The Guerilla Eye Service (GES) is a mobile clinic that provides free eye care to those in need. It’s staffed by volunteer residents, medical students and UPMC Eye Center staff. It was started by medical students with an interest in ophthalmology (the branch of medicine that studies the eye) and Evan (Jake) Waxman, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, who had the vision and knowledge to turn the idea into a program.
GES came to be when students approached Dr. Waxman, vice chair of the ophthalmology department’s resident and medical education programs. They asked to start a local chapter of one of the national vision screening organizations. Dr. Waxman believes screening events raise community awareness of eye disease. They can identify patients at risk of losing vision. But screening events often don’t target patients most at risk.
“In my experience a lot of patients who show up for screenings are outside the targeted risk group,” he says. “In many cases, patients who already have established ophthalmic care come to the screenings for an inappropriate second opinion. Also, I was concerned that patients walk away from the screening overly reassured that they have had a real eye exam. Most importantly, many people who are identified as at-risk receive no follow-up and may forget to or be unable to seek care. I felt we could do better.
“We have decided to take a different approach. We’re focused on recognizing barriers to ophthalmic care and overcoming them. Barriers can be financial, transportation- and mobility-related, geographic or related to attitudes and awareness,” he says.
With grants from local foundations, Dr. Waxman purchased portable equipment that would provide complete eye exams. The first location to benefit from the model was Verland. Verland is a facility for individuals with mental disabilities. Patients in these situations need stability and a sense of familiarity. Taking them away from their familiar environment and bringing them to a busy office is not always best for them. Additional mobile clinic sites have since been added: Birmingham Free Health Clinic, Squirrel Hill Health Center, Ninth Street Free Clinic in McKeesport and Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center. All these sites provide care to underserved populations in Pittsburgh and surrounding counties.
Dr. Waxman says that, “With our current equipment, crew and methods we have identified and treated numerous patients who would have lost vision otherwise.”
Many people in Pittsburgh are extremely thankful, and GES will continue to serve this community.
For more information about the Guerilla Eye Service, email eyecenter@upmc.edu, or call 412-864-3283.