The providers at Virginia Eye Institute participate in outreach missions every year in an effort to share our expertise and care to those in need. Our missions began within our communities and have expanded to other countries that are in need as well. Some of our annual local missions include our Cataract Mission and our partnership with Conexus for Healthy Vision in their Gift of Light campaign.
To date, Virginia Eye Institute’s Cataract Mission program has donated over 800 eye exams and 240 surgeries. More than $5,000 worth of services, including post-op follow-up, is provided at no cost to each patient in the program. The Gift of Light campaign, launched in 2013, supports Conexus programs such as VisioCheck, its screening program, as well as its Mobile Vision Clinic program, a free program that provides in-school non-dilated eye exams and prescription glasses to children.
At the Virginia Eye Institute, we believe in sharing our knowledge, expertise and time with those who are in need in our community. Below, you’ll find some of the outreach programs we participate in.
In 2023, Dr. Krawitz and Dr. LaRosa traveled to Uganda to provide eye exams and cataract surgeries. We’re incredibly proud of the mission work they provided in Uganda with 60 surgeries completed.
Free Cataract Surgery Program for Central Virginians: Virginia Eye Institute Now Accepting Applications FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — January 16, 2020 Starting January, 2020 Virginia Eye Institute will begin accepting applications for its 27th Annual Cataract Mission program. Virginia Eye Institute’s Cataract Mission program is an outreach program designed to help Virginians in need […]
We would like to give a special shout out to our own ophthalmologist, Dr. Donna Brown, and her team for working with World Pediatric Project during their annual eye surgery mission to St. Vincent from February 15-22! From World Pediatric Project: During the course of the week Dr. Brown evaluated 38 patients and performed 17 […]
Special Olympics for the Summer Games! 6/8/19 Members of the VEI staff volunteered with Family Vision Care of Richmond over the weekend to provide vision screenings to the athletes of the Special Olympics for the Summer Games at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA! We’d like to send out a big thank you to everyone who […]
The ‘Gift of Light’ campaign, launched in 2013, supports Conexus programs such as VisioCheck, its screening program, as well as its Mobile Vision Clinic program, a free program that provides in-school non-dilated eye exams and prescription glasses to children. The Mobile Vision Clinic exams are performed by state-licensed optometrists and, if prescribed, students are able […]
Dr. Donna Brown of Virginia Eye Institute and her team returned to St. Vincent for the 17th annual pediatric ophthalmology mission to its partner hospital, Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Dr. Brown has been providing ophthalmological services, including treatment for common conditions such as congenital cataracts and strabismus, to children in the region for over 20 […]
World Pediatric Project volunteers led their 10th annual pediatric ophthalmology mission to the Hospital Nacional de Salamá in Guatemala. The medical team consisted of Dr. Thomas Carothers, a pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Seamas Dore, a pediatric anesthesiologist, Robbi Hazlewood, recovery room nurse, and Sharon Hart, operating room nurse. Josephine Lush accompanied the team as the WPP […]
Virginia Eye Institute and World Pediatric Project partnered up to provide services to a children’s eye clinic in Guatemala in February of 2018. Our provider, Dr. Thomas Carothers, served as the head of the Eye Team for the clinic which assisted over 89 children in need.
Our ophthalmology provider, Dr. Donna Brown, and her daughter, Karen Brown, flew into St. Vincent to assist World Pediatric Projects in the Caribbean in leading their Ophthalmology Mission by providing donated human eye tissue for transplant patients. The team performed the operations at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, allowing for patients to regain their vision thanks to […]
Dr. Seth Krawitz travelled to Ghana in 2017 and provided eye exams and cataract surgery in the capital of Accra. This program was organized by Surgical Eye Expeditions.
Dr. Seth Krawitz travelled to Rwanda in 2017 with friend and fellow ophthalmologist Sam Cady. Alongside Rwandan ophthalmologist Dr. John Nkurikiye, they provided cataract surgery in remote parts of the country.
Dr. Seth Krawitz has participated in 3 high volume cataract surgery outreach programs in Ethiopia since 2014. In tandem with fellow American surgeons and native Ethiopian surgeons over 1,000 sight restoring cataract surgeries were performed during each of these programs. These missions were organized by the Himalayan Cataract Project.
The Cataract Mission program provides free cataract surgery for those Virginians who have cataracts but cannot afford the surgery. This program is for individuals who do not have insurance, Medicare, nor Medicaid and do not have the financial means to pay for cataract surgery out-of-pocket. The VEI Foundation has been in existence since 1993. To […]
The Cataract Mission program provides free cataract surgery for those Virginians who have cataracts but cannot afford the surgery. This program is for individuals who do not have insurance, Medicare, nor Medicaid and do not have the financial means to pay for cataract surgery out-of-pocket. The VEI Foundation has been in existence since 1993. To […]
