Free reading glasses improve patient experience

“I’ve probably walked into hundreds of rooms,” Allan says of his time as a volunteer where his late father received care. “And I began to notice that many people did not have their glasses because they left them at home, or they needed glasses but couldn’t afford them. It really bothered me.”  

Allan and his wife, Margaret, devised a plan and brought it to friends at Lenox Hill Hospital, leading to the creation of the Keene Reading Glasses Program in 2013. The initiative provides free reading glasses in a choice of three strengths to any patient or caregiver who needs a pair. Now in its tenth year, the program has expanded to 10 hospitals across Northwell. More than 50,000 pairs — from the original black semi-rimless style to the current clear frame — have been distributed, and a $1 million bequest from the Keenes now ensures the program will continue for years to come.

“Having these glasses available for our patients means so much to someone who needs them,” says Karen Garcia-Vasquez, director of operations for the Ophthalmology Department at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital (MEETH). “They don’t need to struggle with things like paperwork, and we have also seen patients improve their mood just from being able to see better or read a book during their stay.” 

For professional photographer Martin Pelta of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, the Keene reading glasses have eased several hospital stays. In 2016, an infection left him blind in one eye, requiring a series of cornea transplant surgeries over the next few years at MEETH. “I used the readers each time to see my phone and fill out forms,” he says. “And I still use them at home when I do my camera work or use the computer.”

When the pandemic raged in 2020, the Keenes also helped provide prescription surgical goggles to more than 300 physicians across Northwell, giving much needed relief to frontline workers caring for patients around the clock. And the support goes beyond glasses — thanks to Allan and Margaret, MEETH and Lenox Hill provide amenity kits with toiletries and comfort items for adult surgical patients as well as toys and games for pediatric patients.   

“We are incredibly grateful to the Keenes for their visionary program which has helped provide ‘sight’ to so many patients across our entire hospital system,” said Richard E. Braunstein, MD, Northwell’s senior vice president and executive director of Ophthalmology and the Arlene and Arthur Levine Professor of Ophthalmology. “They have truly elevated the patient care experience at Northwell.”  

The Keenes say helping others brings them joy. “We both feel it’s important to do good while we’re on this earth,” says Allan. “This is our way of giving back.”