Professional Documents
Culture Documents
VOSH-ONE is a chapter of
VOSH/INTERNATIONAL.
The organization is dedicated to
the preservation of human sight,
mainly in developing countries
where there is no welfare system.
VOSH-ONE accomplishes its goals
through its own missions or by
assisting other groups with the same
purpose.
Bina Patel, Jen Hyde, and I attended the VOSH/ Corps were represented, and a report was given on the
International Annual Meeting October 13-14, 2017, in damage to clinics in the wake of Hurricane Maria in
Chicago. The meeting opened on Friday the 13th with Puerto Rico. Walter Johnson from Project CURE, the
the V/I Board meeting. Thirty people largest shipper of containers of donated
attended, including board members, medical equipment around the world,
committee members, and other interested spoke. There may be possibility of
parties. I am a new board member, Bina collaboration with Project Cure in the
Patel is a current board member, and Jen future for VOSH supplies and equipment
Hyde is the exhibits committee chair. that needs to be shipped overseas. A
During the meeting, a new book was fascinating guest speaker came (with seeing
introduced, Bringing the World into Focus, the eye dog) from Second Sense, a provider of
Story of VOSH, by Michael Listenberger. low-vision resources. The day ended with a
Reports were presented from SVOSH, SVOSH reception.
committees, and chapters, plus finances On Saturday, outgoing V/I President
and statistics. VOSH Interns and VOSH
continued on page 12
IN THIS ISSUE
1 VOSH/International Annual Meeting 2017
2 Announcements
3 VOSH Trip to Granada, Nicaragua
5 VOSH-NECO Trip to Dominican Republic
7 “Sight and Bite” Trip to El Salvador a Success
10 Achromatopsia in Pingelap, Micronesia
2
CONTACT US
ANNOUNCEMENTS
VOSH-ONE BOARD
Please consider attending the next Donations of any size are much
Dr. Jenifer Ambler, President,
amblerj@sover.net
VOSH Annual Meeting in appreciated.
Montreal, Canada on October
Dr. Karen Koumjian, Immediate Past 12-14, 2018. The theme of this Clinics
President, kkoumjian@att.com
year’s meeting is "United VOSH," The VOSH International website
Dr. Jane Pentheny, Vice President, and it it will be hosted by one of the lists dozens of clinics scheduled
janepentheny@verizon.net most active VOSH Chapters, througout 2018. If your New Year’s
VOSH-Santa Cruz (Montreal). It Resolution is to volunteer for a
Dr. Bina Patel, Secretary,
promises to be more chapter-centric service trip, visit the website for a list
PatelB@neco.edu
this year, with a major focus on of opportunities.
Dr. Andrea Murphy, Treasurer,
amurphy391@gmail.com
what VOSH chapters want and how http://vosh.org/get-involved/
to accomplish that. All members are clinics-by-date/
Jennifer Hyde, LDO, Newsletter encouraged to come! See http://
Editor, jenhyde@live.com The Worcester Evening Free
vosh.org/annual-meetings/vosh-
Dr. Wendy Crusberg, Webmaster, annual-meeting-2018 Medical Program was founded
wcrusberg@gmail.com 20 years ago to provide medical
Help support VOSH-ONE.
services to people in need in the
Help support our cause in bringing
local community. Included in this is
STATE DIRECTORS eye care to people in
a hearing and eye division that
VT — Dr. Jenifer Ambler, underprivileged countries around
provides free eye exams and low
ambler@sover.net the world by donating or by
cost eyeglasses. The organization is
becoming a member of VOSH-
MA — Dr. Lee Lerner, in need of a few optometrists who
ONE today.
eyedoclerner@aol.com &
Membership dues: can volunteer to do 6 to 8 exams,
Dr. James Luccio, just a few times a year. The program
AMOINC@aol.com $40 per year
($5 per year for students) is located at the Wesley Methodist
NECO SVOSH — Laura Chan, Being a member does not obligate Church at Lincoln Square and
LauraChan16@neco.edu & you to go on missions, we feel that is operates on Monday evening from 6
Lisa Lach, LisaLach16@neco.edu
a personal choice. to 8 pm. For more information,
MCPHS SVOSH — Heather Bell, VOSH-ONE is a 501 (c) (3) non- please call Ron Ramsey at
heather.bell@my.mcphs.edu profit organization, making your 774-287-9002. Your help would be
dues and donations tax deductible. greatly appreciated!
NH — Dr. Ed Warren,
ed.warren@valley.net &
Dr. Wendy Crusberg,
wcrusberg@gmail.com Reminder: Annual dues, $40
ME — Dr. Niru Aggarwal, Please join VOSH-ONE and help provide the gift of sight to needy
nagarwal@maineeyecenter.com individuals in other countries or within our own borders. Membership
RI — Natalie Taylor,
dues can be paid online at:
RhodyParas@gmail.com http://www.vosh-one.org/donations-or-become-a-member.php
or mail your check to:
Newsletter Production VOSH-ONE Treasurer
Chris Burke Dr. Andrea Murphy
P.O. Box 371
WEBSITE
www.VOSH-ONE.org
Grantham, NH 03753
3
Nicaragua
Continued from previous page
Volunteer Optometric The vision for Volunteers in New England states. In addition to
Optometric Service to Humanity a cadre of dedicated optometrists,
Services to Humanity
(VOSH), originated with Kansas VOSH volunteers today include
-New England Chapter Optometrist Franklin Harms, OD, ophthalmologists, medical
in 1972. Today, VOSH/ personnel and trained lay
VOSH is an international
INTERNATIONAL has 35 personnel. Volunteers have no
organization of dedicated
regional Chapters and 25 student political or religious agenda, but we
volunteers whose purpose is to
Chapters around the globe, do sometimes work with religious
eliminate preventable blindness
including our own New England or government groups that are
and to assist those who cannot
Chapter, VOSH-ONE . committed to tolerance.
obtain or afford vision care both in
the USA and in underdeveloped VOSH-ONE (Volunteers in VOSH volunteers pay their own
countries around the globe. Our Optometric Service to Humanity of way when going on trips. Their
services include eye exams, glasses, New England) got underway in reward is the satisfaction derived
and medications. When possible, 1998 when Joe D’Amico, OD, Lee from helping others. The
we also facilitate donations of Lerner, OD, the late Phil experience is so self-rewarding that
equipment and textbooks to Richmond, OD, and Harry many volunteer year after year.
fledgling optometry schools and Zeltzer, OD, formed VOSH- VOSH-ONE is a 501 (C) (3) non-
help establish and support NECO (Volunteers in Optometric profit organization so all donations
permanent eye care programs run Service to New England ), with are tax-deductible.
by local populations. board representation from the 6
5
SVOSH-NECO
Dominican
Republic
continued from previous page
continued on page 11
7
Some statistics
Optometrists: Ed
Warren, OD, Jenifer
Ambler, OD, Jane
Pentheny, OD
Patients seen: 170
Referrals for cataract: 14
Eye glasses and
sunglasses provided for
almost all patients, with
many people receiving
multiple pairs of glasses (prescription glasses, readers
and/or sunglasses)
Approximate value of services provided: $29,000
Dental providers: Dave Gordon, DMD, Ray
Phelan, DMD, Brooke Finnell, RDH, Dr. Daniel
Martinez Serrano, and Dra. Jessica Martinez Serrano
Brooke Finnell, hygienist and dental clinic organizer
Patients seen: 64
Prophylaxis: 26
Fillings: 50
Extractions: 12
Approximate value of services provided: $16,250
Acuity testing with trial frame Ed Warren, OD setting up the exam room
9
Ed Warren, OD, dentists Ray Phelan and Dave Gordon, Epilogos founder
Mike Jenkins. The clinic was hosted and coordinated by Epilogos, a
nonprofit with offices in New Hampshire and El Salvador, which focuses
on education, economic and social development in San Jose Villanueva,
Assisting in the clinic is sometimes
a family affair El Salvador.
How many dentists does it take to repair dental equipment? Maybe reading the manual will
help
10
10
Achromatopsia in Pingelap
By Jennifer Hyde
Pingelap
Continued from previous page
V/I Annual The Humanitarian of the Year obtained on its pros and cons. One
Award was given to Sandra Bury, OD, advantage is being able to fit the proper
Meeting 2017 and the Harry I. Zeltzer Lifetime prescription to a patient, but there were
Continued from page 1 Achievement Award was given to C. concerns about quality. The overall cost
Ellis Potter, OD, FAAO, FVI. To learn is about $4-5/pr.
Ellen Weiss, OD, FVI, welcomed more about Ellis’s exemplary work for • Collaboration possibilities with
participants and speakers. Greg Pearl, VOSH and dedication to helping the ophthalmology groups through HELPS
OD, introduced Renata Martinez of world’s poor to see please see: http:// International and SEE (Surgical Eye
FUDEM in El Salvador, which hosts vosh.org/ellis-potter-honored- Expeditions International). ODs go
many eye clinics with and without with-2017-humanitarian-awards/ with HELPS groups doing pre-op and
international participants and would The presidency of V/I was passed post-op care. ODs go a few weeks
always like more ODs. Bob Corlew, on from Ellen Weiss, OD, FVI to Tracy before a SEE group and refer surgical
Immediate Past President of the Lions Matchinski, OD, FAAO, FVI for the candidates to SEE.
Clubs highlighted “Fifty Years of coming two years. A highlight • New ideas for streamlining
Saving Sight” www.lcif.org. throughout the meeting was a series of spectacle dispensing and inventory.
VOSH Corps participants Bob and videos produced by SVOSH chapters; • Loaner equipment programs for
Kim Molter talked about teaching lots of impressive talent and creativity! VOSH and SVOSH.
optometry in Vietnam. Dr. Asa Morton Break-out sessions included: The next VOSH/International
of HELPS International discussed • A new Essilor product called meeting is planned for October 12-14,
collaboration between ODs and Ready 2 Clip. This kit of ready-made 2018 in Montreal…within driving
Ophthalmologists. The keynote speaker mix-and-match frames and lenses was distance for VOSH-ONE members!
was Jerry Vincent, OD, MPH, FAAO. tested on a clinic trip and feedback