College Kudos: Grant Awards, Events, and Publications

Dr. Jake Steenblik and Bachelor of Science nursing students Amanda Jones and Brooklyn Antoney traveled with a team from the John A. Moran Eye Center to the Navajo Reservation and provided eye care to more than 100 patients. The group achieved a major milestone by performing the first office-based cataract surgery. This accomplishment represents years of planning and development and coincided with the site’s successful pre-accreditation visit; final accreditation is expected this fall. Previously, patients requiring cataract surgery had to travel to Blanding for care, making this expansion of services a significant step forward in improving access to sight-restoring treatment closer to home for Navajo patients. The students served as circulators during seven cataract surgeries at the Monument Valley clinic and assisted with six pterygium procedures in Montezuma Creek. In addition, the team cared for 85 patients through a free pop-up eye clinic, where students participated in vision screenings and sterile procedures. The experience offered hands-on learning in eye health, rural outreach, and care for underserved populations, while advancing interprofessional collaboration and expanding access to high-quality ophthalmic care on the Reservation.