Serving Those Who Served: Clinical Outreach Brings Vital Care to Veterans

Optometric intern, Shoshana Howard, finds it inspiring to see what people can accomplish when they unite to support those in need. And, she recently had not only a front-row seat but played an important role at a clinical community outreach event led by The Eye Institute (TEI), which illustrated that perfectly.

Howard was one of seven Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) students at Drexel University who participated in the “Stand Down of South Jersey,” an event dedicated to supporting homeless and at-risk veterans. Alongside doctors from TEI, the group provided essential eye care services ranging from screenings to diagnoses of serious eye health conditions. 

“I learned that there are many different ways to examine a patient even outside of TEI, and that we can be resourceful in how to treat those who are in need,” said Howard. 

According to Dr. Brandy Scombordi-Raghu, TEI’s director of Clinical Outreach and the School Vision Program, the group treated 41 veterans for things such as glaucoma, optic nerve damage, cataracts and hypertensive retinopathy.

“These men and women protected us and even if their issue is simply that they need glasses to read, it is heartbreaking that they need to come to an event like this to get them,” said Dr. Scombordi-Raghu. 

In addition, the event, held at the Cherry Hill Armory in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, offered veterans benefits counseling, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling, mental health counseling, food stamps, addiction services, haircuts, clothing and a meal. Shuttle buses were also offered to the veterans from Trenton City Hall and the Camden VA Clinic in New Jersey. 

Howard, who performed refractions with the Spot Vision Screener on the veterans and assisted Dr. Scombordi-Raghu in the health examination portion of the screenings, would recommend the participation of community events to other optometric interns.

“This experience helped me advance my career by broadening my horizons and allowing me to experience a whole new world of health care outside of TEI,” she said.

In addition to Howard, all PCO students/optometric interns at TEI were all in the Class of 2027 and included Natalie Lyktey, Kaylea Ellison, Wendy Zhou, Breanna McGovern, Garrett Elgin and Neha Kumar. Also participating was Dr. Denise Wilcox and Robert Fitzgerald, an Orientation and Mobility specialist from the VA; and Dr. David Meltzer, interim vice president of Clinical Operations for The Eye Institute, Pennsylvania Ear Institute and the Speech-Language Institute.

Dr. Meltzer, himself a veteran of the U.S. Army who was embedded with the 47th Forward Support Battalion at the Baghdad Airport during Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003, doesn’t like seeing veterans struggling.

“Any time someone says to me there is an event to help veterans, I am glad to help in any way I can,” said Dr. Meltzer. “And, the students get a chance to experience community events and see how these types of events not only can benefit their practice, but also help the patients in need who might not have had access.” 

Dr. Scombordi-Raghu said community service events like Stand Down give students a chance to see eye conditions in advanced stages, something they may not have seen at this stage of their training. 

“They also may have to use techniques and observation skills that they would not use in a clinical setting,” she said. “Most importantly, it teaches the interns compassion and how to treat people with respect, honor and dignity.”