Open Arms Free Clinic is saying thank you and goodbye to Dr. Mark Brower. Dr. Brower started volunteering at Open Arms in 2015, and has provided vision care for patients ever since. We are grateful for everything Dr. Brower did for the clinic over the years and the excellent care he provided to ensure better vision for hundreds of patients.
WHY GOOD VISION MATTERS
All humans rely on their vision to navigate the world. Good vision allows us to access information, learn, engage in meaningful social interactions, complete daily tasks, find and keep a job, and participate in recreational activities.
Without good vision, life can be difficult and dangerous. Poor vision limits a person’s ability to drive legally and safely. Not being able to read small print could mean a burnt pizza or a more serious consequence like taking too much medication. And without good vision, a person might miss out on the joys of watching a sunset or seeing the smile on a loved one’s face.
For so many reasons, good vision matters.
RESPONDING TO PATIENT NEEDS FOR VISION CARE
When Open Arms Free Clinic opened in 2012, it offered only primary medical care to its patients, a large number of whom had untreated diabetes. While diabetes is a leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults, vision care was not something the clinic was able to offer at the time.
This led a community member to ask, “How are you caring for people with diabetes with declining vision?” She suggested providing comprehensive diabetic eye exams as a way to allow people the opportunity to preserve their vision and improve their quality of life. And so the seed was planted.
That’s the beauty of Open Arms. Identifying a need sets a process in motion to meet that need. Instead of sun, water and soil, the clinic only needs space, equipment, and willing volunteers to create new opportunities for patient care.
In 2015, Dr. Mark Brower, an ophthalmologist with Eye Physicians and Surgeons in Elkhorn stepped up as a volunteer. He shared that Lions Clubs have a mission to improve vision and could offer financial support to the clinic for equipment. The Williams Bay Lions Club and other Lions Clubs in the area responded generously to the clinic’s requests for funds, and the project began to take shape.
With funds in hand and space in the clinic for a vision exam room, finding equipment was next on the list. Dr. Brower connected the clinic with a vendor who helped find gently-used equipment. Soon thereafter, the vision exam room was up and running and patients with diabetes were now able to get a diabetic eye exam at the clinic.
What started in 2015 with one question, driven by our mission to better understand and serve the health needs of our patients, blossomed into years of providing vision care services for our patients in need. By leveraging Dr. Brower’s connections in the community Open Arms was able to provide basic eye exams, diabetic eye exams, and retinal scans on site. The clinic was also able to offer eyeglasses to patients at no cost, thanks to Dr. Brower’s connections in the community.
HEARTFELT GRATITUDE
We are grateful for all that Dr. Brower has done for the clinic over the years. The vision care provided by the clinic has allowed many patients to reap all the benefits of good vision. Without the compassionate care of Dr. Brower and his help with leveraging resources in the community for good, this would not have been possible.
On behalf of his patients, Open Arms extends its heartfelt gratitude and wishes Dr. Brower a future filled with good things.
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Are you an eye doctor or know an eye doctor looking for an opportunity to make a difference? Open Arms Free Clinic is looking for volunteer providers to help keep our vision program going.
Call the clinic at 262-379-1401 for more information and to schedule a tour, or apply online: OAFC Volunteer Application
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