For 43 years, the Lions Eye Foundation (LEF) has been preserving and restoring the gift of sight for the less fortunate by providing ophthalmic examinations, surgery, and medication to eligible patients. In partnership with the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Department of Ophthalmology, the LEF operates a clinic at 2340 Clay Street in San Francisco. State seismic laws require public buildings, including CPMC, to meet more stringent earthquake standards. The medical center has hired architects to determine how this might best be accomplished. This study presents an opportunity to review the existing Lions Eye Clinic and determine its functionality.
The number of patients coming to the Lions Eye Clinic has more than doubled in the past decade and another two years could bring a space shortage. Because most people with serious eye disorders need checkups throughout their lives, every new patient adds to the permanent caseload. About 160 new patients join the Lions family every year. Many more still go without care, however, and the LEF is committed to reaching them. As the number of elderly and uninsured Americans increases, the clinic will be stretched even further.
Although the Clinic has some of the Bay Area's finest ophthalmic equipment (all donated by the LEF), most services are fulfilled elsewhere. For testing, patients must cross a street and walk down a hill. Surgery takes place on an entirely different campus a mile away, and patients must register there the day before. Specialists' offices are all over town. The arrangements are a hardship for the visually impaired, many of them elderly. A trip to the City is stressful enough without multiple destinations. Patients from as far away as the Oregon border and Las Vegas often have to make an extra trip just to fit everything in. The need for a larger, more comprehensive Lions Eye Center IN A SINGLE LOCATION has long been apparent.
The Clinic currently has four exam rooms, a laser room, and a minor treatment room. Dr. Susan Day, M.D., Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology, has been meeting with architects from the CPMA to discuss future space requirements. This is an ongoing study that should result in final plans by the end of this calendar year. If all goes well, the new Lions Eye Center will be in the soon-to-be-built Ambulatory center. Exam rooms, lasers, 25-50 doctors offices, surgical suites, a testing department, and an increase from six to nine residents, will all be close together under one roof.
A generation ago, care for the blind meant white canes and sympathy. Today, most cases of blindness are preventable, if care is provided in time. More than 90 percent of Lions patients resume a normal life, with their vision improved or stabilized. First, however, they must discover the LEF. With a more visible Lions Eye Center, word can and will spread, and more patients will be helped. The entire experience will be far less stressful for patients and their families. With the new Lions Eye Center, LEF dollars will go further than ever before, because the streamlined facilities will provide more efficient care at a lower cost per patient.
Any adult or child who needs eye care other than glasses may apply for help. Everyone who meets the criteria for medical and financial need is provided with care. No one is ever turned away. In 2001 alone, the LEF helped nearly 800 patients, through 2,860 clinic visits, 175 laser surgeries and 150 same-day surgeries. The LEF has one full-time employee. Care is provided by medical school graduates in residency training under the supervision of leading ophthalmologists who volunteer their time for this charitable service. The LEF also contributes medical equipment and reference books to the Ophthalmology Department. For every dollar taken in, only nine cents goes to administrative costs, far below the national average for non-profit organizations.
The LEF has pledged to raise at least $5 million for this Lions Eye Center project in the next two to four years. The 500 Lions Clubs throughout California and Nevada, from Districts 4-C1, 4-C2, 4-C3, 4-C4, 4-C6, 4-A1, 4-A2 and 4-N, are the cornerstone of the LEF. Besides playing a key role in identifying needy patients, they contribute one third of the LEF annual operating budget (The remainder comes from investment income, special club campaigns, and other contributions). Clubs alone cannot achieve the full campaign goal in addition to their annual commitment. Every facet of the community will be asked to help, including individuals, foundations, and government agencies. This is a once-in-a-lifetime giving opportunity to create THE CENTER for charitable eye care in Northern California and Nevada.
