Dr. Jervey Receives Humanitarian Service Award

July 2010 - Southern Eye's Dr. Darrell Jervey received the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2010 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award for his significant contributions in bringing various aspects of eye care to Haiti.   His quest to the help the people of Haiti began in 1969 as he traveled to Jeremie, Haiti on his first medical mission trip.  These trips continued as he spent two weeks at a time along with Hal Crosswell, MD, of Columbia, S.C., seeing up to 150 patients per day and performing surgery in a 30-bed open-air hospital.  Day trips to the mountains were accomplished by Land Rover, often taking four hours to travel 15 to 20 miles.

The mission trips were repeated every year (sometimes multiple times per year) into the 1980s. Several trips were also taken to Montouis on the western coast of Haiti with the same goals in mind.  His trips during the 1990s were less regular due to political unrest and instability. However, Dr. Jervey never lost his desire to keep lending a hand in a country with little or no eye care for most of the population.

In 2000, Dr. Jervey visited the Cange community 40 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince for the purpose of establishing an eye clinic. Cange is located in the central plateau of Haiti and is the central operating base for Partners in Health, and Paul Farmer, MD.With Dr. Jervey's assistance, the eye clinic was constructed using private funds and was equipped and operational by 2001.  In addition, he managed to equip a fully functional operating room, complete with an operating microscope, phacomachine, A-scan unit, autoclave and donated lens implants.

Dr. Jervey facilitated the visit of U.S. eye surgeons to Cange, especially Kurt Heitman, MD, and Brad Williams, MD, but understood that there was a need for a more consistent presence in the area, especially for glaucoma treatment.  It was at this point that he started a joint venture with the ophthalmology residency program in Port-au-Prince.  In exchange for lectures and surgical training provided by U.S.ophthalmologists, an indigenous ophthalmologist was hired as full-time staff at the eye clinic.  Since then, more than 1,500 patient visits and an average of 30surgeries are performed each month by the on-site Haitian ophthalmologist.  In addition,there are now five outlying eye clinics staffed by residents from Port-au-Prince, which serve as referral sources for Cange, as well as providing care for local residents.

Dr. Jervey continues to provide lectures for the residency program, as well as keeping the clinic in Cange stocked with glaucoma medication, antibiotics, lensimplants and eye glasses.  He has arranged for stable long-term funding, since all the work performed at the clinic is gratis. Through Dr. Jervey's resourcefulness and persistence, 1 million people in the central plateau of Haiti now have access to quality eye care.

Dr. Jervey has given of his time, skills and personal wealth to treat the less fortunate.  He has received no compensation for his endeavors and has attempted to bring the best level of eye care possible without cost to the impoverished.  Southern Eye is proud to have Dr. Jervey as a part of their eye care team.  Congratulations on receiving AAO's 2010 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award.