Dr. Erzurum: Taking Walks, Reading, Dabbling in Artwork

Dr. Sergul Erzurum, an ophthalmologist with Eye Care Associates, is hanging tough. You can read more about her at the practice’s website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

Our practice and doctors were deemed non-essential on March 11 and we closed our doors for normal business. In order to provide services for ocular emergencies, we kept our office open with a limited emergency schedule until we were able to open our doors again on May 1. We had to cancel all surgeries and patient exams.

Although we have returned to performing surgeries and seeing urgent as well as non-urgent eye exams, we have reexamined every aspect of our practice to decrease risk to our staff and patients. We have lowered the volume of patients in the office and provided stringent sanitation procedures, significant check-in procedures including temperature checks, sanitizer and mandatory mask use. We are serious about keeping our office safe and clean for our patients and staff so we can provide our services to those in need.

How about your personal life?

My husband and I are empty nesters with all of our children away at school. Suddenly, our college children were taking classes from home and, like many others, we were disappointed to miss our daughter’s graduation from college.  One positive outcome from all of this is the increased family time we have had all together. It is so rare in the world we live in to have the whole family together for extended times and enjoy some of the simple pleasures of eating and playing together.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

It is important to still socialize and check in with friends and family; video chat has been great.  Taking walks, reading and dabbling in artwork are some of my favorite hobbies, and this time has allowed me to do them more regularly.

I have also still been working during this time with our foundation, Sight for All United, and providing protective eye wear, face masks and face shields to front line workers. Through tremendous collaboration with a national entity, Essilor Vision Foundation, and three local companies, Classic Optical Laboratories, Dinesol Plastics, and Fitz Frames, we have been able to provide safety eye wear, face shields and prescription eye wear. Any front-line workers may request free protection by going to www.sightforallunited.com.

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Stay safe and be smart. It is best to be cautious until we can learn all we need to know about this virus. But this is not a time to be afraid and allow our anxiety to grow. Take advantage of this time with less structure and schedule to provide self-care for yourself, whatever that means to you.

Can you tell us more about Sight for All United?

This foundation has been in the community now for five years. Sight for All United provides resources for residents of the tri-county area to receive eye exams, glasses, surgery or treatments when needed. Our organization also has provided in-school eye exams in Liberty and Youngstown school districts for the last four years. This year, we also examined 60 children in the Warren city schools.