Dover's optometry clinic at 'top of the chart'

Published Sept. 27, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Jacob Morgan
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- They are the top eye-care team in Air Mobility Command, and number two in the Air Force. There are only three members of this team caring for more than 7,000 active-duty members, retirees and their families. They out-perform other offices similar to theirs by more than 70 percent, and they even help with eye exams for military working dogs.

The Dover Air Force Base optometry clinic, part of the 436th Medical Group, keeps busy by seeing a patient every 15 minutes of the duty day. They consistently save the Air Force money by seeing more patients and referring less to doctors in the local area.

"No one really ever notices how busy we are," said Staff Sgt. Amanda Hoover, the NCO in charge of the optometry flight for the 436th Aerospace Medicine Squadron. "We have such a small office caring for a base with such a huge mission."

Maj. (Dr.) Jeffrey Newsom, the optometry flight commander with the 436th AMDS, and the rest of the clinic overhauled their appointment process to streamline the schedule and decrease waiting time.

The optometry clinic has three major areas of concern: routine visits, aircrew exams and deployment exams.

Routine visits consist of the normal tests, which determine a rough estimate of prescription and pressure before the doctor uses multiple tests to figure out the corrective vision for the patient. From there, glasses will be ordered or the patient will undergo a contact-lens exam.

"For the most part, routine eye exams are [all] alike," said Hoover. "Sometimes, with children or the elderly, we will have to use different tests to determine their corrective vision."

For aircrew eye exams, the process becomes lengthier due to mission requirements. The exam can include color vision, field of vision, depth-perception testing, and eye dilation for other tests. Sometimes aircrew receive contact lenses, but it depends on the airframe they fly on.

"We see a lot of aircrew for urgent exams," said Hoover. "If they fail any vision portion of their annual exam they are placed on a duty not to include flying status. It is important to see them right away."

Deployment-related exams are another form of urgent exam. The difference between a typical routine exam and a deployment-related exam is the timetable. If members need to deploy, sometimes glasses and gas mask inserts need to be rushed.

"[Members] should be proactive and schedule an appointment every year," said Newsom. "Help [the optometry clinic] make your deployment process and eye care easier."

Dover AFB's optometry clinic is dedicated to seeing as many patients as possible, said Newsom. There are hardly any referrals to outside clinics unless the patient needs surgery or other procedures, which Team Dover's optometry team does not have the equipment for.