Children's Vision Massachusetts Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE: 
 CHILDREN'S VISION MASSACHUSETTS 2016 SUMMIT

Vision and Learning: Making the Connection 
Registration information will be available soon

Eastern MA Event: October 20, 2016 7:30am-10am,  Boston Children's Museum
Speakers:
Jean Ramsey, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Boston University School of Medicine
Bonnie Strickland, PhD Retired as Dir. of the Division for Children with Special Healthcare Needs MCHB, HRSA
Marilyn Augustyn, MD  Associate Professor, Boston University School of Medicine, Medical Director, Reach Out and Read
Bruce Moore, OD Marcus Professor of Pediatric Studies, New England College of Optometry
Western MA Event: October 24, 2016 8-11am Whitney Conference Center, Holyoke, MA
Speakers:
Charlotte Boney, MD Chair Department of Pediatrics, Baystate Children's Hospital; Baystate Medical Center
Frank Robinson, PhD VP Baystate Community Relations & Public Health
Noni Lesaux, PhD Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Bruce Moore, OD Marcus Professor of Pediatric Studies, New England College of Optometry
Legislative Update
Members of the Children's Vision Massachusetts Coalition have completed a series of Legislative Visits at the State House with the purpose of informing legislators on the following topics:  (1) concerns about access to eye exams in some regions of the state for children under five years old who have Mass Health insurance (2) results of Vision in Preschoolers, Hyperopia in Preschoolers research which links status of a four year old's vision health with outcomes on educational tests of early literacy and (3) in the absence of state Performance Measures, need for data to evaluate the effectiveness of the MA school entry vision screening and follow up to care requirement for children entering kindergarten. A Legislative Briefing has been scheduled for the afternoon of June 7, 2016, State House Room 350.
Nominations for Children's Vision Award Sought
Prevent Blindness and the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health has issued a call for nominations for the 2015 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award.  This award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children's vision and eye health at the state or national level.  Nominations are due by June 17th.  Please contact Kira Baldonado , Director, National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health with questions.
New Links to Medicaid Coverage of 
Vision and Hearing Services
CMS and partner agencies have been working to improve guidance regarding Medicaid coverage of vision and hearing services for children.  CMS has now posted the webpages: 

The EPSDT page on Medicaid.gov has been updated to include links to the Vision and Hearing page.  The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness is included as a resource and the articles published by the National Expert Panel are listed as examples for providers to follow
Announcements
Prevent Blindness National Summit:
Prevent Blindness will host the fifth annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit on July 13, 2016, from 7:30am-3:00pm at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Nonprofit Excellence Awards:
The  Massachusetts Nonprofit Network  has selected the Children's Vision Massachusetts Coalition as a finalist for the 2016 Nonprofit Excellence Awards in the category of Collaboration. For further details contact Priscilla Kelangi.

Graduation:
Congratulations to Jack Huang, Prevent Blindness Volunteer, on his upcoming graduation from Harvard University.  Jack will be continuing his studies as a medical student at the University of Pennsylvania with plans for a career in ophthalmology.

Please Make a DONATION and Support Children's Vision Massachusetts
 
Children's Vision Massachusetts | (312) 363-6037 | pkelangi@preventblindness.org| http://childrensvision.preventblindness.org/
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