2014 Health Care Champions Honoree: Dr. Knial Piper

Underserved people often don’t get their eyes checked, and Dr. Knial Piper is working to change that. He was hired last year as the first director of optometry at Jordan Valley Community Health Center, where he uses his 25 years of experience to help adults and children care for their eyes.

“Historically speaking, optometry has not been a service provided to the traditionally underserved patient population,” Piper says.

“As Jordan Valley Community Health Center continues to grow and develop its services as a comprehensive medical home for its patients, I and my colleagues have an opportunity to positively impact the lives of our patients and their families.”

Eyes may be the windows to the soul, but they’re also a viewfinder of overall health.

“Regular eye exams can help detect many health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and other diseases,” Piper says.

“Recently, I discovered bleeding in the back of a patient’s eye, which indicated ... diabetes, and (I) sent the patient to his internist for a diabetic screening.”

Piper’s instincts were correct, and he now works with that person’s doctor to provide overall care.

“We’re helping children and adults see, which in turn impacts educational outcomes, job and career outcomes, and overall health,” Piper says.

While exams are important, Piper says his role extends beyond to provide patients education on how to properly care for their eyes, such as wearing sunglasses or using contact lenses at home.

His role extends beyond eye exams.

“All of these services are absolutely necessary, not only for the Jordan Valley Community Health Center patient population but also members of my community,” he says.

“For example, by sharing with a patient how to properly care for their eyes, I am helping them avoid and treat infection, cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, dry eyes, as well as a variety of other eye complications.”

Piper has been instrumental in structuring Jordan Valley’s mobile eye clinic, a new initiative that started with the current school year. The traveling clinic allows Piper to visit K-12 children throughout the Ozarks, where he conducts eye exams and later returns to deliver new eyeglasses.

“The Jordan Valley Community Health Center mobile optometry program is positioned in such a way to assist working parents in providing a much-needed service for their children,” Piper says. “Parents of our school-age patients will no longer need to take off work or arrange other transportation in order for their children to have an eye exam or be fitted for eyeglasses.

“We’re making it easy to take good care of children right here in the Ozarks.”

Piper finds immense satisfaction in taking care of his patients, both adults and children.

“When my staff and I assist a school-age patient in seeing clearly for the first time, we know based on research that child has an opportunity for greater success in and outside of the classroom,” he says.[[In-content Ad]]