The Methodist Rural Rehabilitation project at Gebeau, located just across the Grande-Anse River on the outskirts of Jérémie, only housed a ten-by-twelve-foot wooden medical clinic with little equipment and even less medication. The people were suffering from rampant disease and malnutrition, vision loss from cataracts, and other illness easily treatable. Dr. Hal knew he needed to help. 

Dr. Hal teamed up with Dr. Watson and other United Methodist Volunteers in Mission partners to construct a new medical-tuberculosis clinic that would also include an eye and dental wing—and where he and his colleagues would spend the next fifty years traveling to support. 

In his book, Eyes for Haiti, Dr. Hal reflects on the many doctors, nurses, and others who joined him in his 50 year journey to help the people of Haiti. 100% of proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the medical clinic in Haiti. The book is available as a paperback ($20) and ebook ($7) from The Advocate Press, the publishing arm of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate newspaper, and Amazon.

He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (1956) and the Medical University of South Carolina (1960). He then completed a one-year internship at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia (1961). After serving as a medical officer in the United States Air Force, Crosswell completed his residency in ophthalmology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta (1964-1967). He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American College of Surgeons and a Diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Crosswell served as clinical associate professor of ophthalmology on the staff of the USC School of Medicine for more than twenty years and, in 2007, was awarded the Alginon Sidney Sullivan award by the university for his work in Haiti. 

He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by the State of South Carolina in 2006.

He and his family are longtime members of Shandon United Methodist Church in Columbia.

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In more than 90 years in continuous practice, Columbia Eye Clinic has grown to a 13-physician practice with three locations that see more than 130,000 patients every year and perform nearly 5,000 surgeries and laser procedures each year. Despite the hectic pace, the physicians and staff of the clinic always make time to give back to the community in which they live and work.

“We come to work every day with the notion that we do good things by helping people see,” says Larry Hiebert, CEO. “We take that job very seriously. But while medicine is our first focus, we also want our patients to see that we are invested in the community outside the clinics’ walls.”

Mr. Hiebert came to the Columbia Eye Clinic and Surgery Center 10 years ago with 32 years of experience as a CEO and Sr. Administrator with other prestigious practices in the Southeast and the American Red Cross, and brought with him a commitment to altruism and helping others that he has shared with the 115 staff and physicians. Columbia Eye Clinic and Columbia Eye Surgery Center are proud that in the past 10 years, they have raised me than $120,000 for Palmetto Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The practices’ physicians see patients referred from the Free Medical Clinic, and were the first partner in Operation Cataract, a project of SC Lions Charitable Services, that provides cataract surgeries to those in need each year.

Each year, Columbia Eye Clinic sponsors a fund raising team in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes. In a combined effort selling JDRF paper shoes, physician and employee fundraising, an internal online silent auction, and a used book sale, they raised more than $17,500 this year to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes which can lead to blindness. The clinic also has collected non-perishables for Harvest Hope and has contributed to Pawmetto Lifeline, holds regular blood drives for the Red Cross and is an annual partner in the March of Dimes March for Babies. They have also partnered with Southeastern Guide Dogs to sponsor a seeing-eye dog as a puppy.

“We’re proud of everything we do, both to help people see and to help the community,” Heibert says. “We’re humbled by this Best of Philanthropy Local Business Champion Award presented to us by the Central Carolina Community Foundation. It’s quite an acknowledgement of how we are able to give back and help those in need.”

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