Dr. Hector Donato’s experience with both commercial and private optometry practices informs his service to Veterans in performing disability examinations in both his home of Puerto Rico and other communities as part of the Veterans Evaluation Services® (VES) network of clinicians.
Board certified in optometry, Dr. Donato spent seven years working with Pearle Vision before opening a private practice in west Puerto Rico, where he has worked as a general optometrist for 30 years.
When a VES recruiter reached out to Dr. Donato in 2019, he realized the opportunity to provide medical disability exams for Veterans was well aligned with his experience, and he had all the equipment needed already in his optometry office. With the help of VES staff, Dr. Donato was quickly on his way to providing evaluations for Veterans.
Learning from Veterans’ stories
Dr. Donato finds it rewarding to meet Veterans regularly and learn about their unique experiences and perspectives. He has had the honor to meet and evaluate Veterans who served in World War II and other conflicts.
“Each Veteran has a different history,” Dr. Donato says. “Working with the armed forces as an evaluator and understanding the conditions the Veterans were exposed to and how they serve our country gave me a different perspective.”
Experiencing new cultures as a traveling examiner
VES also offers clinicians opportunities to travel and provide disability examinations to Veterans in other geographies. Dr. Donato has traveled to St. Thomas to evaluate Veterans, experiencing, and learning from their communities.
“Even though St. Thomas is very close to Puerto Rico, I saw a different way of life for them,” says Dr. Donato. “I lived with the locals, shared with them, and worked in a specialty practice with their personnel, who were very professional and cooperative with me. They shared their culture, and I was able to speak with and examine Veterans and understand their needs.”
Learning to improve his own practice
Dr. Donato’s experiences meeting and serving Veterans in his role as a disability examiner has provided empathy and learning that he incorporates into his private practice to improve his care overall.
“I feel delighted to help our Veterans who have served our country. VES has helped me understand the conditions to which soldiers are exposed, be a better practitioner, and use this knowledge to take even better care of my patients, and have more empathy to evaluate Veterans,” says Dr. Donato.
Become Part of the VES Provider Network
To learn more about the benefits of becoming part of the VES network, visit: www.ves.com/providers