In early 2020, Dr. Dashaini Retnasothie and Dr. Lisa Wahl were hard at work preparing to take over as the new co-directors of Ketchum Health’s University Eye Center in Los Angeles by midyear.
They needed a fairly substantial amount of time to lay the groundwork for the challenge that lay ahead of them: UECLA would build on a strong foundation of services that it had provided to the community for decades by beginning to add to the scope of care it offered. When the very unexpected challenge of a nationwide pandemic appeared, their timeline skipped forward by about three months – with a shutdown.
“We had to make the call to shut down the clinic, even though we were an essential service,” says Dr. Retnasothie. “At the time we did not have the equipment to protect our staff, doctors and especially our patients. That was a hard start to the job, but we used the time to prep for coming back into the building with all the changes that would be necessary.”
The clinic has now reopened, with Dr. Retnasothie and Dr. Wahl, their staff, students and patients all adapting to the new normal: a reduced patient load, spacing protocols and rigorous cleaning, as well as the need to alternate student rotation schedules and supplement them with remote activities. “It required extensive planning and we had to rework our plan weekly, but we were really proud of the fact that we were able to keep our entire staff employed and provide our students with the education they need to graduate,” says Dr. Wahl.
While all of these steps have been necessarily onerous, now that they are finalized, Dr. Retnasothie and Dr. Wahl are able to begin working on a new chapter in the life of the clinic. UECLA will now offer a range of specialty eye care services in addition to the basic care it has provided for years. “Historically, this clinic has served this community as an important place where underserved or uninsured individuals could come and get reliable, routine care,” says Dr. Retnasothie. “We have worked here for years, as both students and doctors, and we are proud to be a part of that legacy. We are excited to build on that foundation by adding higher-level specialty services, such as the ones we each have training for.”
“Our goal,” adds Dr. Wahl, “is for MBKU to bring really expert care to a community that’s never had access to it before. There are other clinics serving this community, but no pediatrics or vision therapy, and no specialty contact lenses, so many serious conditions go untreated. I don’t think people realize how much of a need there is for these services.” As graduates of SCCO, both Dr. Retnasothie and Dr. Wahl have a deep affection for UECLA and its patient population, and both have always wanted to return after graduation and residencies. “Every day we leave with really great stories of helping people in life-changing ways,” says Dr. Wahl.
Though many challenges remain, Dr. Retnasothie and Dr. Wahl are proving that the need for high-level services can be met, to the benefit of patients and the SCCO students who are exposed to every niche of optometry. “A lot of people told us that specialty care and research could not be done here,” says Dr. Retnasothie. “Our philosophy is that every population deserves access to all levels of care, from routine to specialty. With a lot of help from others we try to find creative ways to make specialty services accessible to this community. We see these efforts as a huge part of this role and the future of this clinic.”