On Oct. 27 and Oct. 28, The Eye & Ear Foundation, in partnership with A Call to Care, held a Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh event, providing free care for vision, hearing and dental patients ages 2 and up at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
The event reached full capacity on both days, with 156 ophthalmology volunteers providing vision care to 825 patients. Thanks to the Essilor Foundation, more than 700 of those patients received free glasses.
More than 400 people received hearing tests at this year’s Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh event in October.
Four hundred forty-seven people received hearing tests, with 274 of them obtaining free hearing aids thanks to the Starkey Foundation, the EEF Board and the Jack Buncher Foundation.
The event also provided free dental services such as cleanings, extractions and fillings to more than 1,500 patients over the two days.
Co-founders of A Call to Care include Daniel Pituch, M.D., D.M.D., chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UPMC Mercy and UPMC Shadyside, and Richard M. Celko, D.M.D, MBA, chief dental officer for UPMC Health Plan.
According to Mission of Mercy’s website, “A Call To Care is committed to providing underserved populations with the care they need to improve their health and well-being.” Since 2017, the event has provided free dental, hearing and vision care to thousands of patients.
