May 2022
Dear NEHEP Partners,

We’re excited to kick off another Healthy Vision Month with you! This year, our theme is Healthy Vision: A Family Focus. In this edition of the newsletter, you’ll find information about resources and events — in both English and Spanish — that can help inspire families to take charge of their eye health together.

We know that some families may face more barriers to accessing eye care. That’s why we’re focusing on these families and sharing resources that help bridge the gap in access by highlighting programs that help pay for eye care.

We also have an update on our Eye on the Future video contest. We will host the winners of the video contest on July 22 at the NIH campus in Bethesda. Winners will get lab tours, live demonstrations, and the opportunity to network with NIH scientists! If your organization would like to collaborate with us on this event, please contact Maria Zacharias at maria.zacharias@nih.gov.

Best,
Devina Kuo Fan, M.P.H.
Director, National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP)
National Eye Institute
Join us in May for Healthy Vision Month with these resources
Help us inspire families to team up and learn how to protect their vision together! We’ve made it easy to spread the word about Healthy Vision Month with social media graphics, sample social media posts and newsletter content, ready-to-share healthy vision resources, and more. These resources are also available in Spanish!
Help kids get back on track with vision screenings
Project SIGHT provides vision resources for underinsured or low-income households. Partnering with Project SIGHT, two Duke University medical students, Onyema Nwanaji-Enwerem and Dennis Akrobetu, created the Kids School-Eye-Exam (Kids SEE) initiative. This initiative provides low-cost vision screening for elementary school students in Durham, NC, to help make up for missed or delayed screenings during the pandemic. To learn more about the Kids SEE initiative, please contact Onyema Nwanaji-Enwerem at on18@duke.edu.
Advance equity in children's vision and eye health
Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health convened the Children’s Vision Equity Alliance (CVEA). CVEA brings together experts in various fields to create resources and programs to improve vision and eye health for all children. They advance equity through education, access, policies, and partnerships.
Tune in to the Healthy Moments radio broadcast
We’ve teamed up with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to share how healthy habits can help protect your vision for life. Tune in to Healthy Moments throughout the month of May as NEI Director Dr. Michael F. Chiang joins NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers’ broadcasts to share tips for keeping your eyes healthy.
Calendar of Events
Join our Facebook Live event
As part of Healthy Vision Month, we’re hosting a Facebook Live event featuring a conversation between doctors and parents/caregivers about how to take care of the whole family’s eye health through every stage of life. Tune in on May 27 at 12 p.m. ET to listen to the live discussion — and please promote the event to your networks!
Other Events and Resources
Resource: NEI has developed a Twitter list to make it easier for you to engage with other NEHEP partners and keep an eye on what’s happening in the eye health community. Give us a follow! 
Resource: Developed in collaboration with NEI, ReachMD’s new Continuing Medical Education initiative focuses on early referral, diagnosis, and treatment for diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
Resource: The Vision Health Initiative at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made significant progress in community glaucoma detection through the Screening and Intervention for Glaucoma and Eye Health through Telemedicine (SIGHT) study.
Resource: Research to Prevent Blindness (RPB) is accepting applications for research grants related to low vision, amblyopia, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and across all areas of cutting-edge vision research. RPB is also offering new grants for allopathic medical students working in ocular cancer and osteopathic medical students working in any field.    
June 8, 2022: The Glaucoma Foundation’s next webinar will focus on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) in ophthalmology. It will include an overview of the latest developments in the use of AI to automate and improve the management of glaucoma.
June 10 to 11, 2022: The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) is hosting a 2-day educational program in Florida called EYEXchange Florida. At this event, attendees can enhance their knowledge, earn up to 14 IJCAHPO continuing education credits, and network with their peers.
Resource: The National Keratoconus Foundation’s educational webpage explores pregnancy and keratoconus. Read about a keratoconus patient’s experience with pregnancy and insight from an optometrist.
Resource: The Society for Women’s Health Research recorded a webinar called 20/20 Foresight: Understanding Women’s Eye Health and Supporting Patient Needs. It features researchers and patients discussing women’s eye health — from living with eye disease to navigating care.
Resource: IJCAHPO is offering a free course titled Vision Care in a Changing Healthcare Environment. This course helps participants better understand the current landscape, potential trends, and anticipated future changes in health care — including the future integrated eye care team.
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