The National Eye Institute developed the Healthy Vision Community Awards (HVCA) Program to encourage the creation or continuation of vision-related projects that support the vision objectives of Healthy People 2010. HVCA funding supports community-based organizations, which are awarded up to $10,000 for their innovative eye health education and promotion projects. The funding can be used for a variety of things, such as consultant fees, project-specific supplies, project staff salaries, local travel, and community-based education and promotion activities, but it may not be used to purchase eyewear or ophthalmic equipment.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) Healthy Eyes Healthy People ® program was established by the AOA Board of Trustees to support the vision-related objectives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Health People 2010 goals, which constitute the nation’s public health agenda. The Healthy Eyes Healthy People® program is underwritten by grants from Luxottica and Vision Service Plan. These underwriters have contributed $1 million to 279 projects across the country since the program’s inception in 2004. The HEHP grants are up to $5,000 and do allow purchase of eyewear or ophthalmic equipment.
The applications for the HVCA and HEHP grants are vey similar, and they may be used in combination with one another. Community-based organizations provide an excellent opportunity for optometrists to help translate the vision objectives of Healthy People into the community action, and also offer a chance for patient education on prevention of not only eye conditions, but also systemic problems. The combination of funding provided by the NEI’s Healthy Vision Community Awards and the AOA’s Healthy Eyes Healthy People grants can help get one of these programs get started. For more information visit Healthy People 2010 Special Programs or Healthy Eyes Healthy People®.
By Uzma Zumbrink, MPH, American Optometric Association, uazumbrink@aoa.org