Mobile eye clinic to bring vision care to rural Veterans

BIG SPRING, Texas (KOSA) - The barrier between healthcare and rural communities is very real, even more so for Veterans.

West Texas is known for many things, like Friday night lights, stunning sunsets, and of course, powering the world with oil and gas.

But near the top of that list, is caring for our veterans.

At the Big Spring VA hospital, that is top of mind.

“The Veterans are at the center of everything we do,” said Keith Bass, Medical Center Director at VA West Texas Health Care.

But that is no small feat for the West Texas VA.

“We serve a tremendous area, 33 counties, 53,000 square miles. If the West Texas VA was a state, we’d be the 28th largest state in the union,” Dr. Geert Craenen, Chief of Ophthalmology, West Texas VA.

Much of that is rural areas, towns being far and few in between, creating a unique challenge, especially for those seeking eye care.

However, the Director of the West Texas VA, Keith Bass, and the Director of Ophthalmology, Dr. Geert Craenen came up with a unique solution.

And this is that solution is an eye clinic on wheels!

The Ophthalmology Mobile Medical Unit.

It’s not just any bus, the VA is calling it a marvel of medical technology and modern engineering, that now has a home base in Big Spring.

“Currently, we’re the only one in Texas that has this capability. We’re excited to pilot that program here and we’re going to set the standard here in West Texas for our veterans,” Bass explained.

This mobile eyecare clinic closes the gap between veterans living in rural areas and getting the care they need.

“That’s a real challenge to a lot of our vets, to come and access care. So we’re going to be able to bring the care to them. And in my humble opinion, nothing’s more important than eye care.” said Dr. Geert Craenen.

Walking through the halls of the West Texas VA hospital, Dr. Craenen, originally from Belgium, made it clear that serving those who have served is personal for him.

“I’m an immigrant, I came here when I was 18 years old. This is my way of giving back,” Craenen said.

Now a naturalized U.S. citizen, he explained that he did not serve in the U.S. military, but wanted to find a way to give back to the country that gave him so much.

“This is the way I can serve, so it’s so much worth doing and it’s worth doing right,” Craenen explained.

This mobile eye clinic began as Craenen’s brainchild and is now a reality.

He was excited to give CBS7 a sneak peek inside as he did an impromptu eye exam with a VA colleague.

This bus has it all!

“We can do their general exams, we can get their specialty exams. The doctor has everything he needs to do to take care of the veteran in one sitting,” said Director Bass.

“So this vehicle contains two exam rooms, one for the technician, one for the doctor. It contains testing equipment, for visual field tests, retina scans, and chemistry, for everything you need for macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts. The kind of things that our aging veteran population suffers most from.” Craenen explained.

The problem also extends outside of West Texas, According to data from the Rural Health Information Hub, out of the 20 million veterans in America, 4.4 million live in rural areas, many of them in Texas.

An issue that this doctor has been fighting for quite some time and is making a difference.

“If you need it you get it, but that’s only the ones that make it in my chair. I keep hearing about people who would love to get their care from the VA but can’t get here,” said Craenen.

But with this innovative tool now at their disposal, Craenen is hoping to change that.

“And if I could say to them, you know what next year I’ll come to you’, can’t beat that,” said Craenen.

In the meantime, the VA team continues to prepare the bus for service.

“We look forward to getting this thing operational and getting it out on the road,” said Bass.

By spearheading this effort, Dr. Craenen provides an example of breaking down barriers between Veterans and the care they deserve.

“It’s a real step forward for us and it’s what we do. We may be little old West Texas but we are pioneers in a very true sense,” Craenen said.

The West Texas VA has had this bus since the beginning of January and has been getting it ready for service.

Their goal is to launch the bus this Summer and begin with stops in the San Angelo area and south of that location.

To learn more about the West Texas VA resources available, click here.

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