News from the AOA's Blog

With 30,000 members, the American Public Health Association (APHA) is one of the oldest and most diverse organizations of public health professionals in the world. The APHA is a key multidisciplinary advocate for development of policy that affects public health issues throughout the world.

The APHA’s Vision Care Section (VCS) is now celebrating 30 years of advocacy. The mission of the VCS is to promote health and well-being with emphasis on vision and eye health through interdisciplinary partnerships.

The VSC serves as an advocate to ensure equality in, and access to, vision and eye health care, and to ensure inclusion of vision in public health policy. With health care reform on the horizon, the VCS is facing one of its most important years yet. More than 25 VCS-sponsored resolutions are now fully supported by the APHA, all of which have been instrumental in federal and state legislative efforts.  Recent resolutions range from improving childhood eye care, to increasing access to vision rehabilitation, to eye care in disaster preparedness, to improving access to vision care in community health centers. 

The VCS provides a vital opportunity for all groups involved in vision care to join forces to ensure that vision care is included in the health care debate, to guide policy and to effect change.

The APHA has been a strong supporter of the AOA’s efforts. The APHA and the AOA have a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation between the two organizations. As an organization concerned about access to health care services, the APHA believes that the AOA’s InfantSEE® program supports mutual interest in public health and access to eye care for all Americans.  The APHA believes that the InfantSEE® program is consistent with policy resolution 2001-1, “Improving Early Childhood Eye Care.” The APHA has also supported expansion of optometric state scope of practice laws. Just last year, the APHA expressed strong support for inclusion of comprehensive eye care services within community health centers through full support of the National Health Service Corps Improvement Act of 2009.

Mel Shipp, O.D., Dr.PH., MPH, dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, is a candidate for president-elect of the APHA. The election will be held in November 2010. Dr. Shipp began as a member of the Vision Care Section of the APHA and over the years has served in multiple positions within the section, as well as held numerous leadership roles on APHA national committees. 

“Dr. Shipp is an excellent candidate and very well respected within the APHA,” said AOA President Joe Ellis, O.D. “His election would be a great accomplishment for optometry. As vision care professionals, I strongly encourage you to join the APHA and its Vision Care Section in support of Dr. Shipp’s candidacy and the Vision Care Section’s mission. Membership gives strength to our voice.”

Join the APHA at www.apha.org/about/membership. Additional information is available on the APHA VCS Web page (www.apha.org/membergroups/sections/aphasections/vision/).