For it is in giving
that we receive.
Robert A. Rice, M.D. has been faithfully serving the San Antonio community since 1985. A comprehensive Ophthalmologist, he provides a wide range of services from state-of-the-art cataract surgery including multifocal IOL's, to glaucoma and diabetic eye care. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Dr. Rice received his Medical Degree from Tulane Medical School in New Orleans in 1976. He completed his Ophthalmology Residency at Wilford Hall Medical Center. Dr. Rice is Board Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He served as a Clinical Associate Professor at the Uniformed Services for the Health Sciences for over 15 years. Prior to opening his practice in San Antonio in 1985, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 13 years, and retired as a Lt. Colonel from the USAF Reserves in 1993
His devotion to humanitarian service over the last 30+ years began with his participation of his first mission trip with Medical Missions International in 1987. Later, in 1991, after many more mission trips to Mexico and South America, Dr. Rice and his good friend, Doug Radcliffe, along with several friends from Covenant Presbyterian Church, wanted to provide charity eye care to those in need, not just in impoverished countries, but also at home in San Antonio and formed a group called I Care San Antonio. The purpose of I Care San Antonio was to improve lives by providing complete eye care on a consistent basis to low income and homeless families throughout Central Texas and Mexico while giving other local doctors the opportunity to give back. The I in “I Care” represents the difference one person can make.
In 1992, Dr. Rice and Mr. Radcliffe established I Care San Antonio as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a charter mission of providing free eye care to the indigent. In 1995, Dr. Rice established outreach mobile eye clinics along the Mexico-U.S. border in Piedras Negras, Nuevo Laredo and Ciudad Acuna. Three times a year, he and Doug organized teams of volunteers to do examinations, perform cataract surgery and provide donated glasses at these sites. In 2005, Dr. Rice led the group to provide free eye care to thousands of displaced residents from Hurricane Katrina at Kelly USA. I Care San Antonio cared for more than 3,100 patients. His team also coordinated with Luxottica's Gift of Sight Foundation to provide more than 3,000 pairs of glasses to patients at no cost.
In 2009, with 15 volunteer eye doctors in rotation, I Care San Antonio was invited to become one of the lead agencies at Haven for Hope (a nationally recognized homeless campus in downtown San Antonio, TX) and build a large facility to help care for more patients. The I Care Vision Center was established through long and sustained fundraising campaigns, securing donations and grants from foundations, local corporations, individuals and churches. The collected funds of more than $1.3 million were used to open a state-of-the-art clinic with eight exam rooms, extensive diagnostic equipment, clinical operating room and three lasers to better serve patients.
I Care San Antonio now has 40 volunteer eye care providers, including retina, glaucoma, pediatric and cornea ophthalmology subspecialists who donate a half day each month to care for low income and homeless patients at the I Care Vision Center. Since 1992, I Care SA has provided vision care to 55,305 patients including, 5,178 surgeries and dispensed 38,616 pairs of glasses or optical vouchers. In addition, to operating the I Care Vision Center, I Care San Antonio also co-sponsors international mission trips to support eye care and surgeries in impoverished countries through its medical ministry outreach program.