Serving the Unseen: Why Cataract Surgeon Dr. Elson Lai Refuses to Turn Patients Away
In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with cataract surgeon Dr. Elson Lai to explore what it really means to care for patients in a healthcare system that often makes that harder than it should be.
Dr. Lai shares his journey from starting a practice to becoming one of the few ophthalmologists willing to advocate fiercely for Medi-Cal patients — especially when surgery centers reject them due to low reimbursement. He opens up about why he refuses to turn people away, how mission trips shaped his perspective, and why empathy and accessibility matter…
The skinny
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