Volunteer Focus: Dr. Doug Major and the Paso Robles Lions Club

“Making a big wave”

By Shirley Butler 
Paso Robles Magazine

Our volunteer spotlight this month lands upon Dr Douglas Major, OD, an optometrist with Optometric Care Associates here in Paso Robles. Doug insists, however, that the spotlight not shine on him alone, but on the organization through which he does a lot of his work, the Lions Club. 

Doug and his wife, Nancy live in Paso Robles with their three sons, Nathaniel, Ross, and George, since arriving around 1985. Doug bought an ongoing practice from Dr. Noble, who had been here since the 1920s.

Doug was attracted by the professionalism in this area. In a lot of cities, the way to expand your practice was strictly through advertising. “Here in Paso Robles,” Doug remembers, “if you put bold print in your ad in the phone book, you'd be ostracized.

“To be a professional in Paso Robles, you joined the service clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions, etc,” he explained, “and you'd be involved in the community. You obtained clients through service and networking, versus advertising. We really liked that.”

He recalled there used to be eight drug stores here, and those independent drug stores were involved with organizations such as Rotary and Kiwanis. Now they work for the box stores and they don't have strong ties with the community. “That's what you lose as you grow,” Doug added. “Now the whole basis of getting patients is advertising.”

Doug feels that Paso Robles is small enough that you can make a big wave very soon. “People don't realize just how accessible it (Paso Robles) is to volunteering.” He went on, “You jump in and do it and you're appreciated.”

He had been involved with Kiwanis in Los Osos, and by extension, here in Paso Robles after the move. Through the Lions Club he is the coordinator for the school vision screenings for San Luis Obispo County. “We screen about 17,000 school-age students a year,” he imparted, “and we've been doing that for over 50 years, and I've been the professional coordinator for 20 years.

“These screenings aren't all done by me,” he went on. “It couldn't happen with one person . . . it's a coordinated effort of the school nurses and Lions Club providing the funding and the trailer; and my associate Doctor Dan Hile, OD, along with most local Doctors of Optometry.

“This follows the coordinated effort by the great professionals who came before and established things. The first scientific study on screenings came out in the '50s. They started the program here; and we're the only county in California where it's done wholly by volunteers and all the schools are covered.”

Shortly after arriving in Paso Robles, Doug was approached by the California Youth Authority to start a program at their facility. It was in effect for four years, with screening and vision therapy. Doug explained that vision therapy is teaching visual skills to enhance academics. “Instead of just giving out glasses,” he said, “we teach teaming, tracking and focusing. We found it very successful there. But after a change of leadership, the program was discontinued.”

Doug remembers that a good third of those troubled young people were far-sighted. They could see far away, but had trouble reading. “So with glasses and the vision therapy we could improve their reading skills from 6th grade to the 8th grade level,” he explained. “That's significant because suddenly they were reading on an adult level. It was a very meaningful project.”

Earlier intervention is something in which Doug has always believed. “Although we were screening at first grade, if a student had lazy eye or really strong prescriptions, it's almost too late. They'd already established patterns and habits that weren't good. We've had kids people thought were autistic, and they only needed far-sighted glasses.”

Doug is most proud of the Lions preschool screening program. The program was funded by Prop 10, or First Five. “That's one of the proudest things we've done,” Doug explained. “We take a small percentage of those funds and spread it over 30,000 young lives. With the help of Doctor Hile, we go to Head Starts, kindergartens and most private preschools. We're very proud that all our kids under 18 are taken care of. They're not only screened, but through the Lions Club and through a clearinghouse to get the glasses, all our children are taken care of.”

Doug's office is a collection center for no-longer-needed glasses and collects about 2,000 pairs a year. “People forget that the main cause of sight loss in the world is not medical,” said Doug, “its lack of glasses. When you donate those glasses it really makes a difference.

“Sometimes the simple things make a big difference. It's amazing.”

Doing something exotic like going to a poor areas and performing surgeries is great, according to Doug, but when you donate thousands of glasses, it makes a really big splash.

A number of doctors involved in the Paso Robles Lions Club are going down to a village in Mexico in February to do some work for the people living there. 

Doug wants to make sure the Lions Club gets a lot of credit. “We got the First Five Grant because of our reputation with the schools,” he emphasized.

Due to the work of the Lions Club and school nurses, the follow-up exams, based on need, are also available. All children under 18 have access to care in this county under Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and Sight for Students (a voucher program). “Anyone not covered by voucher or public programs is covered by the Lions Club,” Doug stressed.

“We do private schools also. We go to any school that will allow us in.” Every Lions Club is responsible for its own school district, and Doug coordinates the screenings for the county. They also screen some schools in California Valley and in San Simeon and South Monterey Counties.

“That's where the kids are!”

Another activity of which Doug is justifiably proud is serving as a Boy Scoutmaster of Troop 164. “My youngest son just got his Eagle” Doug said. His two older sons also earned their Eagles through Troop 164.

He's also vice-chairman of the Food Bank. “I've been involved for years. The Food Bank was started here in Paso Robles. It's such a huge process. You bring food into one location, save it and distribute it in a way that's totally fair and equitable,” he enthused. “And again, it's also county-wide. There has been a recent collaboration with Harvest Bag. Because of the integrity of our organization, they felt very comfortable coming to us. Our goal is to become the premier food organization in the whole county.

“It's amazing how much we've grown. This Food Bank was started by a chiropractic doctor and it's been in garages, old buildings, and now we have our own big building here, and a warehouse in Oceano. We're so excited about it.”

Doug may be president of the board next year. “If I'm elected,” he chuckled. “There's no one running against me.”

“I'm just fortunate to be in Paso Robles at a time when being professional and giving service comes full circle. You go out and you give a little, but it always comes back. People are very supportive.”

That's Doug Major's opinion, and we agree with him!