The American Diabetes Association will help advertise and promote the Healthy Center Diabetes Project Reduce vision impairment due to diabetes. …
2004 HEALTHY EYES HEALTHY PEOPLE STATE ASSOCIATION GRANTS
FUNDED BY LUXOTICCA
For additional information about these projects, contact the State
Optometric Association Executive Director
ALASKA
Diabetes Project
Contact - Tracy Oman - PHONE: 907 770-3777 - EMAIL: akoa@alaskacom
Project Focus - To reduce visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy and
increase the number of diabetics receiving dilated eye exams
Project Goal - To improve education about importance of dilated eye
examinations
Project Activities - Only about 30 percent of Alaskans with diabetes who
receive care from community health centers receive an annual dilated eye
exam Our plan is to work with the Alaska Primary Care Association and the
community health centers to deliver eye care more effectively We plan to
use portable and/or on-site equipment and send optometrists to both local
and remote community health centers for eye examinations The centers will
provide space, transportation and limited patient assistance The American
Diabetes Association will help advertise and promote the availability of
this program Referrals will be made when appropriate
ALABAMA
Etowah County Infant Vision
Project
Contact - Adam Gordon, OD - PHONE: 205 975-8545 - EMAIL: agordon@uabedu
Project Focus — Objective 28-2 Increase the proportion of preschool
children aged five years and under who receive vision screening
Project Goal -To provide infant screening opportunities by distributing
educational information and vouchers for infant UV sunglasses and vision
screening through physicians, health departments WIC programs, and
pediatrician offices
Project Activities - The project will be a pilot program in Etowah County,
Alabama, to provide infant screening opportunities by distributing
educational information and vouchers for infant UV sunglasses and vision
screening through physicians, health departments WIC programs, and
pediatrician offices The population of Etowah County is 103,000 persons
and the location of most agencies is the city of Gadsden Over 64 percent
of the citizens are under the age of five years of age and over 14 percent
of the people in this area are below the poverty income level This county
has one hospital with approximately 120 live births per month There are
reportedly six obstetricians and nine pediatricians in the area The
county office of the Alabama
Department of Public Health reports over 3,000
children involved in the Women, Infants and Children WIC program in the
county
ALABAMA
Healthy Center Diabetes Project
Contact - Adam Gordon, OD - PHONE: 205 975-8545 - EMAIL: agordon@uabedu
Project Focus - Objective 28-5: Reduce visual impairment due to diabetic
retinopathy
Project Goal - To increase the proportion of diabetic patients receiving
dilated eye examination at the Western Health Center in Jefferson County,
Alabama
Project Activities - The Western Health Center, located in Birmingham at
the Alabama Department of Health Department of Western Jefferson County,
provides primary health care services to the local community This
community is predominantly African-American with a high proportion of
Medicaid beneficiaries The UAB School of Optometry began providing
comprehensive eye examinations at the Western Health Center in September
2003 At present, eye examinations are performed one to two days per week
ALABAMA
Rural Diabetes Project
Contact - Adam Gordon, OD - PHONE: 205 975-8545 - EMAIL: agordon@uabedu
Project Focus - Objective 28-5: Reduce visual impairment due to diabetic
retinopathy
Project Goal - To
educate people with diabetes about the importance of eye
examinations and control of glucose levels to prevent diabetic retinopathy
Project Activities - The project will be part of the referral and follow-up
of a rural Alabama diabetes-screening project where over 1000 persons have
been screened for glucose levels, hypertension and diabetic eye disease
The educational plan will involve the 63 persons found to be at risk in
Perry County, Alabama The population of Perry County is 11,861, with 68
percent African-Americans and an average per capita income of 16,476
compared to the Alabama per capita income of 23,521 All of the 63
participants are African-American residents of Perry County
ARIZONA
Childrens Vision Project
Contact - Jane P Lynch - PHONE: 602 279-0055 - EMAIL: jane@azoaorg
Project Focus - The pilot program will provide free eye examinations and
glasses to children in selected low-income schools through the school
nurses in those respective schools
Project Goal - The overall goal of the project will be to provide good
vision to children, which is not readily available throughout the state of
Arizona A by-product will be the greater promotion and recognition
of the
profession of optometry in the state
Project Activities - This pilot project will be conducted in conjunction
with the Health Safari Program of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona,
Prevent Blindness Arizona and the school nurses in the low-income schools
selected for the program This program will assist our Association greatly
with our efforts to be present and better recognized in the Arizona
community as well as achieve the objectives of Healthy Eyes Healthy People
HEHP by providing vision care to those less fortunate Our target will
be the K-5 children and propose to expend monies from this grant mainly to
purchase frames for the younger-age children
CALIFORNIA
Every Youth Examined EYE
Contact - Kerry Portlock - PHONE: 916 441-3990 Ext 243 - EMAIL:
kerryp@coavisionorg
Project Focus - Objective 28-4: Reduce blindness and visual impairment in
children and adolescents ages 17 and under
Project Goal - To establish the Every Youth Examined EYE Pilot Project to
model the feasibility of providing comprehensive eye examinations to all
children prior to entering school in California The project aims to
demonstrate the need both demand and effectiveness for comprehensive
eye
examinations vs screenings in a pediatric population, and assess the
costs associated with providing exams for all children prior to entering
school
Project Activities - The California Optometric Association would establish
the Every Youth Examined Pilot Project COA would partner with a Head
Start program to provide every child in the program 100-500 with a
comprehensive eye exam, either through existing insurance coverage or
community resources ie, California Vision Project or Sight for
Students Other partnerships would include local optometric societies,
Lions Club and Jeppersen VisionQuest for eye appliances, Healthy
Families, media and industry
GEORGIA
Childrens Vision
Contact - Georgianne Bearden - PHONE: 800 949-0060 - EMAIL:
gbear79180@aolcom
Project Focus - Vision exams for preschool children
Project Goal - Educate parents, teachers, and general public on the
importance of a vision exam prior to entering public school
Project Activities - Theme: A Vision Exam - The Most Important Test Your
Child May Take Organize a speakers bureau in a district that includes
both urban and rural communities; volunteer OD would have a prepared
presentation which could be used
at PTA and civic club meetings
Distribute press releases in January 2004 announcing the theme; produce a
public service radio ad with the voice of GAs secretary of state, Cathy
Cox, stressing the importance of childrens eye exams
HAWAII
Childrens Vision
Contact - Patricia K Ichimura, OD - PHONE: 808 625-7451 - EMAIL:
pichimura@netscapenet
Project Focus - Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and
adolescents
Project Goal - Increase public awareness of importance of early detection
and treatment of childrens vision conditions
Project Activities - The Hawaii Optometric Association will begin a
campaign to raise public awareness of the importance of early detection and
treatment vision conditions and the vital role vision plays in their
childrens lives The HOA will also call attention to the fact that nearly
all children in Hawaii are entitled to some kind of vision care assistance
if no conventional insurance coverage is available
IDAHO
Vision for Special Ed Students
Contact - Jack G Zarybnisky, OD - PHONE: 208 678-3539 - EMAIL:
burleyeyecare@safelinknet
Project Focus - To increase the number of comprehensive eye examinations in
the special education population,
then referral for new glasses or
pathology of the eye
Project Goal- The goal is to decrease the number of special education
students who have permanent visual impairment due to amblyopia, uncorrected
refractive errors, or pathology of the eye
Project Activities- Team up with special education instructors, Lions Club
members, and school nurses to do free visual screenings on the special
education population Use the Oregon-Idaho Lions Eyesight Foundations
telebinoculars to screen the special education population Get the local
optometrists and Lions Club members involved in helping with the screening
This would first require getting the screeners to become comfortable
screening this special population and teach them how to screen this
population It would also require educating the educators, students and
parents or guardians of what a worthy event this can be Students who fail
the screening would be referred to the local Lions Club, state health and
welfare department, and the county health nurse to help purchase a
comprehensive eye examination and the needed glasses This will also be a
real experience for the population to learn that the special education
population is
capable of doing more than what many people believe they are
able to do Dr Jack G Zarybnisky, will train other optometrists through
out the state of Idaho who will in time train their local volunteers on the
telebinoculars After the initial training the optometrists and Lions Club
members will be able to successfully accomplish this screening in the
future with a minimum of additional help from Jack G Zarybnisky, OD Dr
Zarybnisky has participated is several of these screenings in foreign
countries and has done a very small project 25 students in his local
school school district
ILLINOIS
Childrens Vision
Contact - Pamela A Lowe, OD, FAAO - PHONE: 773 774-3939 - EMAIL:
plow@proeyecarecentercom
Project Focus - Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and
adolescents aged 17 years/younger
Project Goal - To stress the importance of comprehensive visual evaluations
for all children entering school
Project Activities - In Illinois, most school districts have vision
screenings in place for school aged children Sadly, only 30 percent of
children who need intervention are correctly identified We know that 80
percent of what a student learns is processed through the visual
system yet
less than 40 percent of children receive comprehensive eye examinations
As a profession, we know there is no substitute for a complete visual
examination when it comes to adequately detecting vision problems In a
effort to increase awareness of the relationship between vision and
learning and to open access for all students to receive comprehensive eye
examinations before entering school, the Illinois Optometric Association
IOA will develop an information packet complete with a CD rom
presentation that IOA members doctors will present to their local school
superintendents Since each individual school district has the authority
to mandate eye examinations upon entering school, the IOA feels that this
grassroots effort will be the most effective avenue to eradicate blindness
and visual impairment in our children and adolescents We will develop our
education packet by March 2004 for Save Your Vision month and actively
disperse it over the year in hopes to mandate complete visual evaluations
by the 2004-2005 school year
KANSAS
Head Start Childrens Vision Screening
Contact - Todd Fleischer - PHONE: 785 232-0225 - EMAIL:
todd@kansasoptometricorg
Project Focus -
Objective 28-2: Vision screenings for children less than
5
Project Goal - Double the number of children screened each year from an
average of 2100 per year to 4200
Project Activities - Optometrists will work with local Head Start teachers
to provide vision services
LOUISIANA
Faith-based Vision Program
Contact - Doug Wilkinson - PHONE: 225 767-0057 - EMAIL:
dwilkinson@hvmbrcoxmailcom
Project Focus - Objective 28-1: Dilated eye examinations
28-5: Impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
28-6: Impairment due to glaucoma
28-7: Impairment due to cataract
Project Goal - The overall goal is to improve eye health among older
Louisianans and to decrease the dilated eye exam disparity that exists in
the African American diabetic population by instituting eye health fairs at
faith-based venues and senior living communities A secondary goal is to
use established social marketing research and permission marketing
techniques to create a sustainable change in the target populations
behavior and insure annual eye exams by eye care professionals
Project Activities - Our project, known as Faith in Wellness, will
work
with Louisiana churches and senior citizen living facilities to host eye
health fairs in order to reverse a disastrous trend in decreased annual
dilated eye exams by older residents of Louisiana Faith in Wellness
mission is to prevent diabetic blindness, increase dilated eye exams, and
decrease vision impairment due to glaucoma and cataract through eye health
fairs staffed with volunteer Doctors of Optometry held with community
partnerships
MAINE
Eye Examinations for Children
Contact - Reg Mailhot, OD - PHONE: 207 782-9501 - EMAIL:
ize4u@adelphianet
Project Focus - Reduce uncorrected visual impairments due to refractive
errors in children under 18
Project Goal - Increase the number of comprehensive eye examinations in
children under 18 by re-educating school nurses about vision conditions
Project Activities - The project will provide school nurses with the
knowledge and tools necessary to administer a new protocol for school-based
referrals, which are being advocated by Maine Department of Education
MARYLAND
Educating School Nurses
Contact - Elizabeth McGinn, OD - PHONE: 410 823-6733 - EMAIL:
lisamcginn@aolcom
Project Focus - Objective 284: Reduce blindness and
visual impairment in
children and adolescents
Project Goal - Educate school nurses about common pediatric vision
disorders to enable them to be an informed advocate for the student
Project Activities - Develop a seminar with lectures and hands on
demonstrations with
methods to better identify a child with a
vision disorder
- Develop a tool kit to give to each attendee for reference
- Mobilize resources for low income patients identified for
comprehensive vision services
MASSACHUSETTS
Diabetes Project
Contact - Timothy OConnor, OD, MPH - PHONE: 508 799-4862 - EMAIL:
eyedoctim@aolcom
Project Focus - Objective 285 Reduce vision impairment due to diabetes
Project Goal - To address the awareness of diabetic eye disease and the
need for dilated eye examinations through internal marketing within eye
care providers offices and in other allied health professional offices
Project Activities - Set up an educational program for both patients and
health care providers on diabetic eye disease Information will be
gathered on the number of diabetics who receive dilated eye examinations
from the
diabetes Collaborative Referral forms and educational material
will be distributed to allied health care providers across the state
Educational programs will be offered at allied health professional meetings
throughout the state The number of referrals will be tracked to measure
the effectiveness of the program
MICHIGAN
Diabetes Project
Contact - Lillian H Thorp, OD - PHONE: 248 626-9590 - EMAIL:
lilthorp99@hotmailcom
Project Focus - Objective 28-5: Reduce Visual Impairment due to diabetic
retinopathy
Objective 28-1: Increase the proportion of
persons who have dilated eye
examinations
Project Goal - Increase awareness among persons with diabetes of the
importance of yearly dilated retinal examinations and to provide dilated
examination to those persons
Project Activities - The goal of the program is to increase the number of
dilated retinal examinations in the diabetic population of Detroit We
will accomplish this by targeting two groups with a diabetic eye disease
awareness campaign Support personnel will be provided by Lions
volunteers, local and State community health personnel and diabetes
support
groups A media package will be mailed to 50 local primary care providers,
who are identified as providing a high percentage of African American
diabetic care The cover letter will include information stating that
optometrists are trained and licensed to provide management of eye
conditions for patients with diabetes A supply of reporting forms will be
distributed to patients to be completed by the optometrist and faxed back
to the primary care physician
MICHIGAN
Vision Rehabilitation Project
Contact - William J Hooker, OD - PHONE: 517 339-4100 - EMAIL:
wjhod@yahoocom
Project Focus - Increase use of vision rehabilitation services and adaptive
devices by people with visual impairments
Project Goal - Bring together a multidisciplinary group low vision
specialists, occupational therapists, Michigan Secretary of State - Driver
Assessment Specialist to improve assessment, training and certification of
drivers using telescopic devices helping the individual with visual
impairment to maintain independence
Project Activities - The project is a one-day seminar format with
presentations given by optometric low vision specialists and occupational
therapists involved in training
bioptic drivers Topics will include:
Common ocular diseases and disorders that create visual impairment and how
they affect driving Methods used for training the bioptic driver
Benefits and limitations of optical devices
MINNESOTA
Educating the Educators in Childrens Vision
Contact - James A Meffert-Nelson - PHONE: 952 841-1122 - EMAIL:
jim@MNEyeDocsorg
Project Focus - Objective 28-3: Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due
to refractive
errors
Objective 28-4: Reduce blindness and visual impairment in
children and
adolescents aged 17
and under
Project Goal - Increase school nurse, teacher, and parent understanding of
the link between vision and learning and the value of comprehensive Eyecare
for children
Project Activities - Last year, the Minnesota Optometric Association
distributed a childrens eye care information package to every school in
the state The folder contained information for teachers including
indications of children with eye problems and classroom activities related
to eyes and vision care, information for school nurses and information
for
schools to distribute to parents We received extremely positive response
to the initial distribution Like any project of this scope, repetitive
distribution is the most important factor for success As a result, we
would like to follow-up by sending condensed versions of the information to
principles, school nurses, and parent organizations
MISSISSIPPI
Childrens Vision
Contact - Dr Linda D Johnson - PHONE: 601 956-7412 - EMAIL:
MSOptometr@aolcom
Project Focus - Vision impairment in children and adolescents ages 17 years
and under
Project Goal - Identify students that are first grade repeaters and
identify and attempt to remedy any vision problems that could have
contributed to their failure
Project Activities - We will identify first grade repeaters Through a
vision screening we will identify possible visual disorders that may have
contributed to their failure We will educate administrators, teachers and
students on the importance of vision and learning and remedy the vision
problems
MISSOURI
Glaucoma Project
Contact - Zoe Lyle - PHONE: 573 635-6151 - EMAIL: moopt@socketnet
Project Focus - Reduce visual impairment due to glaucoma
Project Goal - To increase the
number of comprehensive annual eye
examinations in the population at risk for glaucoma
Project Activities - Develop and implement a risk assessment tool for
glaucoma Identify and educate messengers with access to the target
populations
MONTANA
Vision Screening of Children
Contact - Dr Mindy Sterner - PHONE: 406 771-7223 - EMAIL:
mandmleach@sofastnet
Project Focus - Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and
adolescents aged 17 and under
Project Goal - Collaboration with the Montana Academy of Ophthalmology, the
Family and Community Health Bureau in the Montana Dept of Public Health
and Human Services, School and Public Health Nurses and the Montana Parent
Teachers Association to establish and prepare vision screening materials in
a CD ROM format
Project Activities - Montana currently does not have a public school vision
screening program legislated Several years ago the Montana Optometric
Association, the Montana Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services came together and
established a vision screening to be used in public schools Some schools
in Montana are currently using this program This project would
involve
putting this information into a CD ROM format with printable forms and a
movie to use for training We will also create a color brochure detailing
the CD ROM program, a description of what a vision screening is, and the
importance of yearly eye exams for children We will send this brochure to
all public schools in Montana and offer the training CD ROM We will
travel to the state meeting of the School Nurses Association, and the
Montana Education Association to promote the vision screening and training
program
NEBRASKA
Vision Exams for Children
Contact - David McBride - PHONE: 402 474-7716 - EMAIL:
noa@assocofficnet
Project Focus - Objective 28-3 Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due
to refractive errors
Project Goal - To increase collaboration among parents, school nurses,
educators, school administrators, school boards, early childhood educators,
community leaders, public health, policy-makers and health professionals to
ensure that children and youth receive a vision exam
Project Activities - The NOA plans to host a Childrens Vision and Learning
Symposium in collaboration with the Nebraska Foundation for Childrens
Vision, in Lincoln, Nebraska aimed to develop
solutions through
collaboration and inter-disciplinary dialogue between parents, educators,
health care providers, eye care professionals, school nurses,
administrators, school board members, public health, policy-makers and
other interest groups to increase the number of children and youth that
receive a vision exam This all day workshop will educate target audiences
on the warning signs to identify potential vision deficiencies in children
to ensure that they receive vision exams Statistics show that 40 percent
of children who fail vision screening do not receive the recommended follow-
up exam This Symposium will enable a team approach to addressing this
gap We will utilize several formats of education including lecture, round
table discussion and moderated panel by incorporating speakers representing
optometry and the professionals previously listed
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Diabetes Project
Contact - Amy Pruszenski, OD - PHONE: 603 430-0211 - EMAIL:
harbordoc@aolcom
Project Focus - 28-5: Reduce visual impairment and blindness from diabetic
retinopathy
Project Goal - Help support groups, social workers and diabetic educators
improve patient awareness of the need for annual
dilated eye examinations
by improving their level of knowledge of diabetic eye complications
Project Activities - NHOA Healthy Eyes committee proposes to get the word
out about the importance of annual dilated eye examinations for diabetic
patients by reaching out to those healthcare workers and support groups who
have frequent contact with diabetic patients We want to ensure that the
healthcare workers are comfortable with their knowledge about diabetic
ocular complications and that they understand the difference between an
eye exam and a dilated eye exam If they are better able to appreciate
the changes which occur in diabetic retinopathy, they may be better able to
explain to patients how dilated dye examinations help prevent and/or reduce
visual impairment and blindness from this condition In addition, these
healthcare workers may be able to help determine why some diabetic patients
are not currently seeking annual dilated eye examinations, so that we can
modify our approach to help them, in the future
We have developed the following plan:
1 Develop or obtain a PowerPoint presentation and/or slides to
educate healthcare workers about diabetic eye
complications and
their treatment, so they are better able to explain the issue to
patients, and answer basic questions
2 Create a Speakers Bureau: enlist local eye care specialists to
speak to the following:
a Diabetes Educators
b Social Workers
c Nurse practitioners
d Primary Care physicians/Endocrinologists
e Support groups
3 Promote the Speakers Bureau among local community groups Lions,
Rotary, etc and for the NH Diabetes Education Program
4 Obtain educational materials on diabetic eye complications from
NIH, and photocopy the brochure of the US DHHS Diabetic Retinopathy
Handbook for distribution at presentations
NEW JERSEY
Diabetes Project
Contact - Daniel Desrivieres, OD - PHONE: 973 674-1950 - EMAIL:
ddodpc@verizonnet
Project Focus - The Healthy People 2010 objective that the project will
focus on is 28-5: Reduce visual impairment due to Diabetic Retinopathy
Project Goal - The goal of the project is to educate and increase the
number of diabetic patients receiving comprehensive dilated eye exams
annually at the four locations of the Newark
Community Health Centers
NCHC The NCHC is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center pursuant
to 42 USC 1395xaa that in 2002 provided comprehensive outpatient
primary health care services to a total of 26,000 encounters for 11,000
patients at four centers
Project Activities - The goal of the project is to educate the patient
about diabetes and to make an appointment for a comprehensive dilated eye
examination The project will be implemented in the following ways:
Questionnaires and brochures will be available in the examination
rooms and at the nurses station at all four sites
All diabetics will receive a diabetic retinopathy brochure
The physician or the nurse will complete the diabetic questionnaire
If the patient is a previously diagnosed diabetic and has had a
comprehensive dilated eye exam within the past year, they will be
educated and encouraged to make an appointment with their eye care
practitioner for their next annual visit
If the patient is a previously diagnosed diabetic and has not had a
comprehensive dilated eye exam within the past year, he or she will be
given an appointment with the NCHC
optometrist or an eye care
practitioner of their choice
If the patient is a newly diagnosed diabetic, he or she will be given
an appointment the same day to consult the NCHC optometrist or an eye
care practitioner of their choice for a comprehensive dilated eye
exam
Charts of patients with a diagnosis of diabetes will be periodically
audited to assess compliance with the protocol of the project
NEW YORK
Diabetes Project
Contact - Amelia G Bartolone, OD, FAAO - PHONE: 212 780-4976 - EMAIL:
abartolone@sunyoptedu
Project Focus - 28-5 Reduce impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
1 Dilated eye examinations
Project Goal - Increase awareness of the effect of diabetes on the eye and
the importance of receiving dilated eye exams
Project Activities - This project will increase awareness of the effect of
diabetes on the eye and the importance of receiving dilated eye exams
This message will be conveyed through community activities in the largely
Hispanic and African American population of the Hunts Point neighborhood in
Bronx, New York Educational initiatives will use the following methods:
1 Community educational talks:
Partner organizations will give joint
talks and distribute diabetic education information ex
optometrist and diabetes educator in multiple settings of the
Hunts Point Multi-Service Center health center, mental health
center, chemical dependency center, senior center Free and low
cost media messages will be leveraged to increase the audience
Six educational talks will be the goal
2 Practitioner educational talks: Partner organizations will increase
awareness of diabetes and the eye, encourage the inclusion of
diabetic education information in a doctor-patient communication,
and encourage appropriate referrals
3 Distribute diabetic education information: Partner with local
pharmacists for information dissemination with diabetes supplies
and medication Partner with community organizations to create
involvement in diabetes healthcare message
NORTH CAROLINA
Vision Screening
Contact - Dr Laurel Gropper - PHONE: 919 968-4774 - EMAIL:
lgropperod@mindspringcom
Project Focus - Objective 28-2 Increase the proportion of preschool
children aged five years and under who receive vision
screening Objective
28-4 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents
ages 17 and under
Project Goal - To educate pre-school and day care directors, teachers and
aides as well as parents of all on the importance of an eye exam for the
pre-school child, the impact of vision on learning for the pre-school child
and provide resources for the at risk children identified and concluding
with a final assessment of capture or success
Project Activities
1 We will pre-test teachers/directors/aides first, present the
education on testing the children, review norms and telltale signs
of vision problems in this age group We will assess impact of
education with a posttest of same group
2 A risk assessment questionnaire will be presented to the teacher
and parent to complete per student This form will ultimately be
attached to the pre-school childs Screening Report card a
triplicate form for recording data from the risk assessment
performed by the teacher/director or aide The Report Card will
review findings from the Lea Chart - Distance and Near 100
Hyperopic screening, Stereo Randot
and Color Vision test The
child will be referred based on norms established in advance to
flag need for further evaluation Networks in Orange County are
being developed to provide exams and services for any at risk
children In addition, we will highlight the importance of having
a comprehensive exam to parents and teachers and stress that ocular
health is not being assessed at all during this evaluation nor is
this testing in lieu of an exam
3 Assess how many children were addressed and perform outcome
analysis
Ohio
Glaucoma Project
Contact - Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD - PHONE: 614 688-5381 - EMAIL:
Nichols214@osuedu
Contact - Rick Cornett, OOA ED - PHONE: 614 846-5093 - EMAIL:
rcornett@ooaorg
Project Focus - 28-6: Visual impairment due to glaucoma
Project Goal - The overall goal is to define best practice, two
techniques will be used: 1 member surveys regarding practice techniques,
and 2 on-site chart reviews to confirm patient management including
sequence and duration of testing and treatment, as well as determining
which professional characteristics and patient factors result in the
greatest
maintenance of a glaucoma patients vision In summary, through
the evaluation of current management and best practice standards, and
subsequent implementation of the best practice standards, optometrists in
Ohio will be better positioned to prevent vision loss in glaucoma patients
Project Activities - Glaucoma is among the leading causes of blindness in
the United States Approximately 25 million people have been diagnosed
and more than 130,000 people are legally blind from the disease Gordon et
al, 2002; Kass et al,2002 Glaucoma is asymptomatic and it has been
estimated that less than 50 percent of those with glaucomatous field loss
have received an appropriate diagnosis or treatment Gordon et al, 2002:
Kass et al, 2002 Healthy Vision 2010 objective 28-6 is to decrease
visual impairment due to glaucoma via community initiatives Ohio
optometrists provide 70 percent of Ohio residents primary vision care,
making this state-based glaucoma project harmoniously aligned with this
objective
OKLAHOMA
Childrens Eye Exams
Contact - Saundra Gragg-Naifeh - PHONE: 405 524-1075 - EMAIL:
Saundra@ixnetcomcom
Project Focus - 28-1 Increase the proportion of persons children who
have a
dilated eye examination at appropriate intervals
Project Goal - To raise public awareness of the importance of comprehensive
eye examinations for children, and motivate parents to action so the number
of children who receive comprehensive eye examinations increases in the
state
Project Activities - The project Dear Mom and Dad relates to the Healthy
Vision objective 28-1 by educating primary caregivers to the critical role
that healthy vision has in promoting academic success When children
suffer from undiagnosed vision disorders, the consequences are serious and
long-term These problems can be diagnosed, treated and, in many cases,
prevented, if children receive comprehensive exams in early life
OREGON
Head Start Vision Program
Contact - Bobin Mont, OD - PHONE: 503 690-9200 - EMAIL:
drmont@mindspringcom
Project Focus - 284 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children
and adolescents 17 years and under
Project Goal - Our goal is to ensure that the children enrolled in the Head
Start Learning Centers have the best possible eyesight and vision skills to
use in their educational years and future lives
Project Activities - Our projects objective is to educate the Head
Start
participants parents/guardians of the importance of vision care for their
children We would also like to increase the enrollment of eligible
children in Sight for Students, AMIGOS, and other no cost insurance
programs by informing and assisting those parents/guardians in need of the
application process Our approach is to distribute the Childrens 1-3-5
pamphlet and no-fee insurance application see the support materials
attached to the parents/guardians of all Head Start participants in the
state of Oregon We will set up a website clearing house for addressing
questions with the application process As the applications are returned
we will assign the children to the appropriate no-cost insurance plan:
Sight for Students, Oregon Foundation for Vision Awareness, AMIGOS see the
Cooperating Partners After a 12-month cycle, we will evaluate
statistically how many applications were received, web site hits occurred,
and total numbers of children received care from the project
PENNSYLVANIA
Kids Welcome Here
Contact - Deborah Blanchard - PHONE: 717 233-6455 - EMAIL:
deb@poaeyesorg
Project Focus - Objective 28-2 Increase the proportion of preschool
children aged five years and
under who receive vision screening Objective
28-4 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children and adolescents
ages 17 and under
Project Goal — To increase the number of children, starting at age six
months, examined and corrected for visual problems
Project Activities - POAs pediatric vision care initiative, Kids Welcome
Here, currently provides posters and brochures educating parents and
caregivers about the importance of eye exams for children to optometrists
and school nurses posters only Education programs have also been
provided for optometrists and school nurses We would like to expand the
program as follows:
1 Distribute brochures to hospital pre-natal education programs
2 Distribute brochures to Head Start programs
3 Distribute brochures to school nurses to supplement the posters
mailed in September 2001
4 Distribute brochures to Pennsylvania Association for the Blind
Prevention of Blindness programs
5 Develop a new education program for optometrists to present at
parent and teacher groups PowerPoint/CD and 35 mm slides
RHODE ISLAND
Diabetes Awareness Project
Contact - Pamela J
Blodgett, OD - PHONE: 401 822-2020 - EMAIL:
pamblodgett@aolcom
Project Focus - Objective 285 Impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
Project Goal - The overall goal of our project is to increase public
awareness of the importance of annual dilated eye examinations in the
prevention of vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy
Project Activities - Our project has several parts, which will be detailed
as follows First, the Rhode Island Optometric Association RIOA plans to
put up billboards along two major highways in the state This would occur
during May 2004, Healthy Vision Month, which is focusing on diabetes
These billboards will have the message If you have diabetes, get these
checked every year There will be a photograph of a pair of eyes, which
will take up most of the billboard area, with the text appearing in large
font below the photo When blown up to billboard size, these eyes will be
quite eye-catching Similar billboards were actually used by a diabetic
collaborative approximately one year ago, and the feedback from the public
was very positive
Another part of the project will focus on getting RIOA members involved in
and enthusiastic about Healthy Vision Month
The RIOA has its annual
meeting on January 23-24, 2004 in Providence, RI At that meeting, I plan
to have a prominent display to educate RIOA members about Healthy People
2010 and objective 28-5 in particular
RIOA members will also be urged to obtain materials that are available from
the Department of Health and Human Services regarding Healthy Vision Month
I also intend to notify the members that the billboards will once again be
displayed, and to ask that they poll their patients to find out how many
saw the billboards or were told about the billboards
Another part of the project will be to mail educational materials to
internists/PCPs/endocrinologists The doctors contacted will be asked to
display the materials posters which will be similar to the billboards in
their offices, in the hopes that patients will be encouraged to have their
eyes examined
SOUTH DAKOTA
Vision Quest Program
Contact - Larry L Menning, OD - PHONE: 605 734-5613 - EMAIL:
lmenning@midstatesdnet
Project Focus - To reduce vision impairment through education
Project Goal - To provide teachers with lesson ideas, activities and fact
sheets to help students and their parents become more aware of
the
important role vision plays in learning, the workings of the eye and visual
system, and the importance of adopting good eye health and safety habits
throughout life
Project Activities - Vision Quest is a kit of educational materials for
classroom teachers in kindergarten through grade 12 It is comprised of an
educators guide, lesson ideas on the eyes and vision, activity sheets to
reinforce lesson concepts, and fact sheets to share eye health and safety
information with students, their parents and others in the community
Lesson ideas and activities will be age appropriate through grades 6-8 and
subject specific for grades 9-12 All materials will be professionally
written and reviewed by both optometric childrens vision practitioners and
teachers
TENNESSEE
Diabetes Educational Collaborative
Contact - Christopher W Lievens, OD - PHONE: 901 722-3330 - EMAIL:
clievens@scoedu
Project Focus - 7 Healthy People 2010 Objectives:
12 Heart disease and stroke
19 Nutrition and overweight
28-1 Dilated fundus examinations
28-2 Vision screenings for children
28-5 Impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
28-6 Impairment due to glaucoma
287 Impairment due to cataract
Project Goal - Collaborative educational event provided by the local
optometric and medical community Goal is to enable the Tennessee leaders
to advocate health issues and initiate city-wide and state-wide health
programs
Project Activities
West Tennessee Program: Based in Memphis, Tennessee Educational
symposium to be held at the new Memphis Public Library Invitations out to
public in mass but aimed at city and corporate leaders Speakers will
present on the importance of eye exams for adults and children Specific
focus will be on the diabetes, heart disease, glaucoma, cataracts, and
nutrition Main goal to initiate collaboration with national health
organizations and optometry in Tennessee Additional goal to educate city
leaders to the importance of comprehensive eye care
East Tennessee Program: Hold interactive workshop at Tennessee Optometric
Association meeting to assist statewide optometrists in connecting to
health-related organizations Will deliver a how-to workshop for the
local levels similar to AOAs national workshop
TEXAS
Glaucoma Project in Housing Authority
Clinic
Contact - Bj Avery - PHONE: 512 707-2020 - EMAIL: texop@aolcom
Contact - Stanley Woo, OD, MS - PHONE: 713 743-0799 - EMAIL: swoo@uhedu
Project Focus - 286 To reduce visual impairment due to glaucoma
Project Goal - The goal of our project is to increase public awareness
about the sight-threatening effects of glaucoma, and to increase
accessibility to comprehensive eye care Specifically, we will compile
resource materials on glaucoma and develop multi-media, slide presentations
to deliver to our target population at the Dallas Housing Authority DHA
The themes will include the role of comprehensive eye examinations, and the
importance of early detection and treatment in order to preserve vision
To increase accessibility to care, we will collaborate with the
BridgeBuilders Eye Clinic and University of Houston, College of Optometry
UHCO The free clinic is located within the DHA, and is staffed by
volunteer optometrists, a staff optometrist and externs from UHCO We will
record the number of attendees at the presentations and keep track of the
number of resource materials distributed We will also strive to increase
the number of patients seeking care at the clinic by 25
percent
Project Activity - HIS BridgeBuilders is a faith-base, not-for-profit
agency that has been working to impact lives and achieve fundamental and
lasting improvement for the low-income and minority residents of the Dallas
Housing Authority developments for the past eight years The
BridgeBuilders Eye Clinic is located in the Dallas Housing Authority
DHA The eye clinic was founded by Kim Castleberry, OD and Joe Deloach,
OD Volunteer optometrists have been providing fee eye care to DHA
residents for several years Of the over 4000 patients seen, approximately
25 percent were diagnosed with glaucoma in this predominantly African
American population
UTAH
Utah County underserved children
Contact - Linda Peterson - PHONE: 801 224-2055 - EMAIL:
Linda@bonnevilleorg
Project Focus - Eye exams for children, migrant eye exams, vision education
in the schools providing eye glasses and exams for needy children
Project Goal - School children with healthy vision who can learn and
participate at school
Project Activities
1 Teachers identify, with school nurses, students who have vision
needs
2 Parents are contacted If they have provisions to provide
needs, they will do so If not, testing glasses, and eye care
will be provided by Kids Cause
3 Local optometrists volunteer their time to assist children
Kids Cause helps with volunteer teachers, nurses, and necessary
funding When referred to optometrists, there is no waiting
period; children receive exams and glasses within a week
4 United Way and grants like Healthy People 2010 help fund and
assist with volunteers in making sure Utah County students have
healthy eyes
UTAH
Educating Parents about Vision
Contact - Michael M Judkins OD - PHONE: 801 479-7850 - EMAIL:
doctorjudkins@msncom
Project Focus - 28-4 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children
and adolescents aged 17 years and older 28-2 Vision screenings for
children
Project Goal - To decrease vision impairment in children by educating
parents about the signs of vision dysfunction, the difference between
screenings and complete examinations, and available community resources
Project Activities - In order to meet the project focus as stated above, we
propose to mail each parent or guardian of elementary school aged
children
educational materials concerning vision screenings versus complete vision
examinations as provided by an eye care professional The same material
will be given to parents directly during kindergarten enrollment during
March and April 2004
VERMONT
Vermont Diabetes Collaborative
Contact - Stephen Feltus- PHONE: 802 748-3536 - EMAIL:
eyedoc2@charternet
Project Focus - Reduce visual impairment and blindness from diabetic
retinopathy
Project Goal - Through collaboration with other healthcare providers,
develop a systems change to improve how we communicate with each other to
improve diabetic care
Project Activities
1 Start with a collaboration between one optometrist and one team
participating in the Vermont Diabetes Collaborative VDC to
initiate systems changes based on the Chronic Care Model through a
Plan-Do-Study Act Systems changes include: a how a diabetic is
tracked in an eye care office; b how the eye care office
communicates with other team members of the collaborative; and c
how members of the team fit into the medical management of diabetes
and what works to measure success
2 Have one eye care
provider join each team in the VDC and try these
system changes by doing their own PDA cycles
3 Have one or two Lyndon State College nursing students develop and
test a questionnaire about levels of communication before and after
implementing system changes
4 Help organize and support a Northeastern Kingdom Diabetes Summit
and gather other players PPOD onto the VDC teams
5 Develop a poster studying what we learn and present it at the
October 2004 VDC2 learning session
6 Invite collaborators to present our findings at a Vermont
Optometric Association meeting and at a Vermont Ophthalmology
Society meeting
VIRGINIA
Cross Over Vision Care
Contact - W David Spruill, OD - PHONE: 804 288-2202 - EMAIL:
dspruill212@aolcom
Project Focus
1 Increase proportion of persons who have dilated eye exam at
appropriate intervals
2 Reduce uncorrected visual impairment due to refractive errors
3 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children aged 17 and
under
4 Reduce visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
5 Reduce visual impairment due to glaucoma
6 Reduce visual
impairment due to cataract
Project Goal - The overall goal of the Cross Over Vision Care program is to
increase early diagnosis and treatment of potentially sight threatening eye
and vision problems By providing early access to professional vision care
in a compassionate setting Cross Over encourages early treatment of
vision problems for a growing number of adults and children living in
poverty in central Virginia Within a twelve-month period, Cross Over
expects to increase the number of patient vision care visits by 25 percent
Project Activities - Beginning twenty years ago as an idea among community
volunteers, Cross Over has developed into a health care delivery model for
free clinics It is a community service success story from which others
can and do draw experience and knowledge Of the 53 free clinics in the
Commonwealth of Virginia, Cross Over Ministry is the largest In 2002,
Cross Over delivered health care for approximately 8,000 persons, through
17,000 patient visits served at our Health Center and Outreach sites This
year we expect to bring compassionate health care to approximately 9,000
patients through 20,000 patient visits
WASHINGTON
Healthy Eyes Healthy
Tots
Contact - Dave Sonntag - PHONE: 509 444-2350 - EMAIL:
daves@desautelhegecom
Project Focus - 28-4 Reduce blindness and visual impairment in children
and adolescents aged 17 years and under
Project Goal - Educate and increase awareness of caregivers of preschool
children - including daycare providers, preschools and parents about the
importance of comprehensive eye examinations for infants and preschoolers;
components that should be included in a vision assessment; and ways to
detect signs of visual development/processing problems
Project Activities - The title of this proposed campaign is Washington
State Healthy Eyes Healthy Tots
The Optometric Physicians of Washington OPW wishes to increase the number
of children who receive a professional eye examination before entering
school children age five and under through educating child caregivers
including parents about the importance of early detection of vision
problems such as amblyopia and how to identify signs of such problems
ambloyogenic risk factors
The OPW has already forged a critical step in this process by developing
the Washington State Preschool Childrens Vision Coalition to improve
detection of preventable
vision loss in preschool children While the
Coalition is still recruiting partners/members, it currently includes
doctors of optometry, ophthalmology, pediatrics and family practice as well
as representatives from the legislature, public health service and public
instruction The Coalition plans to form a program called the Pre-school
Childrens Vision Initiative
The Healthy Eyes Healthy Tot plan is designed to support the Washington
State Preschool Childrens Vision Initiative It is our intent to share
the educational content developed with the aid of this grant with Coalition
members who will in turn disseminate materials and implement activities
within their respective organizations
WASHINGTON
School Nurses project
Contact - Suzanne D Scott - PHONE: 509 334-3610 - EMAIL:
eyedocss@direcwaycom
Project Focus — Reduce visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive
errors
Project Goal - This project is designed to improve the sensitivity of
school vision screenings by providing education and screening equipment for
school nurses
Project Activities - In the spring of 2003, a presentation was developed as
a collaborative effort of members of the Inland Society of the
Optometric
Physicians of Washington The presentation was designed to share general
information about vision and suggestions for additions to make to a typical
school vision screening protocol that would help improve the sensitivity
for finding hyperopia, anisometropia, amblyopia and strabismus The
recommended screening protocol was based on The School Nurses Guide to
Vision Screening and Ocular Emergencies produced by the AOA The protocol
changes recommended were adding a plus lens test for hyperopia and a random
dot stereotest for anisometropia, amblyopia and strabismus
WEST VIRGINA
Diabetes Project
Contact - James F Pasinski, OD - PHONE: 304 599-7034 - EMAIL:
jfpasinski@adelphianet
Project Focus - Reduce vision impairment due to diabetic retinopathy
Project Goal - To increase the number of patients with diabetes on Preston,
Taylor, Wirt, Jackson and Western Monongalia Counties receiving annual
dilated fundus examinations
Project Activities - The incidence of diabetes in West Virginia is among
the highest in the nation West Virginia, according to the US Bureau of
the Census, is the second most rural state, with over 60 percent of our
residents living in communities of
less than 2500 The rural nature of the
state adversely effects access to eye care While the geographic
distribution of doctors of optometry on West Virginia is excellent, there
are some areas with little or no eye care practitioners Many of the
states residents need to travel long distances for eye care, which often
prohibits many people with diabetes from receiving yearly eye exams West
Virginia has an excellent network of Community Healthy Centers These
Centers are supported, in part by state and federal funds, to provide care
to rural, low income families There are over eighty such clinics
throughout the state Very few of these Centers have optometric services
available
WYOMING
Diabetes Referrals
Contact - Dan Lex, CAE - PHONE: 307 637-7575 - EMAIL:
managementservic@qwestnet
Project Focus - The primary objective of this project is threefold 1
Increase the proportion of Wyoming citizens with diabetes who have an
annual dilated eye examination from 25 percent to 50 percent in the first
year of study and 75 percent by the second year 2 Assure reporting of
eye exams in the diabetic care plan
Project Goal - To increase the rate of dilated eye exams in people
diagnosed
with diabetes in Wyoming by developing, implementing and
evaluating the eye care referral form The form should make it easy and
quick to document results of a diabetic eye examination in a way that
provides meaningful, useful information to the primary physician while also
educating the diabetic patient and providing a complete file copy for the
examining eye doctors files
Project Activities - WOA will collaborate with the Wyoming Diabetes
Prevention and Control Program WDPCP to develop a plan, to implement and
evaluate the use of the diabetes eye care referral form The form will be
used by Wyoming eye care providers to document eye care exam outcomes to
the patients primary care physician Develop the eye care referral form
3 part Implement and education eye care and primary care healthcare
providers about the purpose and use of the form Evaluate the
implementation of the project by monitoring the increase in rate of eye
exams by reviewing two data sources
Source:aoa.org
