Did you know that a human eye is about the size of a golf ball? (from 2005 Transitions Optical Inc.)
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vision for a lifetime
EYE TO EYE The Director's View
Healthy Vision Week: Enhancing eye health for children one screening at a time
We’ve begun a slightly different schedule for our newsletters, so this issue covers quite a variety of topics. With our Healthy Vision Weekjust around the corner that will be the emphasis of my column this time. I’ll begin by highlighting the overall program: The Healthy Vision Initiative (HVI). This is a program with two major branches—one predominantly educational and one more community service-focused. The educational component has many aspects and reaches many age groups, but the current priority is teaching eye health and safety to elementary and middle school students. We believe that being proactive about eye health is tremendously important, and that educating is a key way to maximize eye health and prevent the preventable eye injuries.
The other arm of HVI is Healthy Vision Week (HVW) which we originally called Vision Screening Week. Our second annual Healthy Vision Week was held in Rapid City and other Black Hills towns from November 2nd - 6th this year. HVW is a partnership made up of NPEF, eye care professionals and their staff, and business partners. Free vision screenings were offered for preschool and elementary school children (ages 3-11) for the early detection of vision problems that could affect learning.
In 2008, the year we launched this program, Rapid City and Custer were the only communities served. This year we expanded to many Black Hills locations including Sturgis, Spearfish, Belle Fourche, Deadwood, Custer, and Hot Springs. We had 33 eye care professionals who have agreed to donate over 200 hours of their time for screenings during HVW. Last year 18 eye doctors screened 252 children in Rapid City and Custer, which resulted in 41 children requiring corrective lenses. Other eye problems identified as a result of the eye screenings included convergence problems, mild allergic conjunctivitis, amblyopia, and strabismus. For these children, early intervention was possible and that alone makes this program a success!
This year the focus for HVW was on providing eye screenings only. This decision was made by the eye doctors who participated in 2008 and attended a planning meeting. The procedure was the same as last year--where those interested in scheduling screenings made arrangements with individual offices. A flyer listing participating doctors was available at NPEF on October 9th. In addition, distribution of flyers occured in elementary schools of all participating Black Hills Communities. If follow-up eye exams are needed once the child has been screened, participants can set up appointments on their own, or speak with NPEF staff if there is a financial need (a number of doctors have donated their time this year to provide full eye exams for children with a documented financial need and NPEF is coordinating this program).
In addition to the vision screenings, NPEF had a public education focus to HVW. School children were sent home with an educational piece for parents on how to identify potential vision problems in children. The difference between vision screenings and a full eye exam were emphasized, as all eye care professionals believe that complete eye examinations are superior to screenings for early detection of eye disorders and diseases. I hope you were able to catch our educational spots on local radio stations or see HVW information on billboards throughout town. We had a wonderful television commercial to help spread the message too, courtesy of the generosity of Knology!
It’s not too late to help make Healthy Vision Week a success. Be a Major Visionary Sponsor ($1000), a Visionary Sponsor ($250-$500) or Friend of NPEF ($50-$200). Donations of any size are welcome and will be put to good use! With your support, Healthy Vision Week can have a positive impact on children in our Black Hills community. Partner with us, be a key player in our expansion throughout the Black Hills, and help to promote “Vision for a Lifetime.” Don’t hesitate to call (716-6733), or e-mail kkovarik@npef.org if you have any questions or if you’d like to receive a sponsorship form. For, as Ben Sweetland says so eloquently:
“We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.”
