A Vision for Tomorrow: Reducing Academic Barriers through Disease Prevention and Management

I currently serve as a Vision Promoter in the south side of Chicago for the clinic of the Illinois Eye Institute at Princeton Elementary. One of the overarching goals of the Princeton vision clinic is to reduce academic barriers for Chicago Public School students by diagnosing and managing vision conditions that may otherwise go undetected. As a Vision Promoter, I keep track of students who are referred back to the clinic for follow up care, try to make sure they keep their appointments and get the services they need. My service thus far has taught me how valuable a proactive community health network can be to the communities it serves. In order to achieve optimal healthcare outcomes for the students my clinic treats, we emphasize a long-term approach to managing each child's vision.
         The Princeton vision clinic works with underserved populations throughout Chicago. Our clinic provides low cost or free services and we never turn away a patient due to economic hardship. The high cost of medical services is a common reason why parents may not be able to get their children the adequate vision care they need. Consequently, many kids don't receive eye exams until their vision progresses to the point where they have issues doing work in the classroom and at home. At my clinic, we aim to get involved before eye conditions become detrimental.
         Princeton tries to be in the business of healthcare rather than'sick-care". We coordinate with dozens of CPS schools to bring students in for comprehensive eye exams whether or not the student already has an identifiable vision problem. By emphasizing prevention, we hope to eliminate or reduce vision related barriers that often drive students off a path to academic success. For kids who have reached the point where they have developed a more serious eye condition, Princeton prioritizes long-term disease management after initial treatment.
         One of the primary objectives of my service position is to focus on the management aspect of our patients' healthcare. I contact parents and help them arrange follow up appointments. This aspect of my service has been much more of a challenge than I initially expected. It can be difficult to get parents to keep appointments. Many of our families face a litany of challenges in their daily lives, so it can be very hard to find a time for a parent to bring in their child for a follow up exam. Sometimes I have to reach out a child's school multiple times before I can get a teacher or counselor to follow up and ensure a child is taken back to the doctor. It's always extremely rewarding when it works out.  I try my best to not to let any student slip through the cracks, so my service can at times be emotionally challenging. However, I stay optimistic and take pride even in seemingly small successes.  
         At Princeton we try to improve the overall well being of the Chicago youth community by being a source for vision services that families can solicit from the time their children are toddlers all the way through high school. I hope that my Chicago Health Corps service will help provide more opportunity to the kids of this great city.

This blog was written by Michael Brodsky

Michael serves as a Vision Promoter at Illinois Eye Insitute at CPS Princeton School