By Kaitlyn Nuebel

Brother’s Brother Foundation hosted its second Mobile Health Clinic on Friday in collaboration with Project Theia, Mission vision, Allegheny Health Network, and Highmark Wholecare. 

Brother’s Brother Foundation hosted its second Mobile Health Clinic on Friday, this time in New Kensington, PA. In collaboration with Dr. Jenny Yu and Dr. Erin Keim from Project Theia, BBF provided free eye exams and diabetic retinal screenings to community members with diabetes and other eye-related issues.   

Doctors recommend diabetes patients receive an eye exam at least once a year to prevent the consequences of irreversible vision loss, but people living in healthcare deserts, such as New Kensington, often struggle traveling to their appointments. By providing specialized services right on site, BBF’s Mobile Health Clinic aims to improve healthcare in underserved communities.  

Following patients’ eye exams, Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Mission Vision provided free eyeglasses to those in need of a new pair. Allegheny Health Network and Highmark Wholecare also attended the clinic to check-in patients and ensure they receive the continuity of care they need following the clinic.  

[The mobile health van parked outside the warehouse at Brother’s Brother Foundation before leaving for New Kensington Friday morning.]

[Tayler Hutton, development coordinator at Brother’s Brother Foundation, stands outside the mobile health van giving t-shirts and medicine kits to patients after their appointment.]

[Rachel Young, a nurse with Project Theia, checks a patient’s eye pressure prior to seeing the doctor.]

[Optometrist Dr. Erin Keim uses the phoropter in BBF’s mobile health van during a patient’s eye exam.]