Apollo Award
2024 Apollo Award - Hearts That Care Volunteer Services
The Apollo Award is the highest honor bestowed by the OAOP on a non-member, recognizing an individual or organization that goes above and beyond the call of duty to improve vision health in Oklahoma.
This year’s honoree is the Heart’s That Care Volunteer Health Clinic, a non-profit clinic in Lawton helping people in that community to live healthier and happier lives.
It began in 1998 as the Great Plains Volunteer Clinic, driven by its founder - Dr. Wendy Bartanen — and her belief that healthcare was a right and should be accessible to all.
In 2007 it became a registered non-profit and got its current name. In 2020, with generous support from the Lawton community and philanthropic leaders, it moved into a new building and added dental care to the medical and prescription drug services they were already providing.
If they had stopped there, Hearts That Care would have already been a tremendous success story and an asset to the Lawton community. Thanks to the leadership of people like Dr. Jean Hausheer (HOUSE-air), a Hearts That Care Board Member and Dean McGee Retiree, and Treasurer Amanda Nunez, Hearts That Care continued to expand its services.
In 2023, led by Dr. Hausheer’s commitment to adding optometric services and Amanda’s successful fundraising efforts, they were able to begin a “soft launch” of their new optometry clinic.
In January, 2024, that clinic opened to the public, with volunteer Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, and Opticians seeing patients twice a month.
Patients, all of whom are low income, are given free vision exams. Every patient who needs a pair of frames and lenses is given one for free, courtesy of a partnership between Hearts That Care and Modern Eyes. To date, patients have received over $33,000 in free frames and lenses.
As we all know, vision care professionals are an essential part of each patient’s healthcare team, and many vision patients at Hearts That Care are flagged for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure before being given additional medical care.
Amanda Nunez told us about patients with major vision impairment who hadn’t been able to afford glasses in years. They had trouble working, and some had stopped driving. When they got their glasses from Hearts That Care, they literally cried with joy. As she put it, “seeing that really fills your heart tank.”
All of us, as vision health professionals, have witnessed that kind of joy, which is why we love our profession.
And it is even better when it comes as the result of an effort like this, with eye care professionals volunteering their time to support an incredible organization like Hearts That Care.
Past Honorees
2023 - Tulsa Downtown Lions Club
2022 - Good Samartian Health Services
2019 - Mary Walker
2018 – NSUOCO Bedlam Clinic
2017 – Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes
2016 – Vizavance
2015 – AGAPE Medical Clinic
2014 – NewView Oklahoma
2012 – Congressman Dan Boren
2011 – Little Light House
2009 – Tom Sullivan
2008 – Prevent Blindness Oklahoma
2007 – Lions Club of Oklahoma
