Merrick physician headed for Haiti

Ophthalmologist Dr. Richard Nauheim will soon travel far beyond his Merrick office in the name of helping patients. On Feb. 28, Nauheim will arrive in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he will take part in a mission with the nonprofit organization New Reality International.

From the capital city, Nauheim, who will be part of a team of eight to 10 doctors, will travel to Fonds Parisien, a Haitian border town, where the group will provide medical assistance to people injured in last month's earthquake, which caused major damage in the area. 

"I don't really know what to expect," Nauheim said. "This is the first time I've gone on this kind of mission in my entire career."

The team of health care providers will include internists, nurses and surgeons. For Nauheim, the decision to embark on the journey was the result of a few clicks on his computer keyboard and an urge to help. "When I saw what was happening in the media, I Googled opportunities for physicians to help," he said. When he got the call that New Reality International needed an ophthalmologist, he was eager to assist. 

Though the trip will last only four days, Nauheim described it as a "monumental undertaking." The group will practice at a relatively new medical facility, but Nauheim is expecting it to be a major adjustment from his regular practice, with far fewer supplies and many more patients. 

"I think it could be a very demanding experience because of the amount of patients," he said. "I'm just going down with the expectation that there's going to be nothing there in terms of medication."

A makeshift surgical tent has reportedly been erected near the facility, but Nauheim said he will scout potential sites for an ophthalmological facility where eye surgeons can perform specialized procedures in the future. 

He credited pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies with providing many of the needed materials at no cost. All of his other expenses, from airfare to supplies, are being covered by the North Shore Long Island Jewish Foundation. 

"The general response I've had is people think it's a very philanthropic thing, and there's been an outpouring of support," Nauheim said. 

Born and raised in Merrick, Nauheim is a graduate of Kennedy High School. In addition to running a private practice here, he is chief of ophthalmology at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside and an adjunct clinical assistant professor of surgery at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.