The American Optometric Association and Optometry Cares
The AOA Foundation recently announced the 8th annual funding of the Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® Community Grants Program. The 2011 grants are made possible through a generous grant from Luxottica. Over the course of the past seven years, the program sponsors have contributed a total of $1,080,000 for nearly 300 grants, which have gone directly to state optometric association community outreach projects to educate the public and allied groups on the importance of vision care and have improved the lives of thousands of patients.
In an effort to challenge the ineffectual status quo: no change in vision objectives for children from Healthy People 2010, and encourage the growth of community-based solutions to tackle undiagnosed children's vision disords, this year's Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® grants will focus directly on Healthy People 2020 children's vision objectives.
Despite the current efforts to provide vision care for children, there is considerable evidence of disparities in both the access and utilization of professional vision care among children. Sadly, appropriate assurance of access to early and timely comprehensive vision care services by a professional eye care provider is often being sidetracked by low sensitivity vision screenings that produce an inordinate number of "false negatives" and/or symptomatic children simply not being referred to professional eye care services directly.
The AOA believes that this public health emergency in children's vision and eye health must be resolved and that targeted efforts and new data from carefully selected 2011 Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® grant applicants will be helpful in steering a course of action to more fully address the vision and eye health needs of America's children.
Applicants should address one of the following two objectives of the Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® program:
V-1 Increase the proportion of children age 5 years and under who have visited (had an eye examination by) an eye care provider in the preceding 12 months.
V-2 Reduce visual impairment in children and adolescents.
The AOA continues to work with U.S. agencies to strengthen their resolve to establish a more comprehensive approach to children's vision and eye health protections.
"We are grateful for Luxottica's on-going support of the Health Eyes Health People ® Community Community Grants Program,” noted Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, chair of the Community Grants Committee. “The hallmark of HEHP projects is the collaborative efforts developed among optometrists and other community stakeholders, which help to ensure adequate access to services for local patients.”
“Healthy Eyes Healthy People has proved to be an extraordinary outreach program, providing greater access to vision care services in communities throughout the country,” said Andrea Dorigo, President, Luxottica USA. “We are honored to support HEHP and encourage all AOA member optometrists to develop projects designed to improve the visual health and well being of people in their communities.”
Grant applications must be officially submitted by an AOA-affiliated state optometric association. However, all AOA member optometrists may apply for the grants through their state optometric association. A state optometric association can submit more than one application. In addition to the completed application form, letters of commitment, timeline, and budget are required. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
States may apply for more than one grant, and each grant is worth up to $5,000.
To learn more about the program, please visit: http://www.aoa.org/hehp.xml or contact AOA HEHP staff member Uzma Zumbrink, DHSc, MPH at (800) 365-2219, ext. 4146, or UAZumbrink@aoa.org.
Funding made possible by Luxottica.
Submitted by Uzma Zumbrink