Vision care for an underserved community.

In 1975, joint efforts of the Southern California College of Optometry, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, and involved community organizations resulted in development of a unique pilot outreach project, funded primarily by HEW, bringing vision care to a highly underserved area while providing comprehensive, community-oriented clinical training for future doctors of optometry. This training of optometric students, as part of multidisciplinary health care teams in an area whose population might otherwise have no access to vision care services, may prove an influencing factor in future achievement of an equitable opportionment of healthcare specialists to underserved communities.