Funding Announcement: 2011 BRFSS Survey Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) would like to announce an opportunity for states to receive funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The BRFSS is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. The first optional vision module was introduced in 2005. The Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module contains nine questions to assess prevalence of self-reported visual impairment, eye disease, eye injury, access to eye care, lack of eye care insurance, and eye examination among individuals aged 40 years and older.

Through generous support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PBA and NACDD will fund between 8-10 states to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS. Pending the availability of additional funding, more states may be able to receive funds to implement this module. We encourage all states to apply and take advantage of this important tool for measuring and managing your state’s vision and eye health.

Instructions to apply for funding to implement the Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in the 2011 BRFSS:

Funding Request: Please provide a funding request for the cost of implementing the vision impairment and access to eye care model. Include a budget narrative outlining the associated costs and expenses. Funding amounts will vary between individual states. Please limit your budget and budget narrative to one page.

Narrative: Please provide a brief statement describing how measuring the state-level vision and eye disease burden will allow for the development and dissemination of targeted public health strategies to address these and associated issues. Please limit your narrative to no more than one double-spaced page with one inch margins and 12 point font.

Due Date: 5pm EST Friday, July 9th, 2010

Submission: Please email your application to Nita Patel, Director of Public Health at Prevent Blindness America, at npatel@preventblindness.org

Announcements: Funding announcements will be made in August 2010.

PBA and NACDD look forward to your state’s interest in the improvement of vision and eye health surveillance at state and local levels by including the optional Vision Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module in your 2011 BRFSS survey.

Download the BRFSS Funding announcement flyer.

Don’t Fry Day: Why Sun Exposure Concerns Everyone

“Sun exposure and African Americans?” – Well, I can say that as a young African American, it wasn’t perceived as an issue. Sure we spent countless hours outdoors – doing the things that Americans do in the summer: picnics, beach trips, playing baseball, etc. I heard about skin cancer and the perils of tanning. But we didn’t set out to the beach to tan; we went to enjoy the surf and the family time.

It wasn’t until I started working for the Stratospheric Protection Division at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that I learned a few other reasons to wear hats and sunglasses. Because the ozone layer is not expected to recover until about 2065, more ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is able to get through the ozone layer. UV radiation is a carcinogen just like tobacco smoke and asbestos, and it’s a primary risk factor for skin cancer and cataracts.

Read More HERE

CDC Report: Smoking Kills over 440,000 Each Year

This week's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality report states that 443,000 U.S. residents die from cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke exposure each year. The report states that smoking costs the United States $96 billion in medical costs annually. A copy of the CDC report can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5916a3.htm

Smoking increases an individual's risk for eye disease, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. AMD affects the back of the eye and can cause central vision to become blurry or wavy and cause a blind spot in the center of a person's vision. Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood vessels of the retina. It is linked with diabetes, and anyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, blocking or changing the way light passes through the eye.

Prevent Blindness America provides detailed information on these eye diseases on our website, including risk factors and what you can do to prevent these diseases and protect your eyesight. For more information on eye disease, go to: http://www.preventblindness.org/eye_problems/

Many states have taken action to ban and restrict smoking as it relates to public health. To find your state's smoking laws, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States

President Obama Signs Final Elements of Health Care Reform

Today, President Obama signed the final elements of health care reform into law. This historic legislation included a number of important provisions that impact vision and eye health. "This is truly an historic day," said Hugh Parry, Prevent Blindness America’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "Prevent Blindness America is pleased that the hard work of Senator Kay Hagan and our advocates at Prevent Blindness North Carolina resulted in the addition of vision health care services to those provided in the school-based health clinics program. This is a significant victory for the vision and eye health for our nation’s students and remains unchanged with the submitted amendment.”

Senator Hagan’s amendment combined with the amendment of Senator Bernie Sanders that vision is an an essential health benefit within pediatric services works to bridge the gap in vision and eye health services for children across the county. Prevent Blindness America stands ready to promote and encourage children and their families to access important vision and eye health services.

During this discussion of health care reform Prevent Blindness America has focused on the critical importance of integrating vision and eye health into the core of health care system. It is heartening that the health reform law provides children the essential vision and eye care services whether it be in school or in their communities. We now urge Congress to appropriate funds to support the important work of expanding vision and eye health services to all adult and children in the US.

Thanks to everyone who shared your stories and encouraged Congress to ensure health care reform included vision and eye health services.

Andrea Densham