From the on-campus Eye Institute to Navajo Nation and various health clinics in between, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU) optometry students often get invaluable real-world opportunities to learn while providing eye care services to underserved communities.
In May, eight RMU students had an unforgettable experience — they went to prison.
Serving the Incarcerated
The group, accompanied by two faculty members from the RMU College of Optometric Medicine, administered free eye exams and glasses prescriptions to 50 incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.
“At Rocky Mountain University, we believe access to healthcare is a fundamental right — regardless of circumstances,” said Dr. Adam Hickenbotham, dean of RMU’s College of Optometric Medicine. “This partnership with the Utah State Correctional Facility not only helps meet a critical need for eye care, but also provides our students with meaningful, hands-on experience that reinforces the importance of compassion and service in healthcare.”
RMU plans to conduct monthly exams at the prison.
“This is a great experience. I’ve been trying to get my eyes checked for a while now, and I’m so grateful for Rocky Mountain to come here and provide us with these exams,” an inmate said. “We’ve been in such need of this for so long.”
Hands-On Optometry Learning
Each diagnosis was reviewed and approved by faculty, who are licensed optometric physicians. Along with the exams, incarcerated individuals who needed corrective lenses were allowed to select a new pair of glasses. The screenings bring to light other conditions, resulting in helpful referrals to other healthcare specialists.
“It’s awesome to be able to help an underserved community as well as get more experience and to see more disease,” RMU second-year optometry student Kelsey Smith said. “It’s so valuable. I remember so much more in outreach programs than I do in the classroom. When you’re doing hands-on stuff, it just sticks in your brain a lot more.”
Serving Through Collaboration
In this successful public-private partnership, RMU collaborated with the Utah Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Corrections to organize the event and ensure security.
“We are incredibly thankful for the vital support of the students and faculty at Rocky Mountain University as well as our partners with the Utah Department of Corrections for making this event happen,” Utah Executive Medical Director Dr. Stacey Bank said. “Their collaborative work directly contributes to our goal of delivering safe and effective integrated healthcare to the individuals we serve.”
Dr. Eli Edmunds, a dentist who practices at the prison and assisted with the project, is thrilled about the collaboration.
“There’s been a little bit of backlog for the inmates to see the optometrist. Now, they can get glasses. That means they can go to class; they can read and do all the things that they need to do to go back into the community,” Dr. Edmunds said.
“It’s really great for the students as well. They see cases that are a little more challenging. It’s a great opportunity for them to learn. They’ll be better optometrists when they get out.”
Tracy Hale, who works at the prison and helped oversee the event, had a full heart seeing the inmates receive much-needed care. She’s concerned that some people believe that incarcerated individuals don’t need basic services like this because they are serving time.
“They’re still human. They still deserve to be treated with human decency and they still deserve the best care that we could possibly give them,” Hale said. “Being able to work together with the community is huge. It brings awareness all across the board.”
