Spokane7
61°
December 16, 2011 in City
Ban on used glasses hobbles eye clinic
Free vision care formerly included distributing donated lenses
Chet Holmquist gets an eye exam from optometrist Mitch Maier, reflected in mirror, in the Union Gospel Mission clinic on Thursday. The clinic, which offers free care to the indigent, has been forbidden to dispense used eyeglasses by the state optometry board.
(Full-size photo)
Since 1985, the Union Gospel Mission has helped improve the vision of thousands of poor and uninsured people by dispensing donated eyeglasses at its weekly free vision clinic founded by the late optometrist and humanitarian Walt Michaelis.
Every Thursday the clinic sees eight to 10 people “who could not get glasses any other way,” said Linda Bates, a volunteer at the Mission.
But for the past year, recycled glasses – verified, cleaned and catalogued by prescription – have been piling up at the Walt Michaelis Clinic because of the Washington Board of Optometry’s recent interpretation of federal law, which prevents them from being distributed to the people who need them.
“Federal law dictates that prescription spectacle lenses must be dispensed by prescription,” Chairman Michael VanBrocklin wrote last December.
VanBrocklin’s letter reaffirmed the board’s answer in response to a question last summer by Lions International’s Northwest Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center. Lisa Hodgson, executive director for the optometry board, said she was not aware of any complaints about the distribution of recycled glasses statewide.
“Nevertheless, we find the dispensing of used prescription lenses very problematic and cannot condone a lower standard of care for the less fortunate,” VanBrocklin’s letter said.
Concerned about liability, optometrists at the mission stopped dispensing donated eyewear for temporary use. The clinic continues to offer exams, but patients needing corrective lenses are referred to for-profit optometric offices.
Affordable Optics, LensCrafters and PearleVision, which this week held a free clinic in Spokane Valley, have been helping out by donating eyewear to the clinic’s patients. But the demand exceeds the availability of such charity, particularly since the state stopped providing lenses to Medicaid patients last year.
“We need to figure out a solution,” said Brett Hagen, optometrist at Garland Vision Source, the private practice Michaelis founded in 1949.
He and other optometrists would like to raise the issue with the state Legislature next year. They are hoping for a law similar to one that passed this year in Oregon that protects some charities from liability for providing recycled eyeglasses and hearing aids to the poor in some circumstances.
The Oregon legislation was sought by the Lions Club International, which collects donated glasses for distribution overseas but has been stymied in its efforts to do so in the United States.
Meanwhile, with the help of its volunteer optometrists, the Union Gospel Mission will continue to do the best it can to serve the vision needs of the community’s most vulnerable residents, operations manager Dave Wall said.
“If it wasn’t for the UGM vision clinic, I’m really not sure where people would go for their eye care needs,” he said. “For us to be able to continue to utilize donated glasses would greatly enhance our services.”
Rights panel poorly understood 
rpmarp on December 16 at 12:51 a.m.
Why can’t somebody just write the needy a damn prescription and the Mission then fill it?
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 16 at 4:59 a.m.
As a retired optometrist with many many friends in seattle who are part of VOSH and take glasses down to Central America on a regular basis… I am surprised and distressed that the Washington State Optometric Board has stopped these volunteer doctors from dispensing prescription eye wear at no cost to the patrons and community that desperately require this fine service.
The Board of Optometry should be chastised for their behaviour. Dr John A Olsen Spokane WA
DHF on December 16 at 5:10 a.m.
People seem to have no problem getting a Medical Marijuana Prescription and I would like to believe that there would be Optometrist’s who would write the prescription for someone to be able to see. God Bless the UGM for all that they do for the poor and needy.
karl2002 on December 16 at 5:41 a.m.
Sounds like the Optometrist’s lobby wants to keep as many dollars for their industry as possible at the expense of those in need.
D Statler on December 16 at 6:55 a.m.
I thought AVISTA was wearing the scrooge costume again this year. We now know who has the scrooge role this holiday season. It sounds like whoever is responsible might need to be sent packing.(along with AVISTA’s greedy CEO) God Bless the Union Gospel Mission !! ThankYou for all you do for the community.
Free_Bird on December 16 at 9:07 a.m.
Because of the Washington Board of Optometry’s Chairman Michael VanBrocklin’s stance of “we find the dispensing of used prescription lenses very problematic and cannot condone a lower standard of care for the less fortunate,” they are doing EXACTLY THAT. By denying the less fortunate these glasses that would otherwise be trashed or lay around forever in doctor’s offices, the WA Board of Optometry IS CONDONING A LOWER STANDARD OF CARE for the less fortunate…In fact, they are restricting them to a LOWER STANDARD of VISION - that is - BAD VISION - without the donated glasses they all need. SHAME ON YOU MICHAEL VANBROCKLIN! SHAME ON YOU WA BOARD OF OPTOMETRY!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 16 at 9:56 a.m.
Free Bird you nailed it… profits and money for the already well off… sad state of professional responsibility.. dr john
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on December 16 at 9:58 a.m.
Couldn’t read the whole article, but I can’t imagine what the rationale for such a move would be. Who benefits from something like this? These people can’t pay to visit eye doctors, so the eye doctors aren’t losing money that would otherwise come their way; same for companies that make lenses and/or sell frames.
Aren’t doctors supposed to help people? Or at least try?
PassinThru on December 16 at 11:24 a.m.
@ Kevin Graman, reporter: I’d be interested in a followup article detailing the thoughts of Congresswoman McMorris-Rogers and Senators Cantwell and Murray pertaining to this issue.
terrymr on December 16 at 11:38 a.m.
Anybody want to spell out who lobbies for laws like this ?
jjnlblyman on December 16 at 11:58 a.m.
If one accepts in general that the purpose of the federal government is to provide for the people those things that the people can’t provide for themselves, it absolutely infuriates me to read that the Fed’s are influencing the dispension of glasses at the Union Gospel Mission (Ban on used glasses…).
??Riddler?? on December 16 at 12:42 p.m.
?? Chef Gus ??
?? Let’s FIX this! What will it take ??
Orphan on December 16 at 12:53 p.m.
Why would anyone accept that the general purpose of the federal government was to provide for those that can not provide for themselves. For petes sake read the Constitution.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on December 16 at 3:42 p.m.
According to the Gospel of Herman: this is America. If they’re not rich, it’s their own damn fault.
misjustice on December 16 at 7:28 p.m.
More greed heads hurting poor folks…just because they can.
AnalyzeThat on December 16 at 8:22 p.m.
Leave it to a special interest group to mess up something that was working well for many without a bunch of extra cost, obviously to line their pockets!