Promoting Vision

Cole Bacig, D.O.'24, began his DMU career in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020, when lockdowns and virtual-only events persisted, he was eager to find service opportunities.

He happened to cross paths with Phil Blumberg, M.H.A., executive director of the DMU Clinic and then-president, now chair, of the board of Prevent Blindness Iowa. Blumberg asked what Bacig was interested in. He shared he enjoyed working with kids and ophthalmology, so Blumberg connected him with PBI.

Compelled by the critical role vision plays in children's learning, Bacig began helping PBI provide vision screenings at local elementary schools and human service agencies.

This past spring, Bacig worked with PBI and DMU faculty to set up an innovative community/rural medicine rotation to increase access to vision care in Iowa schools. In March 2024, he was in a Des Moines elementary school library, greeting children who'd recently been screened and were stopping by to be fitted for eyeglasses provided by Vision to Learn, which partners with PBI to provide children with free glasses.

When Bacig approached Amy O'Brien, PBI assistant director, to propose his rotation, the answer was an unequivocal "yes."

"We said 'yes' immediately," O'Brien recalls. "I've seen firsthand how life-changing it is, especially for children, to have the eyeglasses they need. Cole has learned how we help make that transformation happen."

Past two-time recipient of the DMU Service Award for completing 50 hours of community service in an academic year, Bacig will begin a pre-residency fellowship in ophthalmic pathology/imaging in the ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His career goal is to be a pediatric ophthalmologist, providing services in communities where they are needed most.

"There is such a great need for vision screenings for youth, especially in underserved areas," he says. "That's why this rotation felt natural for me. I want to be able to help a lot of communities, and it was true to my passions and what I want to do."

Photo By Phil Roeder/Des Moines Public Schools

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