Social Medicine in Action: A Faculty Spotlight with Jake Waxman, MD, PhD

By Korrina Gidwani

Lack of transportation, language barriers, financial constraints. These obstacles, among many others, are known to disproportionately impact underserved populations, ultimately minimizing their access to equitable medical care. How can we tackle this issue, right here in Pittsburgh? Dr. Jake Waxman, an ophthalmologist at UPMC, has an answer to this question: the Guerrilla Eye Service (GES).

In 2005, Dr. Waxman established GES, a mobile eye clinic that provides medical treatment to vulnerable communities across Western Pennsylvania. First, GES will transport specialized equipment to local clinics, where patients already receive their primary care. Next, GES’s dedicated volunteers — including attending physicians, residents, and Pitt medical students — can conduct free vision screenings for these patients, prescribe medications, and diagnose conditions that are typically left untreated in underserved groups. This model of healthcare delivery allows for “more integrated care, communication with patients’ primary care physicians, and follow-ups at every site,” Dr. Waxman described.

Over the years, Dr. Waxman and his team have noted an increase in African, Nepali, Russian, and Latino patients, many of whom require medical interpretation services. As a result, Pitt medical students created a new initiative that brings volunteer interpreters on GES missions, which significantly enhances the levels of connection and understanding between healthcare providers and GES’s diverse patient base. Dr. Waxman explained that this “in-person interpretation helps with the basics of setting appointments or even [complex tasks like] reading body language.”

Lastly, Dr. Waxman discussed the future of GES and shared that GES’s accomplishments “were made possible by UPMC and the endless energy of Pitt medical students.” With their support, Dr. Waxman continues to expand upon GES, namely by identifying new clinical sites, involving social workers, and training community organizations to perform retinal screenings and report back to UPMC. In fact, GES’s newly acquired “eyeVan” broadens its reach, now including homeless populations, underserved middle schools, and senior living homes. Moving forward, Dr. Waxman’s remarkable efforts with GES will continue to empower our community and overcome barriers to provide equitable care to all.