VOLUNTEER STUDENTS CONDUCT 150 EYE EXAMS
Date: November 14, 2008

Project Pacific Vision group THREE JOHN A. BURNS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE students helped screen more
than 150 people for eye problems this month, during on-site visits to homeless
shelters in Wai‘anae, Kaka‘ako and at Barber’s Point. The trio, third-year students Chris Small and Jason Barnes and first-year student Shawn Barnes organized the events after talking together in their time away from classes. “That’s one thing that’s great
about being a medical student,” said Shawn Barnes. “You can talk together over a beer, decide what needs doing, and pretty much be free to go out and do it.”


In this case, the students got
some important help. The
Retina Institute of Hawai‘i
donated the use of their mobile
eye screening center.
It’s a large RV outfitted with a
state-of-the-art retinal camera
which can be used to diagnose
various retinal diseases.
Island Eye Center donated the
use of a computerized
auto refractor to measure the
shape of the eye, which can give
the refractive error.
The medical school’s student-run
homeless outreach, the
H.O.M.E. Project, also helped
significantly.
Over two days, “Project
Pacific Vision” gave students
the opportunity to provide eye
care services to the
underserved and also allowed
them an opportunity to learn
various techniques in
ophthalmology.
But best of all, the students’
efforts prevented tragedy in
several cases.
“Performing one exam, for
example, we could see that the
patient was experiencing a
diabetes emergency, which,
left undiagnosed, could have
rapidly led to blindness,” said
Barnes.
Barnes also credits JABSOM's
Maguire Fund and the Global
Health Interest Group for their support.