.png)
ABOUT VHI
Strong community partnerships and building local capacity for eye care are at the heart of everything we do.
​
Since 1985, VHI has been dedicated to improving sight and changing lives through compassionate, high-quality vision care around the world. Our volunteer ophthalmologists, vision professionals, and support teams work hand-in-hand with local partners—clinicians, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations—to bring direct patient care to communities in need. By returning to our program sites year after year, we build lasting relationships, strengthen local eye care systems, and promote sustainability—ensuring that the impact of our work continues long after our teams depart.
VHI FIELD PROGRAMS
International Field Programs
We plan and implement a number of week-long programs each year in countries around the world. We recruit dedicated vision care professionals and dedicated volunteers to deliver high-quality vision screening and care to the local community. We work with underserved communities with little to no access to eye care and partner with local clinicians and organizations to provide logistical support, help coordinate clinic and operating-room space, and often do pre-screening and patient recruitment.
U.S.-Based Field Programs
We host free pop-up eye clinics to provide eye care to under-resourced communities in the United States. Leading up to a scheduled clinic, we partner with local, community-based organizations and ophthalmology clinics to reach and recruit patients in need. During the clinic, our team provides comprehensive vision exams and provides patients with prescription eyeglasses and referrals for appropriate ophthalmic medical care.
Please reach out if you’re interested in partnering with us to host a clinic in your community.
HISTORY
Dr. Rodney E. Abernethy recognized that even the most basic vision health care was out of reach for most adults and children in rural Latin America, where there is perhaps one ophthalmologist for every 250,000 people, and where unemployment, lack of health insurance, and the burden of poverty compound an already serious medical problem.
​
Beginning in 1985, Dr. Abernethy established a model and a mission for a growing band of dedicated volunteers with three successful surgical field programs to Ecuador. Sadly, this small group of doctors, nurses, and Peace Corps volunteers lost their inspirational leader in 1988. Thankfully, they never lost their inspiration.
​
VHI was incorporated in 1989 to honor Dr. Abernethy’s pioneering work in Ecuador and to continue his efforts to make vision health care services affordable and accessible for under-served communities around the world.
CAPACITY-BUILDING
VHI prioritizes sustainable impact through capacity building with our international medical partners. We provide advanced medical equipment, direct surgical and clinical training, and instruction in pre- and post-operative care and oculoplastic techniques. Since 2020, our continuing education fund has supported eye care professionals in under-resourced countries, enhancing local expertise and strengthening the long-term capacity of health systems to serve patients in need.
.jpg)
