Mission for Vision, and Dr. Erica
Shelton, The Ohio State University
College of Optometry, named as recipients of national
Prevent Blindness awards
CHICAGO, April 29,
2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Prevent Blindness, the
nation's leading eye health and safety organization, has announced
the recipient of the 2024 Jenny
Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health as
Mission for Vision (MFV). Erica
Shelton, OD, MS, FAAO, Clinical Instructor and PhD
Candidate, The Ohio State University College
of Optometry, has been named as the recipient of the fifth
annual "Rising Visionary Award." Both award recipients will present
at the 13th Annual Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Summit, to
be held as a virtual interactive event on July 10-11, 2024.
"Prevent Blindness congratulates Mission
for Vision and Dr. Erica Shelton as
recipients of two of our most prestigious awards," said
Jeff Todd, president and CEO of
Prevent Blindness.
These award recipients were chosen by a volunteer selection
committee, consisting of leading professionals in ophthalmology,
optometry, advocacy, public health, and scientific communities.
The Jenny Pomeroy Award for
Excellence in Vision and Public Health is presented annually to an
individual, group, or organization that has made significant
lifetime contributions to the advancement of public health related
to vision and eye health at the community, state, national and/or
international level. The award serves as a living memorial to
Jenny Pomeroy, who served as the CEO
of Prevent Blindness Georgia from 1996 until 2013 and was a
tireless champion of public health and vision advocacy.
Founded in the year 2000, Mission for Vision seeks to restore
the gift of vision to every visually impaired human being,
irrespective of nationality, religion or socio-economic status. To
date, MFV has positively impacted the lives of more than 19.7
million people in India, including
the enablement of more than 3 million eye surgeries. MFV works in
24 Indian states and union territories with leading eye health
partners.
Additionally, MFV has helped:
- Establish and strengthen 24 Secondary/Tertiary Eye Hospitals,
ranking among the top in India,
providing a model of sustainable social enterprises.
- Train more than 700 Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP)
particularly socio-economically challenged young rural women, each
capable of serving at least 1,500 patients annually, enabling
empowerment, augmenting service delivery and livelihoods.
- Establish 153 Vision Centers, including 5 mobile units, to
enable primary eye care in remote geographies serving more than 7.3
million people and working towards achieving self-sustenance in
around 3 years.
- Provide eye health services to over 830,000 children, including
for complex conditions such as Retinopathy of Prematurity and
Retinoblastoma.
- Generate valuable evidence on public eye health.
"Sight is the most central of our senses. We are delighted and
humbled that Mission for Vision's endeavors towards a better life
for communities through good eye health has been appreciated and
acknowledged through an award established to commemorate the
exceptional vision of the distinguished Jenny Pomeroy," said Jagdish Chanrai, Founder of
MFV. "It is an immense honor for us, and it underscores our vision
and steadfast commitment towards the eradication of needless
blindness and visual impairment."
Elizabeth Kurian, MFV's Chief
Executive Officer added, "We reiterate our deep appreciation to our
partners and team for their unwavering commitment and exceptional
contribution to our common mission, and express our gratitude to
our communities for the opportunity to serve them. We gratefully
accept this award on our collective behalf and commit to further
advancing public eye health."
The Prevent Blindness Rising Visionary Award recognizes a
current student, intern, or resident located in the United States in optometry, ophthalmology,
primary health care, nursing, psychology, or another health-related
field, who submits the best essay based on the 2024 Focus on Eye
Health Summit theme, "Being Seen and Heard."
Dr. Shelton's essay emphasized the significant successes in
supporting strong school-based vision programs (SBVP). According to
Considerations in Building a School-Based Vision Program, Ambrosino
et al, "School-based vision programs (SBVPs) serve as one approach
to advancing health equity. Operating at the intersection of
schools and healthcare, SBVPs can increase access to pediatric
vision services, improve academic performance, and facilitate
referrals to community vision care providers."
Dr. Shelton's essay expands this definition, noting that
providing accessible vision care to the pediatric population
provides opportunities to improve vision health literacy in
families and help build a culture that appreciates the importance
of vision care across all ages. This can be achieved by replicating
proven SBVP programs and expanding them across all communities.
"I would like to thank Prevent Blindness for this recognition. I
would like to thank my mentors and colleagues at The Ohio
State University College of Optometry
for their continued support in my work over the years, including
providing externship opportunities at school-based vision
programs," said Dr. Shelton. "My externship experience at the Oyler
School Vision Clinic in Cincinnati,
Ohio introduced me to the importance and value of
school-based vision programs. A special thanks to my PhD advisor
Dean VanNasdale, OD, PhD and my
mentor John Crews, DPA. I look
forward to discussing more about my essay at the summit this
July."
"Prevent Blindness congratulates Mission for Vision and Dr.
Erica Shelton as recipients of two
of our most prestigious awards," said Jeff
Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. "We share
their passion for helping adults and children live to their fullest
potential in life through vision and eye health awareness,
education, and assisting in access to eyecare for all."
For more information on the Prevent Blindness Jenny Pomeroy
Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health and the Rising
Visionary Award, please visit PreventBlindness.org. For information
on the 2024 Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Summit, please
visit PreventBlindness.org/eyesummit, or contact
EyeSummit@PreventBlindness.org.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading
volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting
blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of
vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of
people each year through public and professional education,
advocacy, certified vision screening and training, community and
patient service programs and research. These services are made
possible through the generous support of the American public.
Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is
committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more
information, visit us at PreventBlindness.org, and follow us on
Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Media Contact
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness,
312.363.6035, shecker@preventblindness.org, Prevent Blindness
Twitter
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SOURCE Prevent Blindness