Vision Clinic Provided 507 Cedar Rapids Community Members with Free Eye Exams and Glasses
Posted on July 2, 2024 in Foundation
On June 26-27, Delta Dental of Iowa and its Foundation in partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, Eastern Iowa Health Center and Prevent Blindness Iowa offered free comprehensive eye exams to 507 Cedar Rapids area adults and children, of which 438 were provided with free eye glasses.
This was the fourth year for the free vision clinic to be offered in Iowa and the second year held in in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Working with nearly 90 volunteers including local ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, and other skilled and general volunteers, the clinic addressed vision needs for adults and children. The clinic leveraged the OneSight clinic model and manufacturing process so many individuals needing eyeglasses were able to receive them the same day.
“We are proud to offer this vision clinic each year to increase awareness about the importance of vision health services and witness the positive impact on Iowans. These events are perfectly aligned with our mission of improving the health and lives of the people we serve,” said Suzanne Heckenlaible, executive director of Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. “It takes many hands to provide these free services, including those of our volunteers and partners. We are thankful for their support in providing this critical vision care to hundreds of individuals in the Cedar Rapids community.”
“The clinic’s impact was substantial. With the support of Delta Dental of Iowa, its Foundation, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, numerous community partners and volunteers, we were able to improve the lives of many in our community by giving them access to essential vision care,” said Joe Lock, president & CEO of Eastern Iowa Health Center. “Many of the patients seen were in high need of vision care services and the vision clinic was able to provide access to the care and glasses they needed from a compassionate team of vision professionals and volunteers in a comfortable and convenient way. For many of the patients, these services are life changing and will significantly improve their quality of life.”
According to OneSight, uncorrected vision concerns affect 2.7 billion people globally. Lack of access to vision care is comprised of three main gaps: lack of affordability, lack of awareness, and lack of physical access.
“We know that at least 771 million people or 90 percent have vision loss that can be prevented or treated using solutions that exist today,” said Dr. Chad Overman, director of vision benefits, DeltaVision. “Through the comprehensive vision exams completed at the Cedar Rapids clinic, we were able to identify people with eye diseases that require additional medical treatment and to fit children and adults with eyeglasses, in many cases for the first time.”
The vision clinic hosted in partnership with Eastern Iowa Health Center, Prevent Blindness Iowa, and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is an example of how Delta Dental is investing in local communities to improve lives through expanded access to dental, vision and overall health care.
For more information, visit deltadentalia.com/visionclinic.