Short Story
SGU Alumnus Dr. Arthur Tutela, SGUSOM ’01 and charter class member Dr. Bernard Spier held a series of Ophthalmology clinics on the week of March 26th – 30th, in which a total of seventy patients, ages three to eighty-six were attended to. Drs. Bernard Spier and Arthur Tutela have also facilitated donation of surgical supplies and equipment to the Ministry of Health Grenada valued in excess of $110,000US. ALCON Laboratories, Essex Specialized Surgical Institute, Walcott, Tri-county Ophthalmics, AmeriCares, Allergan Inc, Visitec, Abbott, Ista Pharmaceuticals, Beaver Medical Group and Bio-Tissueto contributed to this donation in addition to Drs Tutela and Spier themselves.
According to Dr. Spier, “The main focus of the clinic was to screen patients for cataract surgery but we treated every condition we saw.” Although the team had planned to perform an average of thirty surgeries, due to technical difficulties, they were only able to perform ten. They hope, however, to treat a lot of the cases they were unable to treat this time within the upcoming months. Drs Spier and Tutela were assisted by ophthalmic assistant and scrub technician Kristin Connolly.
Dr. Tutela noted that the challenges faced on this trip brought to light the beauty in which the Ophthalmology Clinic is designed. He said, “What we’ve learnt on this trip is the challenge of getting things done and the beauty of the way the clinic is set up whereby month to month these challenges can be resolved for the next person coming down. It ensures continuity…. If we can maintain monthly visits, this can grow into something very effective and helpful for the local population, the University and even for us. It allows us to come down to Grenada, and efficiently give back, while ensuring permanence.”
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Dr. Spier also observed that, “The program is poised to be able to deliver ongoing care, which is really what is needed.” He said, “A lot of the conditions in ophthalmology are ongoing chronic diseases, like glaucoma, and glaucoma and cataracts are massively undertreated problems here in Grenada.”
Dr. Tutela graduated from St. George’s University in 2001, did his internship at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Internal medicine, and his Ophthalmology Residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, (UMDNJ). As of 2006, he has a private general practice in West Orange, New Jersey.
Dr. Bernard Spier was a charter class student at SGU, who spent two years in Grenada and a semester in St. Vincent before transferring to New Jersey Medical School (UMDNJ) in his third year. To date, he has a large private practice in New Jersey with seven doctors, four ophthalmologists, three optometrists, and a surgery center.
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