Davis Vision Partners With Local Eye Care Professionals to Offer Free Screening Clinics
Planned Activities Support Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007
PLAINVIEW, NY (Dec. 13, 2007) –Davis Vision, Inc. will sponsor a series of free vision screening clinics for children throughout 2008. Building on the success of its 2007 screening program, the company has already scheduled nine clinics so far for 2008, and expects to add more to the line-up in the months ahead. This year, hundreds of children received free eye tests at Davis Vision clinics.
“We specifically want to help children who do not have insurance for vision care,” explained Laura Dyer, Davis Vision’s assistant vice president, strategic events and community relations. “Any child who does not pass the test will receive a voucher for a comprehensive eye examination and eyeglasses at no cost at local vision care retailers specified by Davis Vision. “
“Vision screenings for children are enormously important,” said Joseph Carlomusto, ABOC, FNAO, Davis Vision’s president and chief executive officer. “In the first 12 years of a child’s life, 80 percent of learning takes place visually, so a visual handicap can significantly hinder a child’s development and chances for success. Unfortunately, millions of children whose parents cannot afford eye care currently live with untreated and often undiagnosed vision disorders.”
Davis Vision supports the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2007, a federal bill that would help alleviate this problem. The measure would allocate federal grants to states to provide comprehensive eye examinations, treatments and correction services for those children with vision problems, as well as to distribute educational materials about visual impairment in children. The bill was passed in the House of Representatives on Oct. 15, and a companion proposal is being reviewed in the Senate.
“We applaud the efforts of Congress to make this bill a reality,” said Carlomusto. “The 20 percent failure rate just among those children tested in Davis Vision’s 2007 clinics demonstrates a widespread need for comprehensive eye examinations, treatments and services to be made available to kids. This vital piece of legislation will change lives by ensuring that millions of children receive the vision care that they desperately need.”
To date Davis Vision has a variety of vision screenings planned for 2008 including clinics in Buffalo, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, Harrisburg, PA, Carlisle, PA, and Boston, MA, as well as various YMCA locations. Specific dates and locations can be found by visiting Davis Vision online, www.davisvision.com. Additional dates and locations will be posted online when sites are added.
Davis Vision has a long history of involvement in local community outreach programs, helping to raise funds, food and clothing for Make-a-Wish Foundation, New York Children’s Vision Coalition, United Way, mercyFirst and other charities. The free vision screening clinics already conducted, and those being planned, reflect Davis Vision’s ongoing commitment to the communities it serves.
About Davis Vision
Davis Vision currently serves nearly 50 million members nationally and was the first vision care preferred provider organization to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Its provider network-credentialing program has been certified by the NCQA. The company administers vision services through an extensive network of over 30,000 participating providers, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians and many of the nation’s premier retail centers.
