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IU School of Optometry opens clinic in Mexico to serve indigent patients
Sept. 13, 2000
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Optometry has opened a new permanent clinic in Guanajuato, Mexico.
The Guanajuato Eye Care Center was designed to help meet the eye care needs of the indigent of the Guanajuato area of Mexico. It will also serve as one of the 12-week rotation site choices for fourth-year IU optometry students. The clinic will provide a large, under-served population with treatments for a wide variety of ocular and systemic health problems while offering the students an excellent clinical and cultural experience.
The clinic resulted from a longstanding, successful partnership between the IU Optometry School's branch of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH) and the State of Guanajuato's Department of Infants and Family (DIF). DIF is the state organization charged with supporting the indigent (those earning less than about $1,000 per year). Guanajuato is the name of both the city and the state. The city is about 150 miles northwest of Mexico City.
The invitation to develop the clinic was extended to the IU Optometry School by DIF after the spring 1998 VOSH mission. During the following VOSH mission in 1999, clinic space in the General Hospital of Guanajuato was located, and architectural drawings and remodeling budgets were determined.
The discussions were carried out by Dr. Douglas Horner (representing IU), Dr. Carlos Perez Lopez (the medical director of DIF), and IU alumna Dr. Cynthia Foster, with the assistance of Anthony Gutierrez from the humanitarian organization I Care International. The development of the clinic was unanimously supported by the IU optometry faculty.
In the fall and winter of 1999, the clinic space in the hospital was remodeled to provide four complete examination lanes, a special testing area, a reception area, dispensing space and an office. Used equipment, donated equipment and some new equipment were shipped to Guanajuato. Dr. Foster was appointed as a full-time faculty member and director of the clinic. In February 2000, the first fourth-year IU student clinicians arrived in Guanajuato. For the 2000-01 academic year, IU students will be joined by Ohio State University College of Optometry students.
More information can be obtained by contacting Gerald Lowther, dean of the School of Optometry, Indiana University, 800 E. Atwater, Bloomington, IN 47405, phone 812-855-4440, or from the clinic's Web site at http://www.opt.indiana.edu/clinics/mexico/mex_indx.htm