SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - The team at the UC San Diego Shiley Eye Institute has a brand new rig to help give kids across San Diego free eye exams and glasses.
This year, they've debuted a new "EyeMobile." It replaces the one that's been in use for more than a decade.
"It's wider and cleaner. Because, obviously, the years take a toll on the one we have," says EyeMobile Program Manager Alberto Enriquez.
ABC 10News profiled the work the Shiley Eye Institute does to help improve vision this fall. With the help of people around San Diego, we raised more than $26,000 for the program.
The money for the new EyeMobile comes from the estate of a donor who wished to remain anonymous.
The new rig is four feet longer than the previous one. Like before, it has two fully functional exam rooms and a waiting area.
But, because it was built specifically to house an optometry office on wheels, Enriquez says it can do a lot more than the last EyeMobile.
"We were able to tweak it a little bit to only have what we need," he says. "It's gonna be much easier for us to access everything."
It also looks nicer from the outside. After more than a decade of use, the old EyeMobile had signs of wear and tear, chipped paint, fading decals, and some minor dents and damage.
The new one, "still has that 'New EyeMobile smell'" joked Enriquez.
It also has a larger reception area, which means parents or teachers can now join their kids in the EyeMobile to reduce anxiety.
"We know that when a parent comes in, it's not only their little one, but it's the siblings and the cousins or whoever else they're taking care of," explains EyeMobile Director Iliana Molina. "A teacher can now go in with two or three kids and it just makes it more friendly."
The EyeMobile visits schools in San Diego, with a focus on underserved communities. It offers free eye health services. In many cases, the exam kids get on the EyeMobile is their first time ever receiving vision care.
Since 2000, the EyeMobile has done more than 236,000 vision screenings and 31,000 comprehensive dilated eye exams. Through these, the team has detected 940 children at high-risk for severe eye problems, and given out more than 13,400 free pairs of glasses.
With the new rig, they can give more kids "the world to see."
