1. Assess vision conservation needs in Ohio and develop plans of action to address these needs.
2. Develop joint public policy statements and/or legislation and take action at the Ohio Statehouse or at the administrative/executive levels of government to gain support for implementing new policies/rules aimed at enhancing the eye health and safety status for all Ohioans.
3. Cooperate on providing community service programs geared to eye care and eye safety to benefit the general public.
- It is estimated (based on national statistics) that approximately 80% of children under the age of six (756,436 Ohio children) are not being screened for visual problems before they enter the public school system, putting them at risk for not only sustaining permanent damage to their eyes, but also of starting their academic careers less than 100% ready to learn.
- Approximately 47,300 Ohio preschool children (1 in 20) have a vision disorder such as amblyopia (lazy eye) or strabismus (crossed eyes) that can lead to loss of vision or even blindness. Approximately 20,000 Ohio children enter school with an undetected eye problem.
- More than 581,000 Ohioans over 40 years of age suffer from cataracts. " 88,000 people in Ohio have glaucoma, but half (44,000) don't know it!
- Blindness is the most likely complication of diabetes. More than 565,000 Ohioans have diabetes, and more than 214,000 suffer from diabetic retinopathy. " Just over 650,000 older Ohioans are afflicted with age-related macular degeneration.
- Blindness and visual impairment exact a great price from individuals and society. Vision loss robs people of their independence, mobility, and quality of life. Blindness and visual impairment are also an enormous cost to society, estimated conservatively at $48 million annually in Ohio.
Since the founding of the OECC in 1997, Ohioans have been able to SEE and benefit from its many successes:
The OECC Establishes the SOS (Save Our Sight) Fund: The SOS Fund, administered by the Ohio Department of Health, provides grants to qualifying non-profit organizations to expand their sight-saving services to children statewide. Raising over $1 million in donations annually, the SOS Fund is supported through $1 voluntary contributions made by Ohioans renewing their motor vehicle registration.
Defeating Fireworks Legislation: Members of the OECC hold an Annual Fireworks Safety Press Conference at the Ohio Statehouse and in 1997 successfully defeated the passage of legislation that would have legalized Class C (1.4G) fireworks for use by Ohio consumers. There are nearly 8,500 injuries annually related to fireworks; eye injuries account for 25%.
Medicaid Reimburses for Polycarbonate Lenses: The OECC successfully advocated that the State of Ohio expand its coverage for Medicaid reimbursement of eye glasses including shatterproof polycarbonate lenses for recipients eighteen years old and younger and for anyone who has vision in only one eye.
OECC Moves Vision To #6 Priority Position at The Ohio Department of Health: The OECC successfully advocated a priority position for "Vision" as a major public health concern for the young. "Vision" is ranked #6 on the list of 10 Maternal Child Health needs receiving priority in 2000-2005.
OECC Forms Primary Care Providers and Preschool Vision Screening Coalition: The goal of this new effort is to increase public awareness about the importance of adopting a regular regimen of professional eye care from birth through the entire life span and to vision screen every Ohio child beginning at age 3. One of our first collaborative successes was receipt of an American Academy of Pediatrics Project Universal Preschool Vision Screening Project grant. This project is funded by the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Ohio was one of four states that was awarded a $20,000 grant to improve vision assessment in primary care settings and to create a concept of a medical home.
OECC Raises Awareness About The Increase of Vision Loss Among Ohio's Seniors: The Aging Eye Public/Private Partnership was formed 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 the Governor of Ohio. The Partnership advocated for the formation of the Ohio Legislative Task Force for the Preservation of Adult Vision which is charged with addressing how the State of Ohio will respond to the growth in the number of Ohio seniors affected by aging eye diseases now and in the future. Members of the Ohio Eye Care Coalition are:
Ohio Ophthalmological Society
Todd Baker, Executive Director
3401 Mill Run Road
Hilliard, OH 43026
614-527-6799/Fax: 527-6763
oos@ohioeye.org
www.ohioeye.org
Ohio Optometric Association
Richard Cornett, Executive Director
250 E. Wilson Bridge Rd., Ste. 240
Worthington, OH 43085
614-781-0708/Fax: 781-6521
rcornette@ooa.org
www.ooa.org
Opticians Association of Ohio
Tom King, Executive Director Prevent Blindness Ohio
Sherry Williams, President & CEO
1500 W. Third Avenue, Suite 200
Columbus, OH 43212
614-464-2020 Fax: 481-9670
112020.2634@compuserve.com
www.preventblindness.org/Ohio
Ohio Department of Health (Advisory Role Only)
Becky Johnson-Rescola, Program Administrator
246 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43266-0588
614-466-2640 Fax: 728-6793
rbunner@sw.odh.state.oh.us
Opticians Association of Ohio
37 West Broad Street, #480
Columbus, OH 43215
614-228-6709/Fax: 228-1215
Tking@craiggroup.com
www.oao.org
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Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnerhip:
a statewide collaboration preparing for the growth of aging eye challenges in Ohio
Find out more HERE.
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Vision Problems in Ohio:
prevalence of adult vision impairment and age-related eye disease in Ohio
Find out more HERE.
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