Part of VSP’s Mobile Eyes Program includes portable lanes of ophthalmic equipment that we loan at no cost to VSP doctors and Schools of Optometry to support their community charitable events. For the second year in row, we worked with Dr. Gilbert Matsuoka, a VSP doctor who practices in the bay area town of Pleasant Hill, CA, by supporting his community outreach program in Oakland, CA in conjunction with over 100 volunteers from his church and in partnership with World Impact. World Impact offers many programs that strengthen, promote and help the community.
Dr. Matsuoka plans, organizes and executes an amazing four day event in Oakland. He pulls many volunteers from his church, and is supported with help from students at UC Berkeley College of Optometry, and many of the local optometrist. It is quite impressive to see what he accomplishes with all of these volunteers! The Mobile Eyes program set up six lanes of portable equipment to support his efforts and also provides all of the glasses for the patients. This year we broke all of the records with our program – in one day we saw 120 patients, we had our highest RX ever, a gentleman who is legally blind, and we have served our oldest patient – a 97 year old woman who seems to have more energy than I do!!
There were so many touching moments last week, we were thanked by each and everyone of the patients and they were are all so grateful for the services we provided. So many of them have commented on how kind and sweet each and every volunteer has been! They are amazed at the beautiful frames that they are able to select from (thank you Marchon for the donated frames!!).
We had a four year old little boy who was diagnosed Thursday with Glaucoma – pressures were extremely high and after a lengthy consultation with Dr. Matsuoka, the child’s parents understand the importance of getting him in to see a doctor through the local free clinic for follow up care.
Although we are tired, we are so energized with what VSP is doing for the Oakland community. Are you a VSP doctor who loves to give back to your community? If so, please visit www.vsp.com/community.
In the summer of 2001, Sacramento’s Juneteenth festival joined the ranks of other American cities to celebrate, as well as educate, the community on one of America’s most important acts of legislation, the Emancipation Proclamation. Signed into law in 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all those enslaved were now free.
As a company committed to the community as well as to inclusion and diversity, we are proud to support the Juneteenth Festival and look forward to providing much needed services to those in need.
Yesterday morning, VSP Mobile Clinic Operations Manager Niki M. and Sacramento Juneteenth Festival founder, Gary Simon, discussed VSP’s support of the Festival with KCRA’s Adrianne Bankert.
On June 8th and 9th, the VSP Mobile Eyes programpartnered with Dr. Laura Kenyon, O.D., president of the West Michigan Optometric Association (WMOA), and Chris Buczek from the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) Hearing and Vision Screening program, to provide close to 100 children and families with free comprehensive eye examinations and eyewear.
Eight local VSP optometrists from the WMOA volunteered their time and services during the two day event. During the 2009-10 school year, KCHD vision technicians screened more than 46,000 children, and referred more than 6,500 of those children for complete eye exams. Many of those children did not have the resources to receive that follow up care, that’s where Dr. Kenyon and VSP came in.
Dr. Laura Kenyon, president of the West Michigan Optometric Association
“Our member doctors are more than willing to volunteer and give eye examinations to those who may not otherwise receive care,” said Dr. Kenyon. “We are excited to have the VSP mobile eye clinic traveling to Grand Rapids to support both our doctors and the members of our community most in need.”
Here is an article and radio clip that were published yesterday regarding the event.
VSP would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Kenyon, all of our VSP doctors who volunteered, and Chris Buczek from the KCHD who helped to make this event a huge success!
Jill N. is a member of the VSP Global Public Relations team.
In February we asked our VSP doctors to submit names for the new VSP/Transitions mobile clinic. Thanks to the great response from our providers, we received over 600 names, and selected five for the general public to vote on: Eyenstein, LuSee, SeeAna, SeeBert and SeeCil. After a two week voting period, Eyenstein received the top number of votes and has become the official name for the third mobile clinic in the VSP Mobile Eyes® fleet!
Amanda S. from Dr. Churchill’s practice, Cedarville Eye, in MA, submitted the winning name: “I had originally come up with several other names, and while I was submitting them, the name ‘Eyenstein’ just popped in my head. The play on the name made me laugh a little, so I submitted it. I thought it was clever because as an opticianry apprentice, I know that healthy vision is smart!”
Jill N. is a member of the VSP Global Public Relations team.
Recently VSP announced the launch of VSP Eye on Diabetes, a five state campaign created in response to the increasing spread of diabetes across the U.S. A lot of people (did you know?) are unaware that diabetes can be detected through an annual eye exam, sometimes as much as five years earlier than through a Fasting Blood Glucose (Blood Sugar) test!
It’s been found that 61% of Americans with vision coverage go in for their annual eye exams vs. just 21% who get an annual physical! This provides an opportunity for optometrists to be the first to detect a variety of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, in a patient. With new information pertaining to diabetes continuing to be introduced, it is important to realize that your VSP private practice eye doctor is being provided the most recent information available pertaining to diabetes and eyecare and is a key component to a patients diabetes-care team. You can find more information at the VSP Diabetes Discovery Center.
Check out the video of the day of outreach in Little Rock, narrated by the Mayor of Little Rock, Mark Stodola.
Erik G. is a VSP Regional Sales Manager in Tennessee who shares his recent experience as a volunteer during an event with the VSP Mobile Eyes program.
Erik G. taking a pupil distance (PD) measurement of a patient.
The mobile clinic event I had the chance to be a part of recently with Oakland High School in Tennessee was tremendous. Every time I participate in mobile clinic outreach I am constantly amazed at how deserving and appreciative the children are. With this event, 90% of the students we saw on the clinic need glasses. In fact, it was amazing that some of them have been able to learn up until now without having any vision correction!
Dr. Amanda Berry did an amazing job. She donated her time and built a rapport with the kids that was wonderful to witness. I look forward to hopping on the mobile clinic again soon!
Two students rocking their "hi-tech" shades after having their eyes dilated.
The month of April marks the 42nd anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The vision of Dr. King is one that resonates with us here at VSP in that he dedicated his life to the idea that America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents and global relationships. As a company committed to inclusion, diversity and respect for all individuals, Dr. King continues to be an inspiration in what drives our continued success and furthers our corporate citizenship through our charitable outreach programs.
After many years of fundraising to create a National Memorial commemorating his life and work, the memorial is only 10% away from reaching its goal. This memorial will honor his life and contributions to the world through non-violent social change.
Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
The title of the event alone provides insight into why VSP Vision Care is aligned to the esteemed Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) located in Atlanta, Georgia. The dinner, emceed by CNN Weekend Anchor, T.J. Holmes, was the third annual for the Hugh M. Gloster Society and VSP is proud to be a supporter of the Gloster Society since it was established in 2007.
Founded originally as a part of Morehouse College in 1975, MSM became an independently charted institution in 1981 and was the first medical school established at a Historically Black College and University in the 20th century. MSM is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians. Notable MSM trustees and alumni include former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, and current U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin, who appointed Dr. David Rutstein, another MSM alumnus, as Acting Deputy Surgeon General.
MSM is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of individuals and communities; increasing the diversity of the health professional and scientific workforce; and addressing the primary health-care needs through programs in education, research, and service, with emphasis on people of color and the underserved urban and rural populations in Georgia and the nation.
With VSP’s mission aligning so closely it makes for exciting opportunities for the two organizations to compliment and support each other in their commitment to increasing Americans’ access to quality eyecare and health education through raising public awareness that preventative care, knowledge and thorough care are keys to staying healthier.
With this clinic comes a new name – that’s where you come in!
Starting today through March 31st, we’d like you to vote for your favorite name for the new clinic. You can vote up to twice – just go to the VSP Vision Care and Transitions Lenses fan pages on Facebook, vote and have the chance to an HD Flip Camera and more!
Thank you for participating and good luck!
Tell us which name you think fits best!
The new clinic at the Transitions PGA Championship for Healthy Sight!
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Patient Jacqueline B. before new glasses
Patient Jacqueline B. after new glasses
The month of April marks the 42nd anniversary of the death of 
