Post by tomcamp on Aug 14, 2008 20:28:34 GMT -5
This past weekend Mary and I had the privilege of being with Larry “Bucket” Guthrie and his Livingston Chapel UMC team at their reunion. Mary and I had gone to Utila with them and to La Union with Joe Jones and the Discovery UMC team and with Jane Cox and the Columbiana team to Limon this year. When I talked with Livingston Chapel’s team pharmacist, Bill Coon, about the goals for the Eye Program, he asked that I send him an update on our needs for the coming year. I thought that others would be interested and I have included a copy of the e-mail I sent him below:
Bill,
Thank you for your interest in our eye-care program. As we told you at the Utila Team Reunion, we are in the process of “ramping up” our current capabilities in this area. Historically we have used instant eye-ware building new glasses in the field for those persons needing prescription eye-ware. This option has been very time consuming and since we began using an autorefractor rather than the focometer, it has also become cost prohibitive even at only $13 a pair, since we can examine so many more people. This past year we experimented with using used glasses to provide for the far-vision needs of our patients utilizing a computer augmented system that we obtained from Kendall Optometry Ministry in Louisville, Kentucky, We used this new system this year in La Union, Utila and in Limon. All three trial usages of the KOM system were a tremendous success. If you have not already done so, please read over Mary’s eye-team report that Tom posted on the front page of the AHMEN website (http://www.honduranmissions.com/). There is no doubt that God’s hand guided this year’s eye-care teams to witness to many, many people in need.
Because of the time and cost advantages of the KOM system we are hoping to expand our usage of this technology in the future. The heart of that system is the computer coded inventory of used glasses. This year we carried 2400 pairs of used glasses with us to La Union, Utila and to Limon. Each of these glasses were individually bagged, labeled with a readable bar-code, and placed in a numbered cell within specially designed trays that made every pair of glasses immediately accessible. Every pair of those glasses was recorded in a computerized inventory. The system allows you to refract the patient’s eyes with a handheld auto-refractor (leased by each team from KOM) and them immediately find the pair of glasses within the entire inventory that best “matches” that patient’s needs. This system is truly phenomenal and has dramatically improved our abilities to fit far-vision glasses in the field.
We have become committed to expanding this effort. We hope this next year to have other teams who would like to accelerate their eye-care program join us in using this system and our evolving inventory of glasses. For this to happen we need the help of everyone who is interested in Honduran missions. We need to have everyone in AHMEN help us collect good serviceable used prescription glasses. This year we received many good pairs of glasses from persons such as you, from church groups and from civic clubs. Unfortunately we were unable to include these glasses in our most recent missions because we did not have an auto-lens reader to be able to determine the prescription and then bar-code that prescription so that it might be included in our computerized inventory. Our immediate goal is to acquire a user friendly automatic/digital lensmeter.
We have once again prevailed upon one of our corporate sponsors who has donated equipment to us in the past. Lombart Instrument Company out of Norfolk, Va. has graciously donated one older model auto-lensmeter and an additional table-top auto-refractor, both of which can also be connected to our computerized inventory. These two pieces of equipment will go a long way toward improving our current operation. But we need a newer, more user friendly model of auto-lensmeter to be effective in replenishing and expanding our existing inventory. We are planning on placing the donated model in a permanent location with someone who is expert in reading and coding lenses. We need the second machine to circulate amongst the participating teams so that they can read and code glasses that they collect. This will allow us to accumulate more glasses quicker and, more importantly, allow others that will not have the chance to travel to Honduras to have the opportunity to participate in a direct “hands-on” manner.
We can purchase a new auto-lensmeter at factory cost through KOM for $1800. The accompanying cables, software, printer and shipping required to integrate this machine into our existing system raises the cost of this machine to $2000. In addition we need another printer and cable for the donated machines, plus some basic supplies to begin inventorying glasses. Our total immediate need is $2400. We have to date received or have pledged $1900. We need an additional $500 to begin this process.
You had asked at the reunion for me to outline our needs and to distribute them to you and to others in AHMEN who might be interested in helping. Any money that you are able to raise on our behalf should be earmarked for the Eye Care Program and sent to Sharon Bowie, the AHMEN treasurer. Her mailing address is
Sharon Bowie
516 Ridgeview Drive
Jasper, Al. 35504
Again, Checks should be clearly marked for the “Expanded Eye-Care Program”
In addition we need help in collecting used glasses. Any used serviceable glasses that you, your family or friends have will be appreciated. You can send them to me or deliver them to whoever in your group will be reading and coding glasses. We also appreciate any assistance in encouraging AHMEN teams that might want to join this effort to do so. Lastly and certainly the most important thing that you can do is pray for this aspect of the AHMEN program.
Amor en Cristo,
guf
Bill,
Thank you for your interest in our eye-care program. As we told you at the Utila Team Reunion, we are in the process of “ramping up” our current capabilities in this area. Historically we have used instant eye-ware building new glasses in the field for those persons needing prescription eye-ware. This option has been very time consuming and since we began using an autorefractor rather than the focometer, it has also become cost prohibitive even at only $13 a pair, since we can examine so many more people. This past year we experimented with using used glasses to provide for the far-vision needs of our patients utilizing a computer augmented system that we obtained from Kendall Optometry Ministry in Louisville, Kentucky, We used this new system this year in La Union, Utila and in Limon. All three trial usages of the KOM system were a tremendous success. If you have not already done so, please read over Mary’s eye-team report that Tom posted on the front page of the AHMEN website (http://www.honduranmissions.com/). There is no doubt that God’s hand guided this year’s eye-care teams to witness to many, many people in need.
Because of the time and cost advantages of the KOM system we are hoping to expand our usage of this technology in the future. The heart of that system is the computer coded inventory of used glasses. This year we carried 2400 pairs of used glasses with us to La Union, Utila and to Limon. Each of these glasses were individually bagged, labeled with a readable bar-code, and placed in a numbered cell within specially designed trays that made every pair of glasses immediately accessible. Every pair of those glasses was recorded in a computerized inventory. The system allows you to refract the patient’s eyes with a handheld auto-refractor (leased by each team from KOM) and them immediately find the pair of glasses within the entire inventory that best “matches” that patient’s needs. This system is truly phenomenal and has dramatically improved our abilities to fit far-vision glasses in the field.
We have become committed to expanding this effort. We hope this next year to have other teams who would like to accelerate their eye-care program join us in using this system and our evolving inventory of glasses. For this to happen we need the help of everyone who is interested in Honduran missions. We need to have everyone in AHMEN help us collect good serviceable used prescription glasses. This year we received many good pairs of glasses from persons such as you, from church groups and from civic clubs. Unfortunately we were unable to include these glasses in our most recent missions because we did not have an auto-lens reader to be able to determine the prescription and then bar-code that prescription so that it might be included in our computerized inventory. Our immediate goal is to acquire a user friendly automatic/digital lensmeter.
We have once again prevailed upon one of our corporate sponsors who has donated equipment to us in the past. Lombart Instrument Company out of Norfolk, Va. has graciously donated one older model auto-lensmeter and an additional table-top auto-refractor, both of which can also be connected to our computerized inventory. These two pieces of equipment will go a long way toward improving our current operation. But we need a newer, more user friendly model of auto-lensmeter to be effective in replenishing and expanding our existing inventory. We are planning on placing the donated model in a permanent location with someone who is expert in reading and coding lenses. We need the second machine to circulate amongst the participating teams so that they can read and code glasses that they collect. This will allow us to accumulate more glasses quicker and, more importantly, allow others that will not have the chance to travel to Honduras to have the opportunity to participate in a direct “hands-on” manner.
We can purchase a new auto-lensmeter at factory cost through KOM for $1800. The accompanying cables, software, printer and shipping required to integrate this machine into our existing system raises the cost of this machine to $2000. In addition we need another printer and cable for the donated machines, plus some basic supplies to begin inventorying glasses. Our total immediate need is $2400. We have to date received or have pledged $1900. We need an additional $500 to begin this process.
You had asked at the reunion for me to outline our needs and to distribute them to you and to others in AHMEN who might be interested in helping. Any money that you are able to raise on our behalf should be earmarked for the Eye Care Program and sent to Sharon Bowie, the AHMEN treasurer. Her mailing address is
Sharon Bowie
516 Ridgeview Drive
Jasper, Al. 35504
Again, Checks should be clearly marked for the “Expanded Eye-Care Program”
In addition we need help in collecting used glasses. Any used serviceable glasses that you, your family or friends have will be appreciated. You can send them to me or deliver them to whoever in your group will be reading and coding glasses. We also appreciate any assistance in encouraging AHMEN teams that might want to join this effort to do so. Lastly and certainly the most important thing that you can do is pray for this aspect of the AHMEN program.
Amor en Cristo,
guf