A few months ago, ECP Viewpoints brought you the story of the incredible work that the students and faculty at The Ohio State University College of Optometry are doing to improve the lives of the less fortunate with the CooperVision Adopt-a-Patient® Program. Recently, we’ve had two more letters relaying the profound effect this program has had on the lives of patients from around the country.
“Dear Cooper Vision Adopt a Patient Coordinators,
I am a very recent graduate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University. This past winter, I had the immense fortune to work alongside Dr Kriti Bhagat in PCO’s Contact Lens Service at The Eye Institute.
During my three months here, I had the pleasure of meeting and working with a patient who had a personal story that has stuck with me for several months now. Due to several recent misfortunes, she is currently homeless and living at a shelter. While there, her contact lenses were stolen. Her prescription is one where she benefits greatly from have a contact lens, rather than using glasses. She came to us desperate for a solution.
Thanks to all of you at the Adopt-a-Patient program, we were able to make a difference to this woman. Thanks to you, we were able to provide her with contact lenses that she would have otherwise not been able to afford out of pocket. I cannot express how grateful I am that your program was able to help my patient in a way many others would not have been able.
Thank you again.”
Another student writes:
“Thank you for giving me the means to help [my patient] get back into healthy contact lenses. I was able to see her at Faith Mission – a homeless shelter where Ohio State University College of Optometry has had an outreach clinic for the past 17 years. Being able to offer contact lenses to well screened individuals who are used to wearing them is an amazing opportunity. Biofinity Toric lenses were a perfect match for her and the supply is so generous. These contacts helped improve her self-confidence, improved her vision (through better optics), and will improve her chances of getting a job and being able to leave the shelter. She had been wearing an old pair of 2-week lenses that she had not removed for over 8 months! The patient is very grateful and said that we changed her life! Fitting these lenses was extremely easy and the experience I gained will increase my knowledge and expertise in the field. I am looking forward to graduating and utilizing Cooper products in my own practice!
Thanks again.”
Is your institution taking full advantage of the CooperVision Adopt-a-Patient Program? More information is available here.