden took his first trip to Santo Domingo in March 1998, training local residents in the ba- sics of oculoplastic surgery. While teaching medicine, he also became known as a spiritual leader for doc- tors and staff at the hospital. "That's what I'm trying to do— not only give them physical sight but spiritual sight," he said. "It's a real blessing to be able to go do that." After travelling to the Domin- ican Republic several times, Dr. Bowden expanded his volunteer work to Montemorelos, Mexico, and Baku, Azerbaijan, where he helped create oculoplastic teaching pro- grams for local doctors. In addition to being a teacher, Dr. Bowden helps provide much-needed medical sup- plies for MMI volunteer trips. With the help of staff members at his affiliate hospitals in Huntsville, he collects unused medicines and surgi- cal supplies that would otherwise be thrown away and donates them to MMI missions. A doctor on a mission O ne of our first featured global volunteers is Bert Bowden, MD. Dr. Bowden is a humanitarian who demonstrates characteristics that are key to making a significant long-term impact in the places that he volunteers. One of the paradigms that he works by is to ensure that on every outreach trip he takes, he will be involved in teaching national physicians. His love for teaching and his charismatic style engages and inspires all who interact with him. A second paradigm is his commitment to returning to an area multiple times over a course of several years as his teaching investment into local ophthalmologists matures. Moreover, he is available and involved year round with patient care via email and phone as necessary. After 7 years of teaching in the Dominican Republic, he has fostered 2 fellowship-trained oculoplas- tic physicians and allowed year-round care to continue without dependence on his expertise. A third paradigm is his obvious com- mitment to sacrificing his potential stateside earnings as he travels 3 or more times per year despite running a solo practice. While running a successful solo practice may make it seem nearly impossible to volunteer for most of us, Dr. Bowden sets the bar high and is an excellent resource for those of us asking how to balance our desire to volun- teer with the demands of a busy practice. Dr. Bowden has always been a chal- lenge to me as he is always thinking out- side the box for ways to augment his ability to invest more in global ophthalmology. Stan Pletcher, MD Dr. Bowden examines patients during a mission to Baku, Azerbaijan. Global service spotlight: Highlighting domestic and international volunteer work Dr. Bowden has helped set up oculoplastics training programs in several countries to teach residents the basics of oculoplastic surgery. Source (all): Bert Bowden, MD

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