2025 Free Clinic Staff of the Year

This December, the Charitable Healthcare Network (CHN) is honored to recognize the extraordinary individuals who make Ohio’s free and charitable clinics a beacon of hope for thousands of patients. David Dickson, OD, has been named the 2025 Free Clinic Staff of the Year in recognition of his outstanding service, expertise, and heart for patients who otherwise might go without essential vision care.

Dr. Dickson volunteers his expertise at Victory Ministries’ Center of Hope, where his compassionate care and decades of experience have transformed the lives of countless patients who otherwise might go without essential vision services.

Victory Ministries’ Center of Hope, is a faith-based nonprofit in Whitehall, Ohio, that has served neighbors in need since 1983. The Center of Hope provides resources such as a choice food pantry, clothing boutique, counseling, a women’s preventative health clinic, a vision clinic, and literacy programs, all designed to meet physical, emotional, and spiritual needs and help break the cycle of poverty.

“Time and again, patients return to Victory Ministries’ Center of Hope after receiving an eye exam, prescription, and glasses to share how life-changing the experience has been,” said Executive Director Jeremy Borsos. “Some have tears of gratitude in their eyes, others wave their new glasses like a trophy, and many want to hug everyone in sight. Dr. Dickson volunteers his time and expertise free of charge, and every patient he sees does not have any vision insurance. He is both a blessing and a treasure to us and to all the people he serves.”

For forty-nine years, Dr. Dickson has dedicated his career to improving patients’ vision and quality of life. He earned his optometry degree from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and began serving others even before graduation through an eye-care mission trip to Haiti in 1976.

Throughout his career, he has helped advance the field of optometry by serving as President of the Ohio Optometric Association, being named Ohio Optometrist of the Year, and teaching for more than a decade as a clinical instructor in the Disease Evaluation Clinic at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. He has also chaired numerous committees and received multiple awards recognizing his leadership, service, and mentorship of future providers.

At Victory Ministries’ Center of Hope, Dr. Dickson provides comprehensive eye exams and vision care to patients who would otherwise struggle to access services, opening doors to employment, independence, learning, and daily activities that depend on clear sight. Over the past year alone, he has seen dozens of patients at the Victory Ministries Vision Clinic, offering each one patient-centered care, clear communication, and respectful attention regardless of language or cultural barriers.

Dr. Dickson often shares that his motivation comes from a simple belief: healthcare is a powerful way to help people, and giving without expecting anything in return is its own reward. He speaks with deep pride about being a conduit for improved quality of life when patients return to tell him about the new possibilities their restored vision has created.

Dr. David Dickson embodies the spirit of Free Clinic Appreciation Month, demonstrating compassion, service, and a dedicated commitment to ensuring everyone has access to the care they deserve. His expertise and heart for others have strengthened the Center of Hope and touched countless lives across Central Ohio communities.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Dickson on being named the 2025 Free Clinic Staff of the Year, and celebrating the impact of volunteers and providers like him who make free and charitable clinics a vital part of Ohio’s healthcare safety net. He and all of this year’s Free Clinic Appreciation Month Award recipients will be honored at the Free Clinic Appreciation Awards Reception on April 29, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. For more information about the event, please visit: https://www.charitablehealthcarenetwork.org/who-we-are/what-we-do/free-clinic-appreciation-month.htm