Other Public Programs

The following listings provide overviews of different programs and website that can help eyecare patients and the public at large learn more about eye health and different programs that are available to them.

EyeSmart

The EyeSmart^TM public awareness campaign empowers Americans to take charge of their eye health. EyeSmart emphasizes the need for Americans to know their risk factors for eye diseases, infections and injuries, and how ophthalmologists can help prevent, diagnose and treat eye conditions.

The campaign is sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons - Eye M.D.s. A key partner is EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In addition, more than 80 state, local and specialty ophthalmology societies are lending their support.

EyeCare America

Founded in 1985, EyeCare America is a public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Its mission is to reduce avoidable blindness and severe visual impairment by raising awareness about eye disease and care, providing free eye health educational materials and facilitating access to medical eye care. In addition to its online educational materials, it offer multiple eye care programs for which individuals may qualify. Callers will be asked a series of questions to determine the program that provides the most appropriate eye care services. Seniors EyeCare Program 1-800-222-EYES (3937) AMD EyeCare Program 1-800-324-EYES (3937) Diabetes EyeCare Program 1-800-272-EYES (3937) Glaucoma EyeCare Program 1-800-391-EYES (3937) Children's EyeCare Program 1-877-887-6327

Save Our Sight Program

The Ohio Ophthalmological Society is proud to be part of the Save Our Sight Program. Funding from this program has enabled the OOS to develop the Play Hard. Don't Blink. Always Wear Protective Eyewear campaign.

The Save Our Sight program was created to ensure that children in Ohio have good vision and healthy eyes. The program accomplishes this through the early identification of children with vision problems and the promotion of good eye health and safety. Citizens of Ohio fund the program through voluntary $1 donations at the time of their vehicle registration (auto tags). Save Our Sight funds address the vision needs of the estimated 500,000 children in Ohio who have undetected vision problems. Save Our Sight funds are limited to services for children.

These funds provide the following services:

Training, certification and equipping of vision screeners;
Provision of protective eyewear for youth sports and school activities;
Development and provision of eye health and safety program in schools, and
Development and implementation of an Amblyopia (lazy eye) Registry.

To find out more about the Save Our Sight Fund and its programs, please visit www.saveoursight.org.

Ohio Amblyope Registry

The Ohio Amblyope Registry is a statewide program designed to serve the needs of Ohio's children with amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, their families and eye doctors. It is a voluntary registration program to increase knowledge about amblyopia, its treatment and prevention. All services provided by the registry are free of charge.

United States Eye Injury Registry

USEIR is a federation of individual state eye injury registries, collecting data in a standardized manner and sharing data via a common database. USEIR documents serious eye injuries (injuries judged by the reporting ophthalmologist to have a likelihood of resulting in permanent structural or function damage to the eye and/or orbit). USEIR is a volunteer, bylaws-driven organization governed by officers regularly elected by the directors of participating state registries.

Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired

The Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) offers vocational rehabilitation services that help people with visual disabilities (blindness/low vision) obtain and maintain employment. It's part of the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC), a State of Ohio agency that also assists people who have physical and/or mental disabilities. RSC's goal is to help them go to work or keep their current jobs.

BSVI also administers a small program that helps people over age 55 adjust to a vision loss, with no employment goal required.

Caring Partners International

Any practice looking to donate old ophthalmological equipment to those in need can got to the following website: www.caringpartners.org. OOS member Dan Love, M.D. is involved with this organization and has witnessed first hand the incredible shortage of good ophthalmological equipment in some of these countries.

Caring Partners is a Trans-denominational Christian Medical Ministry providing volunteer medical teams to overseas missionaries and supplying medical materials to mission hospitals and workers. Their countries of focus are Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Guatemala.

IEP Eye Exams

Amended Substitute House Bill 95 passed in 2003 requires students initially identified with disabilities to have an eye exam. The requirement started in the fall of 2004.

If you would like more information about HB 95 and the eye exam requirements for Special Education Students, visit www.iepeyeexam.org.

Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership (AEPPP)

The mission of Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership (AEPPP), an initiative supported by the Ohio Department of Aging, is to develop a strategic plan of action to address issues relating to vision care public policy, vision care services, vision education, and vision research that impact the quality of life for Ohio's seniors now and in the future. The formation of the Partnership and its on-going work is supported by a proclamation from Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.