Penn Medicine launches mobile eye clinic for free screenings in Philadelphia

Overview

Updated 7 hours ago

People in Philadelphia without regular eye care can now get screened for glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy from a van that parks in their neighborhood. Penn Medicine's Scheie Eye Institute launched the mobile unit on Monday, Nov. 9, offering free exams to uninsured patients and connecting people with signs of disease to follow-up care.

The unit can see up to 25 people a day and has six exam stations. It targets underserved and unhoused residents, groups Penn Medicine says face barriers to routine eye care, and includes social work support to help patients get follow-up appointments.

Why it matters

Free eye screenings in neighborhoods can catch preventable blindness earlier for people who rarely see an eye doctor.

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Key Indicators

Patients per day

Maximum daily capacity of the mobile eye clinic.

Exam stations

Screening stations inside the van.

Leading causes of blindness screened

Glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Free

Cost for uninsured patients

Exams are free for people without insurance.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Lama Al-Aswad

Lead physician, Scheie Eye Institute in MOTION; professor of Ophthalmology and Engineering at Penn Medicine

Leading the mobile unit

Bennie Jeng

Chair of Ophthalmology at Penn Medicine and director of the Scheie Eye Institute

Overseeing the Scheie Eye Institute

Kevin Mahoney

Chief executive officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System

Leading Penn Medicine

Organizations Involved

Scheie Eye Institute

Eye care and research institute

Launched mobile screening unit

The Scheie Eye Institute is part of Penn Medicine's ophthalmology department and now operates the Scheie Eye Institute in MOTION mobile unit.

Penn Medicine

Academic health system

Operating the mobile eye unit

Penn Medicine is the University of Pennsylvania's health system and runs the new mobile eye screening unit.

Timeline

1 event Latest: 2 days ago

November 2026
Penn Medicine launches mobile eye screening van
Latest Launch

The Scheie Eye Institute in MOTION begins free eye screenings in Philadelphia neighborhoods, with capacity for 25 patients a day.
2 days ago

Scenarios

Mobile eye clinic adds more Philadelphia neighborhoods

Likely Resolves by Nov 9, 2027

Discussed by: Penn Medicine program leaders and WHYY reporting on the launch

If demand is high and follow-up care works, Penn Medicine could schedule additional stops or add a second unit. The program's design already includes social work support to close the loop from screening to treatment.

Penn Medicine ends mobile eye clinic after one year

Unlikely Resolves by Nov 9, 2027

Discussed by: No public official has predicted this; it is a risk implied by reliance on donated funding

The unit depends on gifts from private donors and foundations. If funding or staffing falls short, Penn Medicine could suspend or close the program.

Penn Medicine makes mobile eye clinic permanent

Possible Resolves by Nov 9, 2027

Discussed by: Penn Medicine program materials and WHYY reporting

If screening volumes and follow-up rates meet expectations, Penn Medicine could fold the unit into its regular ophthalmology services. That would make the van a lasting part of the health system rather than a donor-funded pilot.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

Before 2026

New York City mobile eye screening outreach (before 2026)

Before joining Penn Medicine, Lama Al-Aswad took part in an outreach effort in New York City that screened more than 8,500 people. More than half had never seen an eye doctor, whether or not they had insurance. The effort showed that access was a major barrier to care.

Then

The data shaped Al-Aswad's view that mobile screening could reach people who avoid traditional clinics.

Now

She brought that model to Philadelphia, where planning for the Scheie Eye Institute in MOTION took more than a year.

Why this matters now

The Philadelphia unit is designed around the same access problem: people who need eye care do not get it until disease is advanced.

Summer 2026

Penn Medicine mobile breast cancer screening unit (2026)

Penn Medicine launched a mobile breast cancer screening unit last summer. The unit built on the health system's effort to make cancer screenings more accessible.

Then

It gave Penn Medicine experience operating screening services outside hospitals.

Now

That experience informed the eye unit's design and its focus on neighborhood-based care.

Why this matters now

The eye van follows a pattern of moving screening into communities rather than waiting for patients to come to a hospital.