International charitable eye surgeon dies at 49

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Jorge Rodriguez, MD, MPH, a former president of Surgical Eye Expeditions International and founder of the Foundation of Ophthalmology vision clinic in Juarez, Mexico, died unexpectedly September 1. He was 49. Dr. Rodriguez has worked for years in international mission work, performing surgery on disadvantaged patients. He had a private practice in Nogales, Mexico, and in 1995 he founded Fundacion Oftalmological Internacional, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing medical and surgical eye care to disadvantaged patients in the Nogales area. Dr. Rodriguez was a co-principal investigator in the Proyecto VER study, sponsored by the National Eye Institute, a major survey of the causes of blindness and visual impairment among U.S. Hispanics. Dr. Rodriguez joined SEE International as president in 1999 to oversee volunteer surgical sight-restoration clinics in 40 countries. He also headed SEE’s work establishing self-sustaining clinics in Juarez, Mexico, which were to be replicated in other locations. Dr. Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Lupita Rodriguez, MD, and three children, Pamela, Jorge, and Jedzia.