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UPCOMING FIELD PROGRAMS
Tajikistan: June 20-26, 2026
VHI collaborates with the Karobolo National Medical Center’s Department of Ophthalmology in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. This is the country’s primary teaching hospital for ophthalmology with an active residency program and hundreds of patients daily. Tajikistan, a mountainous nation of about 10 million, is stable and safe, though most residents speak Tajik Persian, Russian, or Uzbek rather than English. The country faces significant gaps in eye care, including no trained retinal surgeons, limited diagnostic equipment, and underdeveloped subspecialty services. VHI supports capacity building by working alongside faculty, residents, and the Ministry of Health to advance training and sustainable infrastructure.
Blackfeet Nation, Browning, MT: August 5-9, 2026
The Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwest Montana is home to the Blackfeet Nation, one of the 10 largest tribal nations in the U.S. The reservation is a rural region where access to specialty healthcare, including vision services, can be limited. We will partner with the Southern Peigan Health Center to provide comprehensive eye exams and prescription eyeglasses to community members of all ages, including student athletes, tribal elders, and clinic patients.
Tanzania: October 10-17, 2026
VHI will send a team of eyecare professionals to Ndoombo this fall. Since 2023, VHI has collaborated with the Ndoombo Community Dispensary and Mt. Meru Tumaini Health Clinic to expand access to essential eye care, providing comprehensive exams and distributing prescription glasses, readers, and sunglasses to patients in need.
Greater Hartford, CT: November, 14, 2026
We sere annually in Greater Hartford, Connecticut to provide care for underserved communities in partnership with Starling Physicians, Hartford Healthcare, Malta House of Care, and Summit Cares to help us reach and recruit patients in need and schedule free appointments before the day of the clinic.
Guatemala: January 23-31, 2027
VHI initiated work in Guatemala in 2007 with an inaugural field program where VHI sent a group of volunteers to the country to conduct comprehensive eye exams and prescription eyeglasses, and cataract surgeries for those in need. VHI has a longstanding presence in Guatemala and has sent a team of volunteers to the country at least once a year since 2017. We’ve implemented field programs in seven different locations within the country. Since 2021, we’ve focused our work in the Zacapa region in Central Guatemala.
Grand Junction, CO: Spring, 2027
We serve in Grand Junction to provide comprehensive eye exams and prescription glasses for the underserved in partnership with Rottman Eye Care, ICON Eye Care, EVP Eye Care, and other local community organizations that help us reach and recruit patients in need and schedule free appointments before the day of the clinic.
Grenada: Spring, 2027
VHI has served Grenada since 2024. Our primary model in Grenada is providing direct patient care combined with training focused on glaucoma and other skill development for local ophthalmologists. We send an annual volunteer surgical team to collaborate with local providers and expect to perform up to 80 cataract surgeries annually.
Denver, Colorado: Summer, 2027
Our VHI team serves annually in downtown Denver to provide care for underserved communities in partnership with Stout Street Eye Clinic and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to help us reach and recruit patients in need and schedule free appointments before the day of the clinic.
Honduras:TBD
We've partnered with the Manos Amigas eye clinic in La Entrada, Honduras since 2015, working to develop local infrastructure and expand the clinic’s capacity. VHI is committed to conducting at least one field program in Honduras each year. Through long-term partnerships with Serving at the Crossroads and Clinica Manos Amigas, VHI aims to transfer skills, knowledge, and equipment to help the clinic become self-sufficient within the next five years.
Flathead Reservation, MT: 2027 As Needed
We partner with the Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, who hosts VHI for a multi-day comprehensive eye exam and eyeglass program. We provide comprehensive eye exams and glasses to those in need.
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