Staying home and social distancing are among the top safety precautions many of us continue to take as we ride out the pandemic. While staying home was necessary, it also forced many people to postpone initiatives essential to their health and wellness, particularly preventative care visits to their doctors. This is even more prevalent in underserved communities.
To assist those in need in these communities, ONESIGHT recently teamed up with the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to provide free eye exams and glasses to children and adults throughout its Cincinnati hometown. For a three week period, free vision care was provided to 606 individuals at five locations across the Greater Cincinnati area. Out of the patients seen, 93 percent needed glasses. Funded by a charitable grant from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, the clinics helped address the unresolved vision care needs for those who lacked access in the Cincinnati area.
“The ability to see clearly is essential and when students get the glasses they need, it can help them learn up to twice as much. When not diagnosed and corrected with lenses, vision problems can lead to eye fatigue, discomfort and headaches, and in children, it can also lead to developmental delays, eye-hand coordination problems, and their literacy skills may lag,” says Barry Malinowski, M.D., medical director for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio. “Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Foundation are committed to improving the health and wellness of communities across the country, and that’s why this partnership with OneSight was so important to us because it allowed us to provide quality vision care and eyewear to those who need it most.”
The initiative included a mobile state-of-the-art van equipped with a vision center and optical lab, and a stationary vision clinic. With OneSight’s proven clinic model and manufacturing capabilities, most participants in need of glasses were able to receive their newly prescribed eyewear on site.
“Clear vision unleashes potential—improving long-term educational, professional and social prospects,” says K-T Overbey, president and executive director at OneSight. “Thanks to our generous partner, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, we were able to make a tremendous impact in Cincinnati. Enabling access to vision correction improves quality of life, especially for individuals in need.” OneSight partnered locally with UpSpring, Su Casa, The Care Center, Northstar Community, Urban League, City Gospel Mission, Cincin-nati Union Bethel and Strategies to End Homelessness.
According to a study conducted by OneSight and Deloitte, there are more than one billion people globally who need glasses, but don’t have access to get them. With OneSight’s continued commitment to bringing accessible vision care to those in need locally and globally, clear vision and new opportunities are one step closer. To learn more about OneSight and its mission, visit onesight.org.
–Christine Yeh
