Dr. Chalmers performing surgery in Oaxaca, Mexico

Community Involvement. What does that mean? For EyeHealth Northwest it means that our physicians are committed not only to their local community but the communities of the world. You will find our physicians volunteering as clinical instructors of Oregon Health Sciences University's Casey Eye Institute and the Veteran Administration Hospital and delivering lectures and free screenings for eye disease in their communities.

Dr. Stromberg consulting with a patient in Oaxaca, Mexico

You will also find our physicians frequently leading surgical teams in Mexico for Northwest Medical Teams. EyeHealth Northwest physicians have also provided volunteer medical and surgical services in Central America, Romania, Nepal, West Africa, China, South America and the Philippines. In addition to providing these services, they often instruct local physicians at the same time.

The physicians of EyeHealth Northwest are recognized as leaders in their field and many are active in the advancement of quality assurance in health care. Several of our physicians are frequently asked to present at national and international ophthalmology conferences.

Dr. Fonken teaching strabismus surgery to Romanian doctors and nurses.

April 9, 2003 -- Dr. Paul Stromberg recognized for his dedication to helping others achieve better vision.

After 12 years volunteering for Northwest Medical Teams, Paul K. Stromberg, MD has been named the recipient of the 2003 NWMT "Spirit of Life,

Outstanding International Volunteer" award. Not only has Dr. Stromberg traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico with NWMT to provide eye surgery for indigent patients numerous times, but he has also served as a consultant to Northwest Medical Teams for eye surgery programs throughout the world.

Please join the Doctors and Staff of EyeHealth Northwest in congratulating Dr. Stromberg for receiving this prestigious award.

Dr. Sonal Davé's Time in Nepal May 2008

Dr. Davé with a patient in Kathmandu, Nepal

My first day at the Tilganga Eye Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, was most memorable. The first hour I was there, I was told there was "a cornea available" and to follow the procurement technician. We left the front door of the hospital, walked through the dirt parking area, across a bridge often frequented by sacred cows, down to the Bagmati River, and into one of the most sacred Hindu temples of Nepal, Pashupatinath Temple. There were hundreds of local people standing around observing the activities of the morning, monkeys playing in the river, and Hindu priests bathing in the waters. We walked in, me wearing a dress shirt and slacks with my white coat in hand, yet everyone surrounding me in local clothing. We walked along the river with the smoke of cremation pyres ahead an the golden pagoda temple beyond. When we got there, family members were surrounding funeral pyres burning on the edge of the river. The technician unlocked the nearby enclosure. We went inside and minutes later, six male members of the family carried the body of their deceased relative into the enclosure. They all watched as the technician carefully procured the corneas. As I stood there with the relatives observing the process, I looked out across the funeral pyres and river to the opposite bank where tourists were allowed. They were taking pictures of the temple and the sacred funeral pyres. I realized at that moment the amazing honor physicians have. As a foreigner one hour into visiting this new country, I was permitted into a sacred area where only Hindus were allowed, and able to witness the donation of one cornea to help another. I stood and watched the family members allow us to take the cornea of their mother or grandmother before cremation, because they, unlike many others with their religious beliefs, agreed to allow donation of this tissue. A few days later, I was able to help perform a corneal transplantation of that very tissue. The recipient was a child with debilitating corneal disease in both eyes. The was a rare chance to see the direct impact one family's decision makes on another. I was the generosity of one family result in a better life for a young child they would never know. I will never forget that experience with every cornea transplant I perform back home in the United States.