Vision Clinics

Summary of Services

Vision clinics provide patients with free eye care and prescription medication as needed. The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington is equipped to provide comprehensive eye examinations, with outside referral sources available for patients who need additional testing or specialty care. Vision clinics are Monday evenings and serve between 8-12 patients. All services are provided at no cost to patients including comprehensive eye examinations, medical eye examinations, prescription eye drop medications, and referrals when needed (with some exceptions). 

All clinic services are provided by volunteers.

Vision Clinic Times

Mondays from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm.

Patient Overview

Patients who come to the Free Clinic are required to have no medical insurance or medical coupons. They are generally low income, uninsured, and underserved.  Many have postponed health care due to financial considerations and sometimes arrive with increasingly acute symptoms and multiple complaints.  They are asked to make a financial donation if they can, or offered a self-addressed envelope for a later donation.  Patients are accepted for appointments each week, with a short waiting list.

Volunteer Staff

• Ophthalmologist
• Optometrist
• Ophthalmology Technicians (2-3)
  
• Clerks (2)
  

Volunteer Supervision / Team Leaders

   Patrick Callahan | Clinic Director | 360.313.1395

Unfilled Position  | AmeriCorps Clinic Coordinator | 360.313.1390 |

Clinic/Patient Flow

Patients are pre-scheduled for all appointments.

1. Patient check-in is conducted by front office clerks (1-2)
2.  Ophthalmic Technicians (1-2) (or providers) take patients to an exam room, and register the chief complaint, perform entrance testing, auto-refraction, and neutralize existing glasses. 
3. Providers (1-2) (Optometrist and/or Ophthalmologist) examine and treat the patients in order of the charts provided by front office clerk. 
4. Spanish Interpreter (1) is available to help patients both with check-in and in the exam rooms. Other interpreters are available through a service by phone. 
5. After the exam, patients return to the front office clerk to receive instructions on how to acquire complimentary glasses if a prescription is written by the provider.

Dispensary

A formulary of medications that are available through the Free Clinic dispensary is available in each clinic room. The Free Clinic does not dispense birth control, controlled substances, or psychotropic medications. Providers are discouraged from prescribing these. Free Clinic staff and volunteers can help steer patients needing these services to other community partners. Patients may receive a Safeway voucher to pay for off-formulary medications, if the prescribing provider and the Clinic Director agree it is necessary. Please encourage patients who can afford a $4 prescription to purchase the discounted medications available at Wal-Mart. The Free Clinic receives assistance from Alcon Pharmaceuticals to provide certain ophthalmic medications including glaucoma drops. For ongoing ophthalmic medications not available through Alcon, the patient may be enrolled in a patient assistance program.

Primary Care Referrals

Patients needing ongoing care for chronic conditions or other health care issues, are provided information for

• Sea Mar (FQHC sliding scale fees)
• New Heights (no fees)
• Clinica de Salud Familiar (local Nurse Practitioner - $55 per visit).
  

It is the patient’s responsibility to follow up and make the appointment.

Specialty Care Referrals

Patients needing a one-time office visit for acute specialty care may be referred to a participating clinic in the community. The fee is usually sliding scale.

Should the Provider feel the need to rule-out glaucoma, the patient can be referred to a participating eye care clinic in the community. This clinic will provide a visual field test and general glaucoma work-up. Results are returned to the Free Clinic and reviewed by a volunteer OD or MD. Free Clinic staff will then provide the results by phone to the patient. If glaucoma management is needed, the patient will then be scheduled for the next available vision clinic to establish care. 

Should a consultation show a need for other specialty care, the patient might be referred to Project Access Clark County (PACC).

PACC allows patients to obtain services from specialists for “big ticket” problems where continuity of care is required.

Enrollment usually takes at least three weeks, but will allow a patient to receive medical sub-specialty care along with medically necessary ancillary services, including surgery, hospital costs, labs/imaging, and medication, all at no cost to the patient. Patients must qualify at 200% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (apprx $10/hr for a single person) and be a Clark County resident. Oregon residents may qualify for Project Access programs in Multnomah, Clackamas or Washington counties.