By Mimi Hoang
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Camden County College’s optical clinic is marking its second year since upgrading and relocating from the Otto R. Mauke Community Center to the Gabriel E. Danch CIM Center on the Blackwood campus.
Faith Twarowski works at the optical clinic. By Mimi Hoang, CCC Journalism Program
Relocating from the first floor of the community center to Room 119 of the CIM center has helped the clinic’s operation, clinic workers said this week.
“We relocated because this area has a lot more space compared to the area near the connector, which is a student lounging area now, and now we are able to see what students are doing for the tours we provide,” said Kyle Chambliss, a faculty member who has worked at the clinic for four years. “With the relocation, we have twice as much equipment now to work with. We are able to have more machines make it more efficient for us to help our clients and have more possibilities to choose from.”
The clinic is open to all students, faculty members, staff members and alumni who need assistance with their eyewear. Along with the program director of ophthalmic science and faculty members, students help at the clinic.
“The optical clinic is a place to sell, dispense, measure and make glasses,” said Faith Twarowski, a student training in the clinic in her third year at Camden County College.
The clinic also fills valid prescriptions for eyeglasses and accepts credit cards for payments for the eyewear. Some single-vision prescriptions are filled while the customer waits. Any custom orders, such as anti-reflective, photochromic, bifocal and progressive multifocal lenses, will take one or two weeks for delivery.
“This is beneficial to our clients because the prices are low cost, we have a big selection to choose from, we are a non-profit organization, and it’s cheaper compared to most areas,” Chambliss said.
The clinic does not provide eye exams but recommend people get annual eye exams from a licensed ophthalmologist. A list of locations that offer free eye screenings hangs on the door.
“This clinic has been around for over 30 years, ever since there was a program for ophthalmic science,” said Daniel G. Banks, program director of ophthalmic science.
The clinic is open from 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to noon and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.