News from the AOA's Blog

Nineteen projects have been selected for the 2011 Healthy Eyes Healthy People® (HEHP) Community Grants program.

As in past years, the HEHP program is providing grants of up to $5,000 for innovative community outreach projects addressing vision-related objectives of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service’s (HHS) Healthy People 2020 public health agenda.

The HEHP Community Grants Program this year is funded by Luxottica.

This year’s grant application process focused on the two children’s vision-related objectives:

• V-1: Increase the proportion of children age 5 years and under who have visited (had an eye examination by) an eye care provider in the preceding 12 months, and
• V-2: Reduce visual impairment in children and adolescents.

Listed by state are the projects (with project coordinators) awarded HEHP grants this year.

• Colorado—Low Vision Evaluations for Visually Impaired Preschoolers—Kara Hanson, O.D.
• Connecticut—Training and Equipment for Improved School Nurse Screenings in Connecticut – Elizabeth McMunn, O.D., and Lynn Sedlak
• Florida – Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program: Expansion of State-Wide Educational Outreach – Sherrol A. Reynolds, O.D.
• Georgia – Children’s Vision First – Christie McGhee, O.D.
• Iowa – Student Vision Card – Jill Gonder
• Illinois – Eye Can Learn – Stephanie Johnson, O.D.
• Indiana – See to Read – L’erin L. Garner, O.D.
• Massachusetts – Eyes that Thrive in Preschool: Individual Action Plans for Vision Care – Catherine Johnson, O.D.
• Minnesota – Children’s Healthy Eyes – Beth Coleman
• Maryland – Maryland Vision Assessment Project – Elliott J. Klonsky, O.D., and Nina Nghi Doyle, O.D.
• North Dakota – Think About Your Eyes – Nancy Kopp
• Nebraska – Learn to See – Alissa Johnson
• New Jersey – Sight First for Kids Program – Lawrence Ragone, O.D.
• New Mexico – Taos Lions KidSight – Jane Compton, O.D., and Taos Lion Walter Allen
• New York – Children’s Sight: Learning Made Comfortable – Joan K. Portello, O.D., MPH
• Ohio – Eyes on Me –Pauline Bryant
• Tennessee – Head Start Vision Initiative – Zakiya Nicks, O.D.
• Texas – Eye Care for Kids – Heidi Suprun
• Washington – CONE – Kristi Kading, O.D.