It takes a lot of work for Monique Pilkington to sort out the logistics of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Medical Mobile Eye Care Clinic’s yearly tour of northern Ontario.
Among other things, the manager of the program needs to ensure two nurses are trained to drive the transport truck containing a mini-ophthalmologist’s office, recruit ophthalmologists to work in the eye van and co-ordinate with local Lions Club members, who act as hosts in the various communities the program visits.
But Pilkington said it’s all worth it, because without the program, colloquially known as the CNIB Eye Van, people from many northern Ontario communities wouldn’t have access to an ophthalmologist’s care.
The eye van serves about 5,000 people each year in 30 communities, providing vision screening, treatment of eye conditions and minor surgery.
“Those people appreciate it so much,” Pilkington said. “That’s what makes you want to keep going. You see the good that it does.”
Pilkington, who has been running the program since 1991, was presented with the Grace Worts Staff Service Award during a ceremony at the CNIB’s offices on York Street Oct. 5.
There’s nobody I can think of who deserves this award more.
Paul Belair,
associate director of services with CNIB’s north region
The national award is presented each year to an employee or a former employee of the CNIB who has had a distinguished career, shown leadership and had an outstanding commitment of advancement of services to blind and visually impaired Canadians.
The award was created in 1983 to honour the work of Worts, who acted as the national recording secretary for Lieutenant Colonel Edwin A. Baker, the founder of the CNIB, from 1920 until her retirement in 1964.
“When I found out that I was the winner (of the award), the first thing out of my mouth was ‘Why?’” Pilkington said. “I never really thought about (my job) in terms of service delivery. It’s just what we do... Our recognition is in all of the thanks we get from the people.
“It really is an honour. What I’m really grateful for is I think this award brings recognition to this program we all love so much.”
Pilkington said the eye van starts its 6,000-kilometre tour in March along the Highway 11 corridor, moves to northwestern Ontario during the summer months, and then moves on to the north shore of Lake Superior, Chapleau, Elliot Lake and Manitoulin Island, before wrapping up in November.
She said the program doesn’t operate during the winter months because the roads are too treacherous.
Pilkington doesn’t go on tour with the eye van, instead working from her office in Sudbury to ensure everything goes smoothly. This year, she was able to recruit 26 ophthalmologists to participate in various legs of the tour.
“Each doctor spends about a week on the eye van,” she said. “Some of them have been doing it for 20 or 25 years.
They’re an extremely dedicated group of people. Most of them are from southern Ontario or eastern Ontario.”
Pilkington said she’s proud of some of the partnerships she’s helped to develop during her time with the eye van program.
Because of the relationship between diabetes and vision loss, she approached the Northern Diabetes Health Network to have their member agencies provide diabetes screening during the eye van’s visit to various communities.
Pilkington told the story of one woman who visited the eye van last month, and was screened for diabetes while she was there. She had a blood sugar level of 11, whereas the normal range is four to seven.
“When she went in to see the doctor on the eye van, unfortunately she already had some damage done to her eyes,” she said. “I think the woman was kind of shocked at first. She went home, and was a little upset.”
Paul Ting, the managing director of the CNIB in Ontario and Nunavut, nominated Pilkington for the award. He said the eye van program has grown every year under her leadership.
“She brings her whole being into (doing her job),” he said. “Her commitment is backed by the collaborative partnerships she’s been able to bring. It’s no longer just a CNIB program. It’s everybody’s program.”
Paul Belair, associate director of services with CNIB’s north region, also praised Pilkington for her work.
“There’s nobody I can think of who deserves this award more,” he said. “She really is innovative. She really is passionate. She really is focused on improving quality of life and quality of care for people with vision loss all across northern Ontario.”
For more information about CNIB services, phone 705-675-2468.
