Ep 116 Anna Heur Steps to Specs Girl Scout Gold Award

Full transcription available at http://heartsofgoldpodcast.com/

On this episode of Hearts of Gold, Anna talks about her Girl Scout Gold Award project called "Step to Specs". Anna noticed that she had a lot of unused glasses frames in her room and realized that other people in her town might be in the same predicament. She started collecting donated glasses and passed them on to people who couldn't afford them. After amassing around 4,000 pairs of glasses, Anna partnered with the LAC USC hospital and created an online database to distribute the glasses to patients in need. Tune in to learn more about Anna's inspiring project.

More about Anna:

Anna has worn glasses since five years old, which has fueled her passion of helping others with impaired vision. She created “Step to Specs” to distribute free donated glasses to Los Angeles residents in need. To do so, she collected over 4,000 pairs of glasses from her community, measured the prescription of each pair with a lensmeter, built an online database to catalog them, and established a free glasses program at the Los Angeles County+USC Hospital. With the help of USC ophthalmologists and medical students, she gave out over 1,000 pairs of glasses to patients at Los Angeles County Hospital, where many are uninsured and can’t afford to pay for glasses out of pocket. Through this program, many patients have regained the ability to read, walk, and drive again. She published a peer reviewed research paper about the impact of the program on the LA patient population. Lastly, Step to Specs is a service learning partner of the Keck School of Medicine.

Anna is a senior at La Canada High School. She is the president of the National Honors Society, Healthcare Professionals Club, and Origami Club, and is her district’s student representative on the school board. She is also a laboratory assistant at the Keck School of Medicine and a hospital volunteer. After working closely with patients during her project, she aspires to be a doctor.

Links:

https://steptospecs.com

Research paper: https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i2.3344

Key takeaways from the episode:

1. Anna's research paper on glasses distribution: Anna discusses her research paper on glasses distribution and the unique search function she developed for prescription glasses. The paper is available online for other hospitals to implement a similar program. This research paper has been beneficial for Anna's resume and college applications, showcasing her passion for research and ability to overcome writing hurdles.

2. Connecting people through glasses donation: Anna plans to go to medical school and wants to take on a more active role in patient care. She has been volunteering in hospitals and working with patients to gain experience. Anna's project of collecting donated glasses from her small town and distributing them to people in need in Los Angeles has connected people and revived stories. She feels privileged to be able to help people and breathe new life into the glasses.

3. Collaboration and data privacy in a community project: Anna discusses her experience working with nurses, doctors, and patients in a community project. She emphasizes the importance of building connections with nurses to gain access to doctors and being cautious about HIPAA laws when collecting data. The project involved collaboration with various individuals and organizations, including a project advisor, community organizations, ophthalmology residents, medical students, and USC undergrad students.

Note: This episode highlights Anna's journey in distributing glasses to those in need, the challenges she faced, and the impact of her volunteer work. It also emphasizes the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and support in achieving goals.

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Editing by https://www.offthewalter.com/ Walter’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt0wFZRVaOpUd_nXc_8-4yQ