Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine joined the Columbus Crew at Kae Avenue Elementary in Whitehall on September 28 for a pep rally highlighting efforts to bring vision services directly into schools.
Every elementary school student in the Whitehall City School district received vision services through a combined effort between OhioSEE and the Columbus Crew, the governor's office said.
"I want to thank the Columbus Crew for their work to bring vision services to Kae Avenue Elementary," said Governor DeWine. "We know, though our OhioSEE model, that the only way to make sure kids get the vision care they need is to bring it directly to them at school. Thanks to the work of the Columbus Crew and other OhioSEE partners, every elementary student in this school district today will get vision care. And that's a huge win."
Vision to Learn, OhioSEE's optical partner, provided comprehensive eye exams and glasses fittings for second and third grade students at Beechwood and Etna Road elementary schools. The Columbus Crew has partnered with Kae Avenue Elementary for three years to provide vision screenings for kindergarten and first grade students, and this year Zenni Optical also provided comprehensive eye exams and glasses fittings.
OhioSEE currently serves 247 school districts in its 15-county pilot program area. The program, described as Governor DeWine's new children's eyesight initiative, brings comprehensive vision services directly to schools serving kindergarten through third grade students in 15 high-need counties. The Ohio Department of Health identified pilot counties where 80% of children flagged by a vision screening as needing additional care do not receive it.
In December, DeWine announced that part of Ohio's Rural Health Transformation Program Award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will expand OhioSEE beyond the pilot area to rural counties statewide. More information on the expansion will be announced in the near future.