Optometry clinic opens doors to Active Duty dependents, and diabetics

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jason McCasland
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Recently, the 2nd Medical Group Optometry clinic opened its appointment book to dependents and diabetics, to provide better eye care to Barksdale families.

The Optometry Clinic provides active duty military and their families with total vision care by performing eye exams and vision tests, prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses and contact lens, detecting eye abnormalities, and prescribing medications for eye diseases.

"Between the military and civilian life, I've been an optometrist for 20 years," said Maj. Gerardo Robles-Morales, 2nd Aerospace Medical Squadron Optometry Flight commander. "Since I arrived at Barksdale, I have wanted to help my patients by providing them with the best that the military has to offer. We are now staffed with two optometrists, we are able to do just that."

"With the team we have at the Optometry clinic, we have more opportunities to serve our customers better," said Col. Ender Ozgul, 2nd Medical Group, commander. "Before, we didn't have the capability to provide our customers with this level of care and were limited to only those on active duty. This gives many family members access to care that hasn't been available at Barksdale for several years."
Not only is this by providing a one-stop-shop for family medical care, it can also help to relieve a financial strain on families because we are also going to be able to renew their contact lens prescriptions.

"Before we started seeing families, they would have to go to an off-base provider, which costs money," Robles-Morales said. "Although it may be just a simple co-pay, for some that could mean the difference in going once a year, to going once every two, three or more years."
Saving money isn't the only thing the change to care provides though. It provides better quality eye care to active duty patients and their families.

"From a patient-doctor relationship standpoint, it allows us to get to know our patients and they get to know us," Robles-Morales said. "This lets [patients] be more forthcoming with concerns about their eye care. This way we can take the time to help them with their individual care."

Having two optometrists on staff at the medical clinic also means less wait times between appointments.

"With this care and the other improvements we are doing here, our active duty service members will have a sense that Barksdale is taking care of our families as well,"Ozgul said. "These types of changes will allow them to continue the mission of the 2nd Bomb Wing without worrying about their family's medical care."

For more information on the optometry clinic or to schedule an appointment, call 456-6555.