Students In Need of Eyecare (SINE) Project
While the Michigan Department of Health provides in-school eye screening for all students every other year, that screening is not the same as a full eye exam. A student may be struggling to see in school even though they have passed an eye screening. The Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University partnered with the Fremont Lions Club to provide an eye care program for students in the Fremont and Hesperia Public Schools. The program, Students In Need of Eyecare or SINE, is made possible through a unique partnership with the City of Fremont with their agreeing to act as the fiduciary agent. This made the program eligible for a grant from the Fremont Area Community Foundation.
With a grant of $22,000 the program is designed to service 60 participants. Students were referred to the SINE program by a teacher, administrator, support staff or parent/guardian. Since more students were referred than the program could handle, a selection process based on access to and history of previous eye care and the severity of potential eye problems occurred. The need was so great that 14 additional students were selected with the university agreeing to absorb the cost of the extra exams. Every two years since 2015, during regular school hours, students from Fremont, Hesperia, White Cloud and Newaygo Public Schools are transported to the Michigan Scholl of Optometry at Ferris State University for a comprehensive eye exam and a tour of the university. Parents are encouraged to attend along with their student.
Students receive a full eye exam conducted by third and fourth year clinical interns with supervision and validation from pediatric and primary care faculty. The students are checked for many refractive, binocular vision, tracking and eye health problems. Students are tested for color blindness. A dilated exam is performed to assess eye health and to rule out excessive farsightedness. Students found to be in need of eyeglasses are given prescription glasses. These services are provided by the university at reduced costs and paid for through the grant. There is no cost to the family.
The parent/guardians of each of the students aree given a report detailing what the clinic found. Of the students examined, For those found to need eyeglasses, the College of Optometry manufacturs the lenses and fit them to the frames chosen by each individual student. The glasses are delivered and fitted to the students at their home school. This is truly a day of joy and celebration with excited students seeing the world in a new way.
None of this is possible without the involvement of many people: Mayor James Rynberg and Manager Todd Blake of the City of Fremont, grant writers Lions John Korstange, Don Farmer, Pete Slovinski and Steve Adsmond, Dr. Sarah Hinkley, O.D. and the faculty of the Michigan School of Optometry, Mr. Mark Petz and Ms Liz Mansfield of the Fremont Area Community Foundation and the many Fremont Lions that participated in the actual event.
