"Looking Out for Kids": Giving Children a Better Future Through Improved Vision
For decades, Salus University has been committed to providing comprehensive vision care services to disadvantaged children in Philadelphia and its surrounding communities. One in four children suffers from vision problems which can negatively impact their school performance and impede social development. Through its “Looking Out for Kids” (LOFK), vision care initiative, Salus University has brightened thousands of children’s lives by ensuring they receive the vision care necessary for their educational success.
Since establishing the LOFK charity in 2007, The Eye Institute of Salus University (TEI) has provided comprehensive vision care services and eyeglasses to children from the School District of Philadelphia, and in more recent years, expanded to include the Norristown, Abington, and Cheltenham School Districts. During the 2015-2016 academic year, TEI vision care teams conducted approximately 552 examinations, and distributed over 950 pairs of eyeglasses to children in need. Each student requiring glasses received two pairs – one for school and one for home.
Working closely with Philadelphia’s public school nurses, vision care teams from TEI assisted in providing state-mandated vision screenings to public school students; over 2,100 screenings were provided this past year. School nurses identified students who failed their screening and required follow-up care. Those students were then transported to one of TEI’s three locations for comprehensive vision examinations. “I have nothing but praise for the entire vision care staff for demonstrating such a caring and professional demeanor,” said Regina Ward, school nurse at D. Newlin Fell School. “The “Looking Out for Kids” program helped me complete vision screenings in a timely fashion, allowing children to receive eyeglasses earlier in the school year. Teachers thank me because their students’ test scores greatly improved after receiving their eyeglasses.” Since December, over 300 exams were conducted, and more than 500 pairs of eyeglasses were dispensed to children in Philadelphia.
For the third consecutive year, the LOFK program has provided in-school vision care services and eyeglasses to disadvantaged children within the Norristown Area School District. A rotating school-based vision clinic was established in a space within one of the schools where TEI’s vision care team examined children one to two days per week. Once all children requiring care were seen, the vision clinic was then moved to another school to continue providing care. Over 179 children were examined in 10 schools, and over 319 pairs of eyeglasses were provided this year. “The school vision program has been priceless to our school district, students and families. Salus University provided uninsured children an opportunity to have a thorough eye exam, two pairs of eyeglasses and follow-up care when needed,” said Giselle Knoblauch, Norristown Area High School nurse.
Salus University was thrilled to collaborate with the Abington and Cheltenham School Districts this year, bringing its LOFK initiative to area elementary, middle school, and high school students. A team from TEI, including an optometrist, ophthalmic technician and optometry interns performed comprehensive eye exams in the Salus University Mobile Vision Care Unit at schools in both districts. “This is a wonderful initiative - from vision exams to eyeglass fittings, the program is comprehensive yet not intimidating to our students,” said Holly Horner, school nurse at Copper Beech Elementary in Abington. Ninety two percent of students examined from both districts required an eyeglass prescription. “This was the first year that the Cheltenham School District received vision care services on the Salus Mobile Vision Care Unit,” said Patricia Gallagher, nursing coordinator for the Cheltenham School District. “This program is excellent and the staff is extremely professional and worked well with our Life Skills Students. We feel very privileged to be included in the program.”
Last year, the annual “Looking Out for Kids” charity event raised over $75,000, making it possible to continue offering this important program within our community. Through our work and the generosity of our community partners, we can continue to enhance the lives of children by providing them with the vision care essential to their academic success.