Coquille Tribe release – Free eye exams, targeting uninsured and underinsured patients, will be available Tuesday and Wednesday, March 27 and 28. Waterfall Community Health Clinic and the Coquille Indian Tribe Community Health Center will host back-to-back visits from the Casey Eye Institute Outreach Van. Appointments will be available for 200 patients to receive comprehensive eye exams, with resources available to pay for eyeglasses. Here are details on the two events: Coquille Tribal event – Exams will take place Tuesday at the Coquille Indian Tribe Learning Center, 591 Miluk Drive, Coos Bay. Anyone lacking vision insurance is eligible for this free service, but priority will be given to Coquille Tribal members and other American Indians and Alaskan Natives. To make an appointment, call the tribal health center at (541) 888-9494 or (800) 344-8583. Waterfall Clinic event – Exams will be offered Wednesday at the Newmark Center on the Southwestern Oregon Community College campus. Anyone 18 or older is eligible, but priority will be given to uninsured and underinsured patients, especially those classified as “high risk.” High-risk patients include anyone with a family history of vision problems, anyone diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes, and anyone age 55 or older. Patients who don’t meet those criteria will be put on a waiting list for unclaimed appointments. To make an appointment, call Waterfall at (541) 756-6232. Additional details – The free exams, which normally would cost as much as $550, will be conducted by ophthalmologists from Oregon Health and Science University, the Pacific University College of Optometry and the Casey Eye Institute. Exams will include screening for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Each exam takes about two and half hours and will include eye dilation. So patients should make arrangements for transportation home.
