Children's Eye Foundation
Elizabeth Bassett
The Children’s Eye Foundation, dedicated to the prevention, treatment, research and public awareness of children’s eye diseases and disorders, is launching a national vision screening program in Fort Worth.
The program, called See by Three, is expected to screen about 26,000 children for diseases like strabismus and amblyopia and more than 300 medical professionals throughout Tarrant County will be trained to effectively screen for vision and eye disorders.
The Children’s Eye Foundation implemented the See by Three program in West Virginia and Florida a few years ago, and the program has long-term benefits in communities where it is implemented, said Dr. Denise Chamblee, the foundation’s vice president, in a release.
“Long after the program has formally ended, the trained medical professionals will continue to screen children and save their sight,” she said.
Through the See by Three program, children are screened by medical professionals in pediatricians’ offices or health clinics, places where children already have an established medical home. By training these professionals to screen for disorders that contribute to preventable blindness in children and referring children who need help to the right specialists, the program is intended to enlist a coalition of medical professionals and community partners to support healthy vision.
Alcon is partnering with the Children’s Eye Foundation, which is the official foundation of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, to support the program.
“Many parents are unaware that their children are visually impaired,” said Sara Woodward, Alcon’s director of humanitarian and community services, in the release. “Alcon is pleased to be able to support See by Three, especially in our local Tarrant County community.”
Thomas Rogers, Children’s Eye Foundation executive director, said the campaign could have a real community benefit in terms of health and productivity.
“Vision disorders such as amblyopia reduce a person’s lifetime productivity by about $141,000,” he said in the release. “By detecting and treating vision disorders in children, See by Three will serve as an economic engine for the Fort Worth community.”
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