Throughout his career, Dr. Rutzen has been committed to serving those in need. He has done volunteer work in India, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Singapore, and Jamaica. Here at home in the United States, Dr. Rutzen also provides a substantial amount of free eye care for those who cannot afford it.

For one year, Dr. Rutzen volunteered in Cambodia where he taught medical and surgical care to local ophthalmologists at the national eye hospital. He also conducted the first house-to-house survey of eye conditions and blindness that was used by Cambodia to design their national health care plan. Dr. Rutzen also directed intensive surgical training programs in Vietnam and China to train local ophthalmologists how to perform cataract surgery using a microscope.

Before having children, Dr. Rutzen traveled to Jamaica eight times to a small village on the northern coast where there is no access to eye care.

Jamaica, 2006