Vision integration: A coordinated approach for promoting healthy vision in our communities (Part 1)

(Note: This abstract has been submitted twice. Part 1 will provide an overview.)

Blindness and vision impairment represent a significant health and economic burden to individuals and society. Evidence shows there is an association between vision loss and some modifiable risk factors and preventable chronic diseases such as smoking, ultraviolet light exposure, avoidable trauma, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and diabetes, as well as racial and ethnic background, age and gender. In an effort to bring awareness to these associations, Prevent Blindness America, through funding from Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, funds projects to integrate and coordinate vision and eye health preservation messages, activities and strategies into existing programs and functions within health departments and promote public health strategies among community organizations and vision partners.

One project is the Vision Health Integration and Preservation Program (VHIPP), a public-private partnership between the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and Prevent Blindness Tri-State. VHIPP's aim is to engage NYSDOH programs and community partners to deliver vision and eye health messages and information through their existing initiatives to populations most at risk for vision impairment by leveraging use of available resources and enhancing programmatic coordination and synergy.

VHIPP has formed a collaborative of dedicated public and private stakeholders to address vision and eye health issues statewide. The New York State Vision and Eye Health Collaborative is charged with developing and implementing a strategic Vision Integration Plan for the State of New York with the goal of working together toward vision preservation.