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Archive for 2009
Score another win for stem cells
Posted on December 29th, 2009 by Vernon D.Help Save Your Eyes
Posted on December 28th, 2009 by Sara B.
Did you know that carrots are not the only vegetable that can protect your eyes? Dr. Jennifer Ashton recently discussed some other eye-healthy foods on, “The Early Show.” According to Dr. Ashton, lutein and zeaxanthin are the most beneficial cartenoids for eye health. In fact, there are foods that are good for our eyes and taste delicious, too, that most of us are not even aware of. Below is a list of some of these foods, which promote eye health.
- Spinach
- Kale
- Peas
- Zucchini
- Broccoli
- Other leafy greens
- Orange peppers
- Corn
- Oranges
- Honeydew melon
- Egg yolks
Why is it so important to protect our eyes, you may ask? Dr. Ashton states it in simple logic:
“The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.” Read more »
Happy Holidays!
Posted on December 23rd, 2009 by Liz B.The VSP Blog will be on hiatus until Monday, December 28. Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!!!
A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way
Posted on December 23rd, 2009 by Sara B.
Sara B. is a member of VSP's Finance Team.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past … we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our attitudes.”
I still remember it like it was yesterday. I had just started my career at VSP last year and was going through some of my mail in the morning, when I saw my name neatly written on the front of an interoffice envelope. As I opened it, I noticed a sales office had forwarded me a client’s payment. Attached to the payment was a small note that read,
“Hi Sara – this appears to be for one of your clients; it was sent to us, in error. I look forward to working with you. Have a great day! –Des.”
The note was attached to the client’s payment with a metallic blue paperclip. Two things immediately stood out. One, the small, thoughtful note, which spoke volumes about Des’s character and two, the brightly colored paperclip. Reading that note instantly brought a smile to my face. Des’s note reminded me that a little kindness really does go a long way. Good behavior is like a chain reaction; equally, so is bad behavior. Read more »
What is Colorblindness?
Posted on December 22nd, 2009 by Liz B.
Dr. Joel Kestenbaum is a VSP provider in Long Island, NY
Dr. Kestenbaum is back! Today his guest blog discusses colorblindness …
Color blindness is also known as color vision deficiency. It is a condition in which certain colors cannot be differentiated. It is most commonly an inherited condition, transmitted by the “X” chromosome. About 99 percent of color deficient individuals are red/green colorblind. These people have a hard time distinguishing different hues of reds and greens. About 8% of males and half of 1% of females are red/green colorblind.
Blue/yellow color deficiency is rarely inherited and as far as I am aware, there is no commonly available test for it. Total color blindness, or seeing only shades of gray, is an extremely rare condition.
There is no treatment for color blindness but it can be very frustrating for people affected by it. Think about all things that we do in life that require good color vision: Coordinating your clothes, determining if a traffic light is red, yellow or green (especially in states whose lights are horizontal), coloring with crayons, technical wiring for electricians, telling rare from well-done with meats, seeing if a piece of litmus paper turns red or blue. Commercial pilots must have normal color vision for their job.
Can you see the 2?
Certain diseases can also cause color deficiencies, either temporary or permanent. Cataracts cloud vision and filter light away from the retina. When cataracts are surgically removed, most people will see rejuvenated colors. Macular degeneration causes, in most cases, permanent color vision changes. Diseases like Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease or any diseases that cause optic neuritis (an inflammation of the optic nerve), can cause colors to appear paler.
The good news is that colorblindness is not deadly. Eight to ten percent of us live with it every day and learn to compensate for this minor disability. You can search many websites including here, here, and here for more information on color deficiency.
Happy Holidays to all.
Dr. Joel Kestenbaum
www.optixeyecare.com
VSP Vision Care Honored as Regional Business of the Year
Posted on December 17th, 2009 by Jill NToday, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) recognized VSP‘s efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and protect the environmental health of our region. VSP received the SACOG Salutes! Business of the Year award for our work towards CO2 reductions through alternative mode transportation, and use of eco-friendly materials and operations.
Carlos O., Steve H., and Ana C. of VSP's Corporate Services team, pose with Rancho Cordova City Councilmember Linda Budge (right center).
One of VSP’s corporate values is to support the community and environment we live in. We envision a campus that is environmentally responsible, healthy and prosperous, improving the quality of life of not only our employees, but also our community.
Our platinum LEED-EB certification in 2008 was a significant culmination of our efforts, and while it marks a milestone in VSP’s ongoing efforts to become a model of energy and resource efficiency, it has been just the starting point for us. We’re working towards LEED certification for our entire headquarter campus and are actively working on additional initiatives to further lower our carbon footprint. Carlos O. and Ana C. joined our Corporate Services Director, Steve H., representing VSP as key members of a dedicated team that runs our Environmental Sustainability Program.
VSP’s goal is to continue to lead the way for other companies to implement sustainable business practices and being recognized by an organization such as SACOG is a great asset in working towards that goal.
Take a look as Steve accepts this prestigious award!
The monocle is back. Really?
Posted on December 17th, 2009 by Jessica G.
Dashing fashion statement? Half a pair of glasses? Or both?
Needless to say, I didn’t see this trend coming.
According to an article on Telegraph.co.uk, monocles are making a come-back. Our intrepid blogger, Vernon D., documented the birth of the monocle in the 18th century, but I never anticipated that 300 years later this one-lensed eyepiece would be a hit on the high streets of London yet again.
Read the article, and tell me… are you investing in a monocle for 2010?
Studies show nearsightedness is rising as America’s vision gets blurrier
Posted on December 16th, 2009 by Liz B.Appearing this morning on Good Morning America, a new study shows that nearsightedness is up 66 percent since the 1970s.
Bionic Eye – Testing Phase with Video!
Posted on December 16th, 2009 by Vernon D.Looks like someone (me) has an addition to a previous post about the bionic eye… CNN created a video package about this new technology, complete with an interview with test patient Barbara Campbell, 56. Take the video for a spin and see the promising results for yourself.
Via CNN
National Marrow Donor Program finds a match at VSP!
Posted on December 15th, 2009 by Liz B.
Paula P. is a member of VSP's Sales team.
Today we have a guest blog post from Paula P., a VSP Regional Sales Operations Manager, sharing her incredible story of being a match in the National Marrow Donor Program.
I participated in my second Red Cross blood drive at my daughter’s high school in May 2009. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) was recruiting new members, so I joined, thinking it would be pretty awesome to help save a life. It was a simple process of swabbing my mouth and sealing the cells in a protective envelope. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing is used to match patients and donors. HLA proteins are found in most cells in your body.
Three months later, I was contacted as being a possible match and was asked to have blood drawn for further testing. One week later, I was notified that I was a match for a 42-year-old male with leukemia. That was amazing news. I was excited, but didn’t really know what to expect at that point.
The NMDP sent me information so that I could learn more about the program and make an informed decision whether to donate my bone marrow—a quart or so—which would be drawn from both hip bones. After an extensive health screening, my procedure was scheduled for October 27 at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, CA. Read more »
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