VOSH/INTERNATIONALV o l u n t e e r O p t o m e t r i c S e r v i c e s t o H u m a n i t y

www.VOSH.org Volume XVIII Fall/Winter 2004-2005

VOSH-NY collaborates with SEE

By Erik Weissberg, OD, Associate Professor ofOptometry, New England College of Optometry,

and Heather Zornetzer

Current efforts to provide eye care tounder-served communities in developingnations are valuable, but often lack the ele-ment of longterm community self-sustain-ability. Although the model whereby visit-ing clinics are organized to bring a group offoreign professionals into one or two com-munities with the goal of treating as manypatients as possible is effective in treatingcertain kinds of acute problems, this “blitz”approach is a band-aid of sorts. Workingwith the philosophy “Give a man a fish andfeed him for a day, but teach a man to fish

Grassroots optometry:Toward self-sustainability

FVI: New honorary award program underwayby Stuart Frank, OD, VOSH-Northwest

No organization can thrive without thededication and support of its membership. Inan effort to acknowledge and to honor thosemembers who have demonstrated a commit-ment to the goals of V/I, the Board has votedto establish the “Fellow of VOSH/INTER-NATIONAL” designation (FVI).

In addition to recognizing individuals whoPlease turn to page 3

ORLANDO SCRAPBOOK: Since theWCO, the AOA and V/I all held meetingsduring the same week in June, representa-tives from Spain, Peru and Ghana were ableto join us for a portion of our annual meet-ing. Everyone cheered as VOSH-KNUST(Ghana) was voted a new Chapter. (Seearticle p. 4). Pictured (Left-r) MohammedKabir, of the Optometry Faculty at KwameNkrumah University of Science &Technology (KNUST), John Randall, for-mer WCO Fellow to KNUST who is nowa professor at Pacific University, AngelaAmedo, also of the KNUST Optometry faculty, and Okechukwu Anyanwu ofJadvick Eye Care Services and the Pro-Nigerian Optometric Association. For further coverageof the V/I Annual Meeting, see pages 2, 3, 4, 5.

have already made significant contributionsto our organization, the fellowship (FVI)honor is also designed to encourage others topursue the acquisition of knowledge, skillsand experience necessary to successfully meetthe global challenge of preventable blindness;to foster the development of future leadersprepared to meet that challenge; and to pre-pare individuals who may be asked to consultwith governmental agencies, educational, pri-vate, or public institutions, and the media onissues related to the mission of V/I.

To achieve the FVI recognition, membersare invited to submit applications to the FVIProgram. Components of the fellowshipprocess are:

(a) Complete an Application for Fellowship;(b) Demonstrate a commitment to the mis-sion of V/I; (c) Successfully complete a writ-ten examination and an oral interview, to begiven at the V/I Annual Meeting.

To request further information and/or anapplication, write or e-mail V/I Secretary-Treasurer Charles Covington or any otherBoard member. Names, addresses, e-mails arelisted on page 8.

Gorman, an eye surgeon friend, and otherophthalmologists to be a part of our dream.

It seems like yesterday when we beganorganizing our inau-gural mission to Perufor the summer of2002. A small cadreof loyal mentors fromother VOSH chaptersshared their contactsand helped us getstarted. Thus it wasnot that difficult tosecure used eyeglasses,mainly from a LionsClub EyeglassesRecycling Program,nor to obtain dona-tions from the phar-

maceutical companies. We were threeoptometrists and one surgeon ready for thisfirst adventure, yet we needed to learn fast

by Jorge Won, OD, president, VOSH-NY

Since VOSH-New York got underway in2001, our modest aspiration has remained totry to provide com-plete eye care to theneedy during anymission. We under-stand that someVOSH chapters pre-fer to provide onlyroutineexams/refractions,and then eyeglassesif needed. Werespect that model,yet prefer to alsoinclude secondaryand tertiary eye care.

We have been for-tunate in our private practice in New YorkCity to be working and co-managing withophthalmologists for quite some time. It didnot take much to convince Dr. David Please turn to page 7

Left-r: Volunteer Jessica Lamos, VOSH-NYfounder Jorge Won, OD, 5 surgical patients andLuis Arevalo, MD, a SEE affiliate, in Pisco, Peru.

A “grassroots” trainee works with a patient.

Page 2 VOSH/INTERNATIONAL Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 www.VOSH.org

From the President’s desk ...

Greetings VOSHers and Friends,

VOSH/INTERNATIONAL has a lot goingon as you can see from articles within thisnewsletter and by visiting www.VOSH.org.

Rather than restate VOSH news, I’d like toopen a dialogue with you regarding an alterna-tive model of eye care delivery in under-devel-

oped countries, one thatwe may want to blendinto our eye care mis-sions. (See related fea-ture on page 1.)

Presently when we goon a mission, our goal isto help as many individ-uals as possible in theamount of time allotted.Those individuals not

evaluated have no way to receive help unlessanother team returns to their area. For siteswhere there are permanent clinics, this is notas much of a concern. It can be a real problemfor individuals living in remote areas.

Over the past few years we have heard fromspeakers at our annual VOSH meetings andfrom e-mails from around the world voicing acommon concern: How can VOSH/INTER-NATIONAL make its program more self-suffi-cient for third-world countries?

Many organizations and individuals whowork daily with the third-world population,are promoting the idea of mission teams tak-ing the time to effectively train local healthcare providers in very basic refraction andhealth evaluation skills.

Dale Cole, OD

I have corresponded with Dr. Jerry Vincent,OD, MPH, Blindness Prevention Consultantfor the International Rescue Committee, onseveral occasions. He has experienced eyecare missions worldwide and he makes severalgood points in support of training locals to dorefractions:

1. Visiting teams that provide direct clini-cal care do not make a significant statisticalcontribution in reducing the global burden ofrefractive error. The need is over a billion.Training, on the other hand, allows for reach-ing much larger numbers of people and forfaster expansion of services.

2. A program with an unending need forimported expertise is not sustainable; it simplyfosters a dependency.

Those individuals and organizations thathave been training local semi-skilled healthworkers state that these individuals can learnto do refractions and make appropriate assess-ment of the health of the eye. It should cer-tainly be understood that not all needs for thepatient can be taken care of in this manner.

Some of you may raise questions:

What if I don’t feel comfortable trainingand want to serve just as I have always done?

First of all, simply because “We have neverdone it that way,” doesn’t mean there mightnot be potential for success. If you don’t feelcomfortable doing training, then you can stilldo your excellent work as before. Some of youwill find satisfaction in training others. Wewould still have our mission teams, but a

“new specialty” would be added to the mix.

How will we get glasses, supplies to them ?That will be an issue to work through. Theexcess glasses left behind may be a start andwe might take extra glasses to leave for thispurpose.

How can they become good refractionistswith little training? Remember, we are hopingthey can fill some of the basic needs of nearwork, simple refraction problems, and deter-mining such things as dense cataracts. Wearen’t striving to make them “Jr. optometrists”to solve all the problems of the community.

Who would they consult with for problempatients? The same question could be asked ofus. To whom would we refer for further carein their community?

Can they cause more problems by givingthe wrong glasses ? Again, this is the same sit-uation for us. How accurate do you feel yourprescribed glasses are by the last day whensupplies are slim pickings? If we were to trainsomeone in basic refraction, they would bethere to possibly help patients having difficul-ty with a new Rx. They would be available totry to serve those we were unable to see.

In conclusion, training local individualscould have some real merit. It certainly won’treplace the work we now do but it can cer-tainly work in tandem with our present sys-tem. See the News Page of our website(www.VOSH.org) for further details andassistance regarding training local health careworkers and others.

What’s your experience? Your opinion? Letme hear your thoughts and lets keep ourminds open to new challenges for the better-ment of the visual welfare of the less fortu-nate.

Dale K. Cole, OD, President, V/I

dcole@informatics.net

Your continued support of VOSH/INTER-NATIONAL is vital to our ability to main-tain our excellent website, to collaboratewith other related organizations globally andto foster Chapter growth and development.

V/I is a 501(c)(3) corporation, makingyour contributions tax-deductible. VOSHChapter members are now automaticallymembers of VOSH/INTERNATIONAL. Avoluntary suggested donation of $10 per per-son is recommended from each Chapter.Chapter dues are $100 per year.

We appreciate all donations big or small,because it is through them that we are ableto advance our projects to provide eyecare tothe needy worldwide. If you or your spousework for a major corporation, please checkto see if they offer matching funds, as it dou-

bles the value of your contribution.

Contributions can be sent to:VOSH/INTERNATIONAL, c/o CharlesCovington, Sec/Treasurer, 111 Linda Lane,Lake Mary, FL 32746.

For anyone collecting used eyeglasses forrecycling, please refer to the “RecyclingCenters” listing on our websitewww.VOSH.org for sorting centers nearestyou.

We receive frequent requests for good,used equipment. If you have items to donate,contact Dale Cole, OD, atdcole@informatics.net.

If you are considering V/I in your estateplanning, contact John Gehrig, Esq., atorlandoeye@earthlink.net.

Your memberships and donations

Consider an alternate mode of eyecare delivery

www.VOSH.org VOSH/INTERNATIONAL, Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 Page 3

VOSH news

and he’ll feed himself for life,” we are develop-ing a different model.

Erik Weissberg, OD, Nicole Quinn, OD,Bruce Moore, OD, several more colleagues atthe New England College of Optometry andHeather Zornetzer have been creating a train-ing program that targets health care workers inunder-served communities in an attempt totransfer the ability to provide basic eye andvision care to members of the communityitself. Data compiled from three previousVOSH-NECO trips to Nicaragua has shownthat over 55 percent of patients seeking eyecare during the missions were treated for pres-byopia.

Although presbyopia commonly affectspeople in their late forties, for reasons notcompletely understood, it has been shown tohave an earlier onset in underdeveloped coun-tries, affecting people in their early thirties.

What we have learned through our experi-ences in Nicaragua is that people in underde-veloped areas either do not have access toglasses or are unaware that something caneven be done about their slowly deterioratingnear vision.

While traditional VOSH missions areimportant, we also recognize that the majorityof the people we are treating do not requireour expert help and rather can be treated bylocal workers with some simple training andthe appropriate tools. This concept has beentried before, but often required equipment thateither gets lost, stolen or malfunctions underless than ideal conditions. Our proposal focus-es on the transfer of knowledge with simpletools to accomplish the goal of training “grass-roots optometrists.”

“Grassroots optometrists” will serve as thebase of what will be a pyramid approach toproviding vision care in the region. Ourimmediate goal is to create a team of localworkers trained to treat presbyopia, educatethe community and simultaneously screen formore complex conditions. With communityhealth care workers treating presbyopia, a largeportion of the vision care needs within thecommunity could be addressed, while settingup the framework for a much needed systemthat identifies those requiring more complicat-ed eye care. Those requiring additional carewould be funneled toward the appropriatefacilities “in country” or to future VOSH andother eye care clinics that can focus on pro-viding care to individuals with more severevision issues.

A vision for sustainable eye care deliveryWe selected the community of Mozonte, in

the province of Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua,(along the Honduran border), to test the“grassroots optometry” model over a three-year period. During our January ’04 mission,two laypersons underwent a full day of train-ing in use of the protocol. Statistical analysesto date indicate that for those patients not inneed of a referral, the trained layperson islikely to obtain either success or near success(within 1 diopter) in diagnosis more than90% of the time for distance prescription andmore than 85% of the time for the near pre-scription.

Further modification is needed and will betested in our upcoming mission in January’05. Complete results of this portion of thestudy will be presented at the AmericanAcademy of Optometry Meeting inDecember, 2004. Excerpts from the report willbe posted on the V/I website shortly after themeeting takes place.

To learn more about this project or todonate funds or supplies, contact Dr. ErikWeissberg at weissberge@neco.edu.

MAKINGMUSIC FOR VOSH-NECOTEAM INMOZONTE: Among patientsexamined in Mozonte, Nicaragua, lastDecember, was a family with Leber’sCongenital Amaurosis.Ten of the fifteen orso family members have some expression ofthe disease. When the VOSHers return thisyear, they will bring a low vision/mobilityspecialist to help set up their homes for bet-ter mobility and to fit them with low visiondevices. Of the five who have formed a band,four are blind. The VOSH-NECO team wasable to help the accordian player because hewas a high myope. On the last evening ofthis mission, the band showed up at the hostfamily’s home to express their appreciation tothe VOSH team through their music.

Continued from page 1

They believe in VOSHLeft: At the opening of the V/I Annual

Meeting in Orlando in June, Pat Cummings,OD, former AOA president and now Vice-President, Professional Affairs of VISTAKON, adivision of Johnson & Johnson (l), announcedVISTAKON’s third annual $20,000 donation tohelp VOSH continue to advance its agenda. Inaddition, VISTAKON has assisted numerousChapters with specific needs.

For the past three years, Baum Printing, aMoore Wallace Co. of Philadelphia has been a donor in the supporting sponsor categorythrough its assistance with the printing and delivery of this newsletter. Alcon Laboratoriesof Texas has been a supporting sponsor for the past two years.

Right: Earlier this year, after studying ourwebsite and asking a lot of questions, SpecteraVision Care Benefits and Vision Plans made adonation of $5,000 to support V/I efforts.David Hall, president of Spectera Vision (l)and Jeannette Duerr, vice-president, CorporateCommunications, attended our annual meet-ing and presented a ceremonial check to presi-dent Dale Cole, OD. Spectera, which has aregional sales office in Illinois, has also donat-ed 3,000 pairs of new frames to VOSH-Illinois,to honor president Sandra Bury, OD, for her achievement as the AOA’s “YoungOptometrist of the Year.” Earlier this year, the company made a similar donation of framesto the VOSH Chapter at the Indiana University School of Optometry.

Page 4 VOSH/INTERNATIONAL Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 www.VOSH.org

VOSH news

Josh Silver, PhD, inventor and physics pro-fessor from Oxford, England, traveled toFlorida in June to talk to V/IAnnual Meeting attendeesabout the adaptive liquid lenseshe has invented.

How they work sounds prettysimple. The person puts on apair of mass-produced, liquid-filled, spherical glasses, adjustseach eye for clear vision, sealseach lens and then removes theadjusters. The fluid then con-geals.

Possible prescriptions rangefrom -6.00 to +6.00. While they can’t correcteveryone’s vision, they can help a significantnumber of adults, noted Dr. Silver.

Cost to produce a pair of these self-prescrib-ing lenses is presently under $2 a pair. Theglasses are now in mass production and prod-

Do those self-refracting eyeglasses really work?uct trials are underway.

If indeed, the goal [of the WHO] is to pro-vide eye care to a billion peoplewho presently have no access to itby the year 2020, Dr. Silverbelieves conventional models ofservice are inadequate. His is analternative approach, one whichhe believes can help tackle theproblem. “Eye care is a worldhealth issue that is also social andeconomic and it has largely beenoverlooked,” said Dr. Silver.

Several weeks after Dr. Silver’spresentation, newly-appointed

V/I Executive Director Harry Zeltzer, OD,traveled to Oxford to participate in an inter-national conference on Affordable VisionCorrection in Third-World Countries thatwas hosted by Dr. Silver. For more informa-tion contact josh.silver@new.ox.ac.uk.

Because of the extreme political upheavalin Haiti earlier this year, several scheduledVOSH trips had to be cancelled. With thisrecent historical backdrop, it was especiallyfitting that one of the speakers at the V/I2004 Annual Meeting was Dumas M. Siméus,Chairman and CEO ofSiméus Foods, founder ofthe Siméus Foundation(TSF), a member of V/Iand a Haitian by birth.

A soft-spoken but pas-sionate speaker, Mr.Siméus began by payingtribute to America for theopportunity it has provid-ed him. There was hardlya dry eye in the room asMr. Siméus told the storyof his background as oneof twelve children of a poor, illiterate farmer.Mr. Siméus eventually came to this country,earned a degree in electrical engineering andan MBA from the University of Chicago.“This would never have happened had lremained in Haiti,” he mentioned flatly.

“Let me tell you about my people,” he con-tinued, explaining that Haiti has a popula-tion of 8 million people but there are a maxi-mum of 8 eyecare specialists in the country.Average wage is $1 per day.

“When you professionals ask someone, “Isit better this way or this way?” they don’t

Together we can make a difference in Haitiunderstand. These are people who do notunderstand basic concepts like turning a lighton or screwing in a bulb,” he said. “So, whenyou provide them eyecare, you are providingthem social education as well.”

Mr. Siméus continues to donatetruckloads of food to food banks allover the United States and he isdedicated to helping better thelives of the people in the commu-nity where he grew up. “There’snever enough money and I got theidea that money alone is not solv-ing the problems,” he said.

Two years ago, Mr. Siméusfounded a medical clinic in Pont-Sondé, Haiti, that treats 800 peo-ple each month. Next summer hewill construct a permanent eyecare clinic there. His larger vision

includes building a one-hundred bed hospitalwith a modern trauma center.

Mr. Siméus has joined V/I and he’d like tocollaborate with VOSH and SEE in Haiti. Hehas the site and connections for in-countrysupport. Anyone interested contact: vdick-ey@simeusfoundation.org.

Coincidentally, next year’s V/I AnnualMeeting will take place in Dallas, Texas, nearwhere Mr. Siméus’s firm is located. He’s invit-ed us to tour his facility and to talk furtherabout working with him to help the people ofHaiti. See www.simeusfoundation.org.

Dumas Siméus and employeeVanessa Dickey who serves asvolunteer Executive Directorof the Siméus Foundation

Dr. Josh Silver demon-strated how his his adap-tive liquid lenses work.

Vincent Pescatore Eye Clinic dedication

VOSH-PA has every reason to beproud. After ten years of planning, fouryears in funding and two years in con-struction, their longterm project, theVincent Pescatore Eye Clinic in thePéten region of Guatemala, is up andrunning. A dedication ceremony washeld on April 21.

The clinic was designed and built byGuatemalans. Further, it is fully staffedby Guatemalans. Presently there are 30employees. Among them are 4 ophthal-mologists and 2 optometrists.

To assure that it remains self-sustain-ing, the clinic will operate on a slidingscale fee system, providing free care tothe very poor and a fee-for-service forthose who can afford it.

The success of the Péten clinic loca-tion has spawned two additional clinicsites in Guatemala City and Jutiapa.VOSH-PA now oversees a network thatis accessible to 1.4 million people wholive in poverty.

The goal of VOSH-PA’s next project isto screen in excess of 50,000 childrenfrom the Péten to Guatemala City andJutiapa each year and fund approximately175 pediatric surgeries and 4,000 chil-dren’s prescription glasses. VOSH-PAestimates the need to raise approximately$200,000 per year to fund this project.

One of VOSH-PA’s fundraisers is aClimb for Sight. This year it will be upMt. Kilimanjaro, from January 29-February 7, 2005.

“The gift of sight to just one personcan transform a whole family and evenan entire community,” says VOSH-PApresident Doug Villella. For further infor-mation, contact doug@surferie.net.

www.VOSH.org VOSH/INTERNATIONAL, Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 Page 5

At the V/IAnnual Meeting,Stan Brock, apilot and formerhost of the popu-lar Wild Kingdomtelevision series,spoke aboutRemote AreaMedical (RAM),the non-profitairborne reliefcorps he foundedin 1985. RAM is dedicated to providing freehealth, eye, dental and veterinary services inimpoverished areas here in America as well asabroad. Victoria Weiss, OD, founder ofVOSH-VA introduced Stan and eloquentlyfielded questions for him later in the day. Sheheads the vision care team for RAM missionsin Wise, VA and in Tennessee. Over 1,000patients received eyecare services during oneweekend last July in Tennessee. For prescrip-tions, the team had a stock of readers. Wherenecessary, glasses were made up in an 18-wheeler unit that has the capacity to handle200 pairs of glasses per day. Seewww.ramusa.org.

AlfredRosenbloom, OD,MA, DOS, ChairEmeritus of theChicagoLighthouse LowVisionRehabilitationService, a professorat the IllinoisCollege ofOptometry and aveteran of over 30VOSH clinics,addressed the V/IAnnual Meetingconcerning anoth-er global eyecareissue: low vision. “It’s one of the mostneglected segments of eye care in our countryand in countries where we visit,” commentedDr. Rosenbloom.

As one example, Dr. Rosenbloom cited aVOSH trip to Quito, Ecuador, when at aSchool for the Blind, 75% of the patients histeam evaluated were helped with low visionaids, enabling them to be in a regular class-room.

During another recent VOSH clinic inCasablanca, Morocco, Sister City to Chicago,a group of students from a school for theblind were bussed to the clinic site. 25% hadtotal blindness or light vision only. Dr.Rosenbloom’s team examined the remainingstudents and were able to help a number ofthem with low vision aids. Because of theirsuccess in helping these patients, Dr.Rosenbloom and his group have been invitedback to establish a permanent low vision clin-ic. For further information, contact Dr.Rosenbloom at aarlovis@voyager.net. orweblink@webletter.lighthouse.org.

VOSH-VA collaborates with RAM

Low vision -A neglected segment of service

Alfred Rosenbloom,OD, chats with JanetLeasher, OD, regardingher report on the WorldCouncil of Optometry(WCO) meeting heldearlier in the week.

Harry Zeltzer, OD, DOS, FAAO, who hasworn innumerable hats in various leadershippositions for VOSH/INTERNATIONAL forthe past several years, now has a new title:Executive Director. He will be offering hiscontinued services to V/I as a volunteer.

“As the organization grows and interactson a global level, it is important to have aknowledgeable person, one versed in theaffairs of the organization, to turn to foradvice and to represent V/I at conferencesand meetings as deemed necessary,” noted

Dr. Zeltzer named Executive Directorpresident Dale Cole. “Further, I can’t tell youhow many times Dr. Zeltzer bailed me out insituations where I could not personally followthrough this past year.”

It was from Dr. Zeltzer’s participation in theUNESCO Congress for Visual Health inBarcelona that we first became aware of theservices provided by Project SEE.

Since his appointment, Dr. Zeltzer has trav-eled to Oxford, England to represent V/I at aconference on Affordable Vision Correctionin Third-World Countries. The event wasorganized by Josh Silver, PhD, one of thespeakers at our V/I Annual Meeting inFlorida in June. (See related article on p. 4.)

In August Dr. Zeltzer traveled to Midland,Texas, to meet with Ike Fitzgerald, CEO ofthe Texas Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center(TLERC). Dr. Zeltzer reviewed the facilityand its programs.

During the discussion, efforts to start aVOSH-Texas Chapter were initiated and it ishoped that the Chapter will become a realityin time for next year’s annual meeting inDallas, Texas.

VOSH news

Victoria Weiss, OD, andStan Brock

With the formal acceptance of VOSH-KNUST (Ghana) in Orlando, we nowhave 31 Chapters, along with an additional18 active student chapters.

The Ghana Chapter will be centered atKwame Nkrumah University of Scienceand Technology (KNUST), located inKumasi, Ghana. A four-year school ofOptometry is part of their physical sciencedepartment.

Faculty leaders heading up VOSH-KNUST are Mohammed Abdul-Kabir andTony Randall. For information, email:kabir265@yahoo.com.

Ghana has a population of nearly 21million people. Presently there are only 45optometrists, 40 ophthalmologists and 25opticians to serve the eyecare needs of thepopulace.

Already, a collaborative effort is under-way for V/I representatives, PacificUniversity College of Optometry, theirAmigos student organization and VOSH-Oregon to conduct an eye care clinic at theschool and in Kumasi, Ghana, just prior tothe next general delegates’ meeting of theWorld Council of Optometry in April,2005. That event will take place in Accra,the capital of Ghana, approximately 125miles from Kumasi. Contact is AaronWeins, weins@pacificu.edu.

VOSH-IL is also working on a missionto Accra in early April. Contact SandyBury, OD, docbury@aol.com.

On to Dallas in JuneSave the date! V/I’s 2005 Annual

Meeting will be held on Tuesday andWednesday, June 22-23, in Dallas, Texas,once again to coincide with the AOAConvention so participants can attendboth events. The AOAConvention runsfrom June 22-26.

We urge all Chapters to send a represen-tative to the annual meeting. We needyour input; you are our Board of Directorsand each of you has a vote.

Already we’ve lined up a roster ofthought-provoking speakers and we lookforward to meeting you all, sharing a littletime together, discussing related issues, andgetting your input.

And now, VOSH- KNUST

Page 6 VOSH/INTERNATIONAL Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 www.VOSH.org

VOSH news

by Alan Gruber, MD, alangruber@aol.com

Friends of ASAPROSAR (AsociacionSalvadorena Pro Salud Rural) held its 16thannual health campaign at the end of January.Some 52 volunteers served either in SantaAna or at a new site five hours away in SanMiguel, El Salvador. Through the years, theteam has managed to raise enough funds tobuild a medical/surgical building in SantaAna. Construction of a clinic/surgical supportbuilding is currently underway. It will beattached to the first structure and will effec-tively double the available space.

ASAPROSAR covers all costs for the pro-duction of an eye campaign; that is, the coststo ASAPROSAR are minimal and, therefore,their funds continue to be devoted to the careof the poor. Costs this year were approximate-ly $75,000. That averages out to about $43per patient. It is a great bargain when consid-ering that it includes corneal transplants, pro-vision of eye prostheses, cataract surgery, pro-fessional eye examinations, eyeglasses andmedications, surgical supplies and equipmentthat will allow ASAPROSAR staff to see1,000 patients over the course of the year.

Most volunteers pay all of their ownexpenses for room, board, transportation andother costs. The costs for a few volunteers arepaid for by their employers or by donationsfrom others.

As in the past, the total administrativecosts of Friends of ASAPROSAR amount toless than one-half of one percent. Efforts con-tinue through the donations of time andfunds by volunteers and other generousdonors.

ASAPROSAR in El Salvador

Greg Hagedorn, OD, of Kentucky examininga patient in San Miguel

23rd trip to Comayagua, Hondurasby James E. Van Winkle, OD, VOSH-Indiana

Our multi-disciplinary team of 70 volunteers providedeye exams, eye surgeries, medical, dental and chiropracticservices in Comayagua, Honduras, in January. Sponsoredjointly by VOSH-Indiana and Lions International, thismission marked the 23rd year of consecutive service tothe area. The Comayagua project was initiated by C.William Trubey, OD, in 1981.

Eight years ago, with the cooperation of LionsInternational and the local Comayagua Lions, a perma-nent clinic named in honor of Dr. Trubey was establishedat the local Lions clubhouse site. The compound includesa huge Lions clubhouse and two additional buildings, onefor eye surgery and one for dental care. The clinic main-

tains an inventory of approximately 30,000 pairs of neutralized glasses. A local technicianhas been trained to use an autorefractor to provide eyeglasses on an ongoing basis. This yeareye surgeons operated on 102 patients. ODs saw between 700 and 800 patients per day, fit-ting more than 3,500 to glasses. Another arm of the mission distributed 14 tons of grainthat was bagged at the Comayagua Lions compound in 16 to 18 pound sacks and then dis-tributed.

was led into the room became immediatelyclear to the doctors. The gentleman wasextremely nearsighted, to the point that hecould only appreciate objects within oneinch of his eyes. He had walked around in avery foggy world all of his life. Now, his chil-dren were doing so also. Three of the fivechildren were highly nearsighted.

Because of this mission, these children andtheir dad will receive the eyeglasses they sodesperately need. The children will be ableto see better, will go to school and will beable to read. They will receive an educationbecause they will be able to participate inschool, and when they grow up, they will beable to contribute to their communities andfamilies …. all because they now have a sim-ple pair of eyeglasses. For further information,pfuhr@mindspring.com.

By Patricia Fuhr, OD, PhD, VOSH-AL

A pair of glasses can make the difference indriving a car, obtaining employment, or sup-porting a family. A simple pair of readingglasses can make a difference in being able tohelp a child with homework, reading a bookor newspaper, cooking or sewing, seeing awatch, or making a craft. I want to tell youthe story of many organizations and individu-als coming together to help those in need,and in particular, I want to tell you the storyof one family.

It takes a village to raise a child successful-ly, as stated by Hillary Clinton, former FirstLady of the United States. It also takes theconcern and cooperation of individuals andorganizations to provide eye and vision careto some of the one billion persons in theworld who do not have adequate access tothose services. In fact, if you were one ofthose individuals, you would not be able toread this article.

In the spring of 2004, VOSH-AL, joinedwith the District 34-O Lions of Alabama todeliver eye and vision care to over 3,000needy persons in Mexico. Sites for the eye-care services and transportation for those inneed were arranged by the Lions Clubs ofMascota and Union de Tula, Mexico. Thelocal Lions worked with the US volunteersand arranged housing, meals, and local trans-portation for the participants from the US.Eyeglasses for the mission came from a varietyof sources. Recycled eyeglasses were donated

“Just” a simple pair of eyeglassesby The Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers ofOcala and Silver Springs, Florida.

In one town, a family with five childrenpresented for eye care. A small boy held thehand of his father on one side, and a little sis-ter on the other side; his mother held a babyand the hand of another young girl, whileanother child followed by her side. We foundthat the father was not able to read anythingon the eye chart and three of the childrencould not recognize any targets on the chil-dren’s eye chart. The father reported that hecould not read, had never been to school, andhad never worked. He also said that neitherhe nor his children had ever seen an eye doc-tor. This was their first opportunity to do so.

The young boy who led his father into theroom had normal vision, as did the motherand the baby. However, the reason the father

A young Honduran boy scoutchecks out James E. VanWinkle, OD, as the optometrist(and trip leader) checks thehealth of the youth’s eyes.

VOSH newsbriefs at a glance

how to obtain the surgical supplies forDavid.

Then we found out about Project SEE(Surgical Eye Expeditions) International.They are also a non-profit, humanitarianorganization with a stated mission of “pro-viding medical, surgical and educational ser-vices by volunteer ophthalmic surgeons withthe primary objective of restoring sight todisadvantaged blind individuals worldwide”.Getting in touch with SEE’s Director ofInternational Clinics enabled us to fulfill ourintention of offering the surgical option dur-ing our missions. We have worked closelyever since.

SEE has provided all the surgical suppliesfor four of our VOSH-New York missions.They are what we call a “turnkey” operationwhere we tell them when and where we are

going, and how many surgeries our surgeonsplan to perform during the mission. ThenSEE ships us all the supplies, free of charge -from gloves, masks, needles and IOLs, tolending us operating microscopes, A-scans,phaco machines and even surgical trays ofinstruments for our surgeon(s), if needed.

The only requirements from SEE are thatwe must locate and provide assurances thata local ophthalmologist will continue post-op care after our departure, and that our sur-geons do not charge for their services.

From our experiences we believe there aretwo main models regarding how we can workefficiently. The first one could be where aVOSH advance team goes first in order todo the primary care and selection of the sur-gical cases for the SEE team that will follow.And the second way could encompass a jointVOSH-SEE team that works together at the

same site, as VOSH-New York does.

VOSH and SEE are ideal partners in anymission. We are indeed parallel organiza-tions, where we VOSH volunteers are wellsuited to provide the basic examinations tocounter ametropia, which has been describedas the first cause of functional blindness inthe world. SEE empowers humanitarian sur-geons to offer free surgical care to the needy.

SEE not only provides all the surgical sup-plies but also has a wealth of contacts andinformation regarding whichever countryyour Chapter might be considering for aVOSH mission.

For more information, contact SEEInternational at (800) 208-6733, visitwww.seeintl.org. or www.VOSH.org whichhas a link to their web page.

VOSH and SEE: a natural collaborationContinued from page 1

* * * * *INMEMORIAM: Dr. Richard Schamber IsaakRichard Schamber Isaak, OD,passed away on January 12, 2004.Dr. Isaak became a member of theSouth Dakota Optometric StateBoard in the mid 1960s and even-tually served as president.

In the mid-1980s Dr. Isaakjoined VOSH and from that timeuntil his death, he dedicated sev-eral weeks each winter to VOSHmissions in Central America.

* * * * *INEXPENSIVE TRIP MEDICALEVACUATION INSURANCE:Bob Foote, OD, of VOSH-MI,reports that Adams & Associatesof Columbia, SC, offers medicalevacuation and travel insurancefor those with no personal cover-age as such, for $2 per day. Thecompany specializes in medicalmissions. Contact is DanielDunne: ddunne@aaintl.com

* * * * *GETTING TO KNOW US:This year’s V/I booth at theConvention Hall in Florida wasoptimally situated near the AOAsign-in desk so it attracted a con-siderable number of people whowanted more information. Otherswho stopped simply wanted to

talk about their own VOSHexperiences. V/I also ran a con-tinual Powerpoint presentationduring its all-day annual meetingand staffed booths at the SECOconference in Atlanta and theInternational Lions Conventionin Detroit. Kudos to RuthMcAndrews, OD, for organizingthe efforts.

* * * * *PREPARING FOR TEXAS: Ournew Executive Director HarryZeltzer, OD, traveled to Midland,Texas, in July to review the TexasLions Eyeglass Recycling Center(TLERC) with its CEO, IkeFitzgerald, a past Lions districtgovernor. The Center is locatedin an old movie theater that’sbeen converted to a warehousefor storing eyeglasses and opticalequipment. It has a huge functionhall for Lions meetings, offices,

examining areas and classrooms.Once a month, TLERC trains laypeople to refract in underdevel-oped nations. TLERC is develop-ing distribution centers, clinicsand and optical labs in Honduras,Mexico, Brazil and Guyana.

Both Dr. Zeltzer and Mr.Fitzgerald were open to partner-ing in projects. Never at a loss forideas, Dr. Zeltzer immediatelyproposed a collaboration to startup a VOSH-Texas Chapter beforenext year’s V/I Annual Meetingin Texas. Dr. Norman Gould, aretired OD and TLERC officer,will contact Texas ODs.

* * * * *

HONOR ROLL: Several activeVOSHers have received recogni-tion for their VOSH efforts.Harry Zeltzer, OD, was awardedan honorary Doctor of OcularScience at the New EnglandCollege of Optometry graduationceremony in June; Rich Ryan,OD, of VOSH-Northwest, wasnamed OD of the year forWashington state. Sandy Bury,OD of VOSH-IL, was named theAOA’s Optometrist of the Year;Dale Cole, OD, of VOSH-KS washonored as OD of the Year by theHeart of America Contact Lens

Society. Alfred Rosenbloom, OD,was honored for his VOSH effortsin Casablanca at this year’s annu-al performance/fundraiser of theChicago Sister Cities Program.

* * * * *

HUMANITARIANS OF THEYEAR 2004: Bob and ShirleyMerriam were this year’s recipi-ents of V/I’s Humanitarian(s) ofthe Year Award. The couple hasjust completed their 60th VOSHmission. Long before the era ofcomputers Bob designed a spread-sheet to establish a profile ofpatients that has been invaluablein packing for trips,” says Dr. JeffMarshall, who made the presenta-tion. Affiliated until now withVOSH-Indiana, the Merriams aremoving over to assist in getting aVOSH-Kentucky Chapter up andrunning.

www.VOSH.org VOSH/INTERNATIONAL, Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 Page 7

VOSH/INTERNATIONALVolunteer Optometric Services to Humanity

Secretary/Treasurer

Charles Covington, Sr.

111 Linda Lane

Lake Mary, FL 32746

PRESIDENTDale Cole, OD

1000 E. Cloud, Salina, KS 67401785-823-6391 dcole@informatics.net

PRESIDENT-ELECTRuth S. McAndrews, OD

PO Box 37, Durant, IA 52747-0037ruthmca@iowatelecom.net

VICE-PRESIDENTSSandra Bury, OD

5511 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, IL 60453docbury@aol.com

Patti Fuhr, OD5720 11th Ave S., Birmingham, AL 35222

pfuhr@mindspring.com

Larry Hookway, OD320 West Walton, Willard, Ohio 44890

lhookway@willard-oh.com

Marina Roma-March, OD2453 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, B.C. V5N 4B8

twecs@sprint.ca

SECRETARY/TREASURERCharles H. Covington, Sr.

111 Linda Lane, Lake Mary, FL 32746407-328-5825 ccovington@cfl.rr.com

LEGAL COUNSELJohn Gehrig, Esq.

2025 Sussex Rd, Winter Park, FL 32792orlandoeye@earthlink.net

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

and INTERIM WEBMASTER

Harry I. Zeltzer, OD, DOS, FAAOPO Box 209, Ipswich, MA 01938

978-356-0447 harryizeltzer@comcast.net

NEWSLETTER EDITORZabelle D’Amico

Box 41, Holden, MA 01520508-829-2033 eyeclam@aol.com

VOSH/INTERNATIONALVolunteer Optometric Services to Humanity

VOSH/ INTERNATIONAL is a voluntary non-profitorganization whose primary goal is to facilitate theprovision of vision care worldwide to people who canneither afford nor obtain such care.

VOSH/ INTERNATIONAL accomplishes this goalby service as a coordinating body for affiliatedChapters, by administratively supporting activities ofChapters and members, and by actively promotingthe formation of new Chapters and new members.

VOSH/INTERNATIONAL is a non-sectarian andnon-political organization. Currently there are 31VOSH Chapters. In addition, there are 18 active stu-dent Chapters.

Visit www.VOSH.org

RETURNSERVICE REQUESTED

To newsletter recipients:

Please display newsletter in your office or otherwise circulate.

Chapters within the United States:Alabama: Patti Fuhr, OD, PhD205-591-8165, pfuhr@mindspring.comArizona: Ed Tuhy, OD, 218-732-3246 tuhyl@juno.com California: David Krasnow, OD,drkrasnow@yahoo.comColorado: Jay Greenstein, ODdrjay519@hotmail.comConnecticut: Matt Blondin, OD 860-489-2781 Mblond2@aol.comFlorida: Linda Kirk, kirkster@cfl.rr.comIllinois: Sandy Bury, OD, docbury@aol.comIndiana: Jeff Marshall, OD, 317-357-8534, drjcm@att.netIowa: Harlan Vander Griend, OD, 712-324-3020, sa3@nethtc.netKansas: Dale Cole, OD, 785-823-6391, dcole@informatics.net DianaCarriger, OD, dianacarriger@hotmail.comMichigan: Mark Cook, OD,mcook@optimeyes.comMinnesota: Jim Hess, OD, 763-537-3213, imnod@aol.comMissouri: Bud Falkenhain, OD, 573-364-1773, drfalk@fidnet.comNebraska: Gary Pederson, OD, 308-384-0250, gpexpress@aol.comNECO: Timothy O’Connor, OD, 508-799-4862 eyedoctim@aol.comNew York: Jorge Won, OD, 718-651-2020ojowon@aol.comNortheast: Carl Sakovitz, OD,

islanddoc5@aol.com

Northwest: Frank DeRosier, OD,dpvctheofficenet.comOhio: Larry Hookway, OD, 419-933-2741l.hookway@willard-oh.comOregon: Ann Slocum-Edmonds, OD, 503-285-1671, amsedmonds@msn.comPennsylvania : Doug Villella, OD,Dougv@surferie.netSouth Dakota: Brad Meier, OD, bmeierod@dailypost.com, Utah: R.M. Pugh, OD, 801-798-2244vision4all@sfcn.netVirginia: Victoria Weiss, OD,434-9591-0262, dvcclear@aol.comWisconsin: Mark Ebben, OD,ebben@gbonline.comWyoming: Scott Loe, OD, 307-237-8713, drloe@trib.com

Chapters Abroad:B.C., Canada: Marina Roma-March, OD 604-688-8150, twecs@sprint.caIndia (New Delhi): Ajeet Bhardwaj, ODoptique@de13vsnl.net.inGhana (VOSH-Knust): Mohammed Abdul-Kabir, kabir265@yahoo.comHonduras: Ruth Berkling,rberkling@sulanet.netNetherlands: Frank Buijs, f.buijs@fg.hvu.nlOntario, Canada: John Spencer,johnspencer@cyg.net

VOSH CHAPTER OFFICERS 2004-2005

We would like to acknowledge Baum Printing, a Moore Wallace Co., of Philadelphia, for itsassistance in the printing and delivery of this newsletter.

Page 4A VOSH/INTERNATIONAL Fall/Winter 2004-2005 www.VOSH.org

Calendar of upcoming VOSH missions

Upcoming trips are listed in order by near-est date. Contact trip leader for more infor-mation. Additional info/photos regardingsome clinics are available through Chapterlinks on the V/I website: www.VOSH.org

Mission leaders: Please e-mail your updatedtrip information to harryizeltzer@comcast.net,or fill in the form located at the top of theUpcoming Trips page of our website.

l MATAGALPA/MUY MUY, Nicaragua,Nov. 11-21, 2004, VOSH-FL, Suzy Bamberg,suzybamberg@mybluelight.com

l PETEN, GUATEMALA, Dec. 3-12,2004, VOSH-PA, Chris Wurst,Cwurst1@comcast.net

l MOZONTE (Nueva Segovia),NICARAGUA, Dec. 27, 2004-Jan. 6, 2005,VOSH-NECO, Erik Weissberg, OD, weiss-berge@ne-optometry.edu

l SAN JUAN DEL SUR, NICARAGUA,Jan. 8-15,2005, VOSH-CT, Matt Blondin,OD, mblond2@aol.com860-489-2781

l SAN CARLOS, NICARAGUA, Jan.15-23,2005, VOSH-NECO, Joseph D’Amico,OD, eyeclam@aol.com

l TANZANIA, Jan. 15-26, 2005, VOSH-OH, Barbara Plaugher, OD,arliss@wcoil.com

l RIO COCO, NICARAGUA, Jan. 17-24, 2005 , VOSH-NECO, jlhvt@sover.net,eyeclam@aol.com

l CATERINA, NICARAGUA, Jan. 17-25, 2005 , VOSH-Northeast withSVOSH-SUNY College of Optometry, KarlSakovitz, OD, islanddoc5@aol.com

l MATAGALPA/CHINANDEGA,NICARAGUA, Jan. 19-26,2005, VOSH-FL,Suzybamberg@mybluelight.com

l SANTA ANA/SAN MIGUEL, ELSALVADOR, Jan. 28-Feb. 6, 2005, VOSH-NECO, Harry Zeltzer, OD,

harryizeltzer@comcast.net

l OAXACA, MEXICO, Jan. 28-Feb. 6,2005, VOSH-Iowa, Ruth McAndrews, OD,ruthmca@iowatelecom.net

l SAN FELIX, VENEZUELA, Jan. orFeb., 2005, VOSH-MN, Bob Boeding, OD,rboe341821@aol.com

l CUBA, Winter, 2005, VOSH-NW,dym@scidpda.org

l CARDENAS/OSTIONAL,NICARAGUA, January 22-29, 2005 ,VOSH-NECO, Jay Jordan, OD,JFEyecare@aol.com

l CAMBODIA, Winter, 2005 , VOSH-NW, Andy Mizuki, OD, andym@scidpa.org

l APOPA/SUCHITOTO, EL SAL -VADOR, Feb. 5-13, 2005 VOSH-NECO,Jenifer Ambler, OD, amblerj@sover.net

l SAN CARLOS, GUAYMAS, MEXI -CO, Feb. 18-27, 2005 , VOSH-MI, Jill Cole,colefamily@chartermi.net

l LORETO, MEXICO, Feb., 2005,VOSH-CA, drgregpearl@yahoo.com

l PORT ANTONIO, JAMAICA, Feb.,2005, VOSH-SD, Brad Meier, OD,

bmeierod@dailypost.com

l GUATEMALA, Feb., 2005, VOSH-Il,Sandra Bury, OD, docbury@aol.com

l SAN CRISTOBAL, CHIAPAS, MEXI -CO, Feb. 12-19, 2005, VOSH-VA, NancyClark, OD, nancoppicclark@earthlink.net

l HERMOSILLO/SONORA, MEXICO,Feb. 13-20, 2005, VOSH-AZ, Ed Tuhy, OD,ed2e@juno.com

l CATACAMAS, HONDURAS, Feb.26-March 7, 2005, VOSH-KS, DianaCarriger, OD, drdiana@234eyes.com

l SAN PEDRO SULA, HONDURAS,March 6-13, 2005, VOSH-IN, Jeff Marshall,OD, drjcm@att.net

l LA ESPERANZA, HONDURAS,March 25-April 4, 2005 , VOSH-MI, RobertBoone, OD, boone@chartermi.net

JOURNEY TO GUATEMALA: VOSH-Northwest had two missions in 2004. Onewas a cataract screening mission in theGuatemala highlands. Four ODs screenedapproximately 200 locals and scheduled 40for surgery. A surgical team performed 27cataract extractions the following week.One patient, a 32-year-old female with asix-month-old baby, cried tears of joy theday after surgery as she was able to see herbaby for the first time. Above: Dr. KevinIkeda examining a patient who underwentcataract extraction and IOL the followingweek.

TWECS IN ICHOCAN, PERU: VOSH-British Columbia (TWECS) conducted a 3-week eye care project in Ichocan, Peru atthe end of May. Over 4,000 Peruvians wereexamined and 55 cataract surgeries wereperformed, along with 40 lid, pterygiumand other minor procedures. “I’ll alwaysremember patients like Sandro, the five-year-old who gave me big hug when he puton his -5.00 glasses for the first time(above), or Neilson, a twelve-year-old whowas -14.00 and had never been corrected,”said Trevor Miranda, OD , in submittingthis trip report and photo.

VOSH-MISSOURI INOUTER MONGOLIA:In July, V.E. “Bud” Falkenhain, OD, of VOSHMissouri, led a small team to outer Mongolia.While he’s provided VOSH services all aroundthe globe over the past 25 years, this was Bud’sfirst venture here. For part of the trip the teamstayed in tent-like structures known as gers thatare home to the nomadic people of the Gobidesert area. They are quite comfortable and canbe broken down in about an hour and a half if

there’s a need to move to better grazing pastures. Standing Left-r: Gary McGaughey, BudFalkenhain, OD, Scott Ream, OD, LaJeanne Niles and Mike Sutherlin. Seated left-r: MadgeSutherlin, Linda Falkenhain, Pete Parenti, OD, with Margaret Sutherlin in front of him.

l PETEN, GUATEMALA, April, 2005,VOSH-PA, jhauler14@hotmail.com

l AYAUTLA, OAXACA, MEXICO,March 26-April 4, 2005 , VOSH-OR, RonDeLono, OD, weins@pacificu.edu

l OBUASI, GHANA, March 26-April 4,2005, VOSH-OR andVOSH-NW, AaronWeins, weins@pacificu.edu

l ARMENIA, April 16-24, 2005, VOSH-NECO, Joseph D’Amico, OD,eyeclam@aol.com

l PETEN, GUATEMALA, April, 2005,VOSH-PA, jhauler14@hotmail.com

l CHIMBOTE, PERU, April, 2005,VOSH-MN, Mark Heymans, 651-634-4059

l TRANSYLVANIA ALPS, ROMANIA,April or May, 2005, VOSH-MN, Jim Hess,OD, imnod@comcast.net

l GUATEMALA, May 1-10, 2005,VOSH-OR, Scott Pike, OD,weins@pacificu.edu

l SAMOA, May, 2005, VOSH-UT, RonPugh, OD, vision4all@sfcn.org

l PETEN, GUATEMALA, spring, 2005,VOSH-PA, cwurst1@comcast.net

l ZAMORA, MEXICO, May, 2005,VOSH-UT, Ron Pugh, vision4all@sfcn.org

l GUATEMALA, Summer, 2005 , VOSH-NW, Rich Ryan, OD, rrryanjr@msn.com

l WISE, VIRGINIA, July 29-31,2005,VOSH-VA, Vicki Weiss, OD,DVCClear@aol.com

l PERUVIAN AMAZON JUNGLE,August 6-14, 2005, VOSH-NY, Jorge Won,OD, ojowon@aol.com

l PETEN, GUATEMALA, Nov., 2005 ,VOSH-MI, cwurst1@comcast.net

From our mailbag:

Earlier this year, in an effort to assist othernew college Chapters, Dr. Harry Zeltzer wroteto Dr. Frank Buijs, Chairman of VOSH-Netherlands, seeking information on howtheir school integrated optometry educationwith VOSH. Following is Dr. Buijs’sresponse.

Dear Harry-

I have started a foundation, formally out-side the University. Our Board is Chairman,secretary, head of finance department and astudent.

We opened a bank account and we askedthe industry for supporting our project.

Every year we look at the VOSH site tofind the missions whom are interested inoptometrist. We offer them our students (andequipment and glasses, etc.).

So every January/February are about 15third and fourth year optometry students par-ticipating in missions organized by other fel-low chapters. At the moment we don’t havethe opportunity to organize our own missions.

We do want that in the future.

The optometry students have to pay all bythemselves and after their trip the VOSHBoard is counting the money on the accountand pays every student the same amount ofmoney. The students earn credit points fortheir involvement in a VOSH mission.

VOSH-The Netherlands is formally anindependent foundation but there is a closerelationship with the faculty. We don’t payfor all services coming out of the faculty.

The construction is a good one. In a biguniversity or faculty there are a lot of rulesyou have to share with others. Every decisioncan take long. We can handle very fast andthat is good.

Frank Buijs

Head of Dept. of Optometry andOrthoptics, Faculty of health Care,University of Professional Education,Hogeschool van Utrecht Bolognalaan ,Utrecht, The Netherlands

About our websitewww.VOSH.org

When interim Webmaster Harry Zeltzer,OD, purchased his first computer about fouryears ago, he knew nothing about turningthem on, never mind maintaining a web site.Now, with funds from a recent grant, Harry ismaneuvering his way around a new, faster,smarter computer system.

Harry checks the message board frequently,passes on inquiries to the appropriate sourcesand he goes out of his way to try to help findVOSH volunteers for a site seeking a VOSHteam. If he doesn’t know the answer to aquestion, he’ll find someone who does.

Webmaster Harry welcomes Chapter infor-mation about upcoming trips and he’s glad tocreate new slide shows when Chapters sendhim enough photos to do so.

Missions have always been listed byChapter. With your input, a new section list-ing upcoming trips by date and by country hasbeen added to make it even easier for volun-teers to find a group that works for them.

We continue to be amazed at the globalresponse to www.VOSH.org. It is a place tolearn about VOSH, to find a trip, to find outabout related resources and it’s a clearing-house for avoiding conflicts.

www.VOSH.org VOSH/INTERNATIONAL, Fall/Winter, 2004-2005 Page 5A

VOSH on the domestic front

VOSH’s work in third world countries is agiven. Less well-known is the fact that thereare a number of active VOSH clinics in thiscountry including the following:

l While the Chapter is just two -years old,VOSH-AZ has already enlisted the servicesof Amy Davis, OD, to see children who fallbetween the cracks of private care and medic-aid at the Santa Catalina, AZ Health Centeron a monthly basis. tuhy1@juno.com.

l VOSH-NW holds domestic clinicsweekly (Thursday mornings) at the UnionGospel Mission (UGM) in Spokane,Washington and at the Millionair Club indowntown Seattle. The clinic in Spokane isopen to anyone who contacts the missionand identifies a need. It is maintained byWalt Michaels, OD, Mark Rainer, OD, andRich Ryan, OD.

The Seattle clinic is a joint VOSH-NWand Lions project. It has been in existence forthe past thirteen years and it provides ser-vices to approximately 270 needy homelessannually. Clinic director is Wayne Matheny,OD, matheny.w@ghc.org.

l See page 5 for information about annualclinics at sites in Virginia and Tennessee.

VOSH-INDIANA INHONDURAS: Patients waiting to be examined inComayagua, Honduras, earlier this year (See article on page 6.)

Organizational notes from VOSH-Netherlands