Portland observer., August 01, 2012, Page 5, Image 5

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A u g u s t I, 2012
^lortlanh (Dbsrrtier
______________ H F A LTH
Eye Health for the Under-Served
Optometrist
reaches out to
help immigrant
community
A n o rth P o rtla n d o p to m e tris t
h as la u n c h e d a p ro g ram to fill a
s u b s ta n tia l
need
w i th in
P o rtla n d ’s im m ig ra n t an d re fu g e e
co m m unity.
D r. S u m m y T o , o w n e r o f
M y o p tic O p to m e try a n d M o d ern
E y e w e ar, 3978 N. W illia m s A v e.,
is s ta rtin g an in itia tiv e to p ro v id e
e y e h e alth sc re e n in g an d te stin g
to re s id e n ts serv ed by th e Im m i­
g ra n t an d R efu g ee C o m m u n ity
O rg a n iz atio n , m any o f w hom have
n e v e r h ad th e ir ey es e x a m in e d .
M an y IR C O c lie n ts are re c e n t
a rriv a ls to A m e ric a. F o u n d e d in
1976, the o rg a n iz a tio n w o rk s to
em p o w er refugees and im m igran ts
to b e c o m e s e lf - s u f f ic ie n t a n d
lo n g - te r m c o n tr ib u to r s to th e
e c o n o m y an d o u r m u lti-e th n ic
co m m u n ity .
In Ju ly , M y o p tic O p to m e try set
up e x am fa c ilitie s fo r the first tim e
at IR C O h e a d q u a rte rs in n o rth ­
e a st P o rtla n d , and a fte r g a th e rin g
p a tie n t n a m es, d a te s o f b irth and
an y m e d ic a l h is to rie s , sp en t the
m o rn in g c o n d u ctin g ey e e x a m in a ­
tio n s .
T h e e x a m s in c lu d e d an o v e ra ll
ey e h e a lth p re v e n tiv e a sse ssm e n t,
b a sic c h e c k s o f v isu al a c u ity at a
d is ta n c e a n d n e a r , c h e c k s o f
m u scle te am in g an d e x a m in a tio n
o f th e re tin a to scree n fo r g la u ­
com a.
“T h e v isio n sc re e n in g s a llo w
us to id e n tify v isio n im p a irm e n ts
th a t c o u ld be sig n s o f m ore s e ri­
o u s ey e d ise a se . B ey o n d th at, w e
are p e rfo rm in g d ila te d e x am s to
e v a lu a te o c u la r h e a lth , as w e ll,”
said D r. T o.
In the past, new arrivals to IR C O
w en t th ro u g h p re lim in a ry g en eral
h e a lth sc re e n in g , but no v isio n o r
th o ro u g h ey e te stin g w as con
North Portland optometrist Summy To provides a preliminary health screening to under-served patients during a recent visit to the
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) in northeast Portland.
d u c te d .
“ W e d o o u r b e st to p ro v id e as
m u c h a ss is ta n c e as p o s sib le fo r
p e o p le in tra n s itio n in to life in the
U .S. an d h ere in P o rtla n d ,” said an
IR C O re p re se n ta tiv e ; “ b u t th e re ­
so u rc es are sim p ly no t e n o u g h to
d o as m u ch as w e w o u ld like o r to
d o o r to b e as th o ro u g h as w e
w o u ld lik e to b e .”
In th e c o u rs e o f th e re c e n t v i­
sio n s c re e n in g s, D r. T o w o u ld
lo o k fo r an y v isu al im p a irm e n t o r
e y e d is e a s e s an d sc h e d u le tim e
fo r p a tien ts to receiv e a m o re c o m ­
p re h e n siv e e x am in h e r o ffic e s,
fre e o f c h a rg e .
“ A s w e la u n ch th is new in itia ­
tiv e , d e d ic a tin g o u r tim e an d re ­
so u rc e s to it, w e 're a lso h o p in g
o th e r ey e h e alth p ro fessio n als w ill
ste p -u p to jo in u s ,” said D r. T o.
“ I t’s m y b e lie f th e re are m an y ey e
h ealth p ro fessio n als ou t th ere w ho
w o u ld love th e o p p o rtu n ity to be
in v o lv e d in th is, if th ey w ere o n ly
a w are o f it. A n d , sh o u ld w e d ia g ­
n o se m o re se rio u s o r e x te n siv e
h e a lth issu e s o u tsid e th e sco p e
o f o u r o w n p ra c tic e , w e w ill d e fi­
n ite ly n e ed the re so u rc e s o f o th e r
e y e an d m e d ic a l e x p e rts h e lp us
tre a t th o se c o n d itio n s .”
D r. T o p o in te d to th e fa c t th at
th e m a jo rity o f th o s e p a s s in g
th ro u g h th e d o o rs o f IR C O are
w ith o u t h e a lth in su ra n c e o r h av e
in a d e q u a te in su ra n c e th a t d o es
n o t c o v e r e y e c are.
“ F o r th a t re a s o n ,” sa id D r. T o ,
“ W e ’re a lso a sk in g th e p u b lic to
ste p -u p to m ak e fin a n c ia l c o n tri­
b u tio n s to a sp ec ia l e y e h e a lth
fu n d w e ’re se ttin g up w ith IR C O
to c o v e r th e c o st o f g la ss e s, ey e
tre a tm e n ts an d e v en s u rg e ry , if
n e c e s s a r y .”
People can contribute by visiting
the IR C O .org w ebsite and follow ing
steps to m ake a financial gift, or they
can call IR C O at 503-234-1541 and
ask ab o u t the IR C O C lient E ye
H ealth Fund specifically.
“ I t ’s a lw a y s b een fo u n d a tio n a l
fo r us to be in v o lv e d in o u r co m
m u n ity ,” e x p la in e d D r. T o , “ an d
w e ’ve w a n te d to fin d a w ay to do
m o re. W e ’ve fo u n d a n e ed here
an d w e ’re ta k in g an in itia l ste p to
h e lp .”
Your Care
Our First
Priority
Dr. Marcelitte
Fidila
Chiropractic
Physician
■MMHMMMMI
Festival Promotes Healthy Food
O M S I w ill host a one-of-a-kind,
free, bilingual festival that explores
the life cycle o f food - from farm to
table and beyond.
T he m u seu m ’s inaugural D irt to
D inner event w ill take place on S at­
urday and Sunday, A ug. 4 and 5,
from 10 a.m . to 4 p.m. and highlight
a ctiv itie s and o rg an izatio n s that
support sustainable food choices.
D irt to D in n e r w ill h elp fam ilies
le a rn m o re a b o u t th e d iffe re n t
sta g e s o f fo o d -- w h e re it c o m es
fro m and h o w it g ets th ere. H an d s-
o n a c tiv itie s w ill te a c h fa m ilie s
h o w to m ak e m o re su sta in a b le
d e c is io n s a b o u t th e ir fo o d — e c o ­
n o m ic a lly , e n v iro n m e n ta lly and
so c ia lly . T h e e v e n t w ill h ig h lig h t
s k ills su ch as su sta in a b le sh o p ­
p in g , fo o d p re p a ra tio n , g a rd e n ­
in g , fo o d w aste m a n a g e m e n t an d
fo o d p re s e rv a tio n .
“W ith Dirt to Dinner, we are w ork­
ing w ith a n u m b er o f local and re­
gional partners to show visitors easy
w ay s to p o sitiv e ly im p act th e ir
health, p o ck etb o o k and the en v i­
ro n m en t,” said O M S I E vents M an­
ag er A ndrea M iddleton.
W? are located at
1716 N.E. 42nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97213
(Between Broadway and Sandy Blvd. )
• Automobile accident injuries
• Chronic headache and joint pain
• Workers Compensation injuries
Call for an appointment!
(503)228-6140