Examining a postop patient. Standing on the left is Dr. Singer. Dr. McKenzie is sitting at the microscope. In the background Milt Camp, one of our fix-it guys, is helping out with vision testing.

“Jornada” is the local term describing our one week eye clinic and surgery. A typical team consists of three or four eye doctors, two operating room nurses, an operating room helper, a native speaking Spanish translator and a general fix-it person. Ideally two doctors work in the clinic while the other one or two operate.

I can not emphasize enough that this is a team effort. Without good nursing help the doctors can’t operate, let alone do so efficiently. The clinic can’t build good rapport with patients and the community without translators who can put medical decisions in appropriate cultural terms. And nothing would work without the savvy administration of Sister Mary and now Shiela.