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WE GOT SPOT; NOW WHAT? District 2-X1 Lions, meet LIONS KIDSIGHT USA
Several years back, LCI surveyed Lions throughout the United States asking if a single unifying service project was wanted and if so, what should it be. The answers came back with a roar; YES, with most responders wanting a project having to do with what Lions are best known for and that is Vision Care. Out of this survey, Lions Kidsight USA was born making use of the binocular vision screening devices technology. The program was developed by PID Dr. Ed Cordes, recently retired OD (Doctor of Optometry) from Corning, New York and launched in October of 2014. Now it is estimated that Lions Clubs across the USA are providing vision screenings for 2 million children per year and that number is growing. The mission of Kidsight USA is “to ensure that all kids from 6 months to 6 years of age receive eye screening and follow-up care to detect risk factors of amblyopia”.
The district now has five Welch Allyn Spot screening devices available so that each club in the district can take part in Lions Kidsight USA and protect the vision of children. The screeners can be used in other ways, but this article will focus on the Lions Kidsight program. So, where to begin?
Training! To reserve a Spot Screener, you must have at least one person that has successfully completed the Spot Certification Training that will operate the device. We have completed three district wide trainings so far and will be scheduling more in the future.
In addition to the 2-hour Spot Certification Training, we are urging clubs to have at least one member take the Vision Screeners training, a 6 to 8 hour training from the Texas Department of State Health Services. This certification is required to do any screenings in Texas schools. Individuals can register for this training free of charge by contacting
Sheron Fountain:
Texas Department of State Health Services 1301 South Bowen Road, Suite 200 Arlington, TX 76013
PH: 817-264-4916
E-mail: sheron.fountain@dshs.state.tx.us.
Lions T.J. Johnson and Gloria Mathur presented the Kidsight program at Mid-winter in a breakout session; this included ideas and information on “how to” put on a screening event. If you missed the Mid-Winter presentation, I suggest that you visit Lions KidSight website (www.lionskidsightusa.org) and discover the resources they have available to help you get started. If you want additional support, contact me and our team will do all that we can to guide you through your first event start to finish.
Once you have contacted your daycare center/nursery school, or community event organizers and arranged to do a screening you will need to reserve one of the Spot Screeners. The SPOT Screeners will be boarded by selected Lions geographically spread around the district and can be reserved by contacting the reservation coordinator; PDG Kathleen Tyre at 2x1irishkate@gmail.com.
Location areas will be Plano, Grand Prairie, Red Oak, Coppell, and Royse City.
The Spot devices will be made available in 3 day windows allowing time to pick up device, hold screening/s and return device to designated coordinator. The maintenance/use charge will be $25.00 for each such usage window. NOTE: clubs who have donated toward the purchase of the Spot screeners will have credit in the amount of their donation. The maintenance/use charge will be deducted from that credit until depleted.
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VOLUME 27 ISSUE 12 / JUNE 2017 PAGE 20