Nicaragua November, 2000

Members were: Bill Campbell, OD, optometrist leader; Steve Belanger, OD; Albert Hoffman, OD; Philip Huffman, OD; Robin LaValley, OD; Richard Stang, OD. Other members were: Jonathan Baumgartner, Howard Coy, John Dudek, Carol Groman, Morris Groman, Frank Igielski, Walt Jablonski, Ed Mitchell, Sharon Mitchell, Arliss Plaugher, Barbara Plaugher, Darlene Pohlman, James Pohlmas, Chuck Risser, Mary Elizabeth Stang and Carolyn Stang. Liz Davila from Miami, Florida joined the mission as our liasion into Nicaragua.

We completed the mission that was planned for 1998, when Hurricane Mitch interrupted our plans. Our clinic site was in Esteli, Nicaragua. This was a well-coordinated mission through the Minister of Social Action of Nicaragua. A local Lions group in Esteli provided transportation, interpreters and many volunteers to assist in the clinic. Programming by local TV stations caused an extra influx of patients that were not anticipated; however, with the assistance of local police, the crowd was controlled. Due to the mass of people asking for vision care, the team became motivated to help all possible. With the use of a handheld autorefractor, screening of many patients was accomplished with one optometrist writing scripts. Difficult patients were seen by one of the other five optometrists