A total of 650 K-12th grade students in the Omaha Public Schools will receive free eye exams and prescription glasses during a week-long vision screening at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health May 9-13.
The Child Vision Collaborative is a team effort between 18 community organizations, non-profits, government agencies, health care, education and business partners. It is spearheaded by Building Healthy Futures, a nonprofit aimed at improving the health of underprivileged youth in Omaha.
OneSight, a nonprofit national organization dedicated to providing access to quality vision care and eyewear in underserved communities worldwide, will provide a vision van in which the eye exams will take place. OneSight also is providing eye glasses for the students.
The OneSight van will be parked outside the UNMC College of Public Health, which is located just south of 40th Street and Dewey Avenue. Each day, more than 100 students will be screened by private practice eye care professionals.
"Many students requiring exams experience barriers to care such as a lack of insurance or transportation and language," said Jeanee Weiss, CEO of Building Healthy Futures. "The Child Vision Collaborative will give those students the opportunity to get the eye exams and prescription eye glasses they need."
The 650 students receiving care next week were identified as being in need of prescription eye glasses last winter when members of the Child Vision Collaborative screened 5,000 students from eight OPS schools. At that time a total of 1,600 students were identified as needing eye glasses. Some of those students have already been fit for glasses in private clinics around Omaha and the remaining students will come to UNMC.
"Significant vision problems in school can influence learning, sports and social activities," said Donny Suh, M.D., chief of pediatric ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and an associate professor in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences in the UNMC College of Medicine.
Dr. Suh also specializes in adult strabismus or misaligned eyes.
"The most common cause of vision loss in children is amblyopia or lazy eye, which if left untreated prior to the age of seven to eight can lead to permanent vision loss," Dr. Suh said, adding that the estimated prevalence of amblyopia in the United States is approximately four percent.
Dr. Suh said appropriate visual assessments during vision screenings can help identify children with amblyopia at an earlier age and result in more effective treatment.
"Vision professionals in our community truly understand the connection between a child’s ability to see and his ability to learn," Weiss said. "They came together to provide a valuable service that will directly impact 1600 students and their success in the classroom. We are very thankful for their support and willingness to step forward and help."
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