June 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Cataract Awareness Month

ISPB and Prevent Blindness Illinois (PBIL) have declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to provide patients and professionals with free educational resources on cataract, a clouding of the eye’s lens. According to the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC), cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Additionally, an estimated 20.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataract in one or both eyes.

ISPB and PBIL offer a variety of free informational resources in English and Spanish including fact sheets, social media graphics, and a listing of vision care financial assistance programs. The group also offers a dedicated web resource at PREVENTBLINDNESS.ORG/CATARACT, and the “UNDERSTANDING CATARACT” episode in the “Focus on Eye Health Expert Series,” featuring Albert Cheung, MD, Cataract, Cornea, Anterior Segment Specialist with Virginia Eye Consultants and Assistant Professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology.

For more information visit HERE

Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award

Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award may be an individual or group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family/caregiver and community leaders, public health, healthcare, education, etc., who are implementing changes to improve children’s vision in the United States and reduce disparities in children’s vision and eye health. Nominations are being sought of individuals or groups who seek out new and innovative solutions to barriers to healthy vision in children and have successfully implemented solutions that are replicable and sustainable.

The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2024.

For more information, visit HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

July 9, 2024
1:30pm – Carillon Clubhouse Presentation: Plainfield, IL

July 19, 2024
3:00pm – Chicago Commons Community Health Fair: Chicago, IL

July 30 – August 1, 2024
9:00am – VSP Eyes of Hope: Chicago, IL

August 3, 2024
10:00am – State Senator Mattie Hunter’s 20th Annual Family Health & Fitness Fair: Chicago, IL

August 3, 2024
12:00pm – Hope Fest: Chicago, IL

August 10, 2024
tbd – Annual Back to School Health Fair: Chicago, IL

August 10, 2024
10:00am – West40 Backpack GiveBack: Chicago, IL

October 4, 2024
9:00am – Senior Health & Resource Fair: Chicago, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

BEING SEEN AND HEARD: July 10-11, 2024

2024 Focus on Eye Health Summit, a virtual interactive event

This year’s event emphasizes the importance of a person-centered approach to vision health interventions, research, communications, and care. Being seen and heard by providers, policy makers, researchers, public health experts and other stakeholders allows an individual’s complex health issues to be addressed while taking into consideration their preferences, cultural background, and social context. And ultimately, it leads to the most ideal outcomes for all involved in the interaction.

The free event attracts a global audience of patient advocates, community-based organizations, vision and eye health organizations, researchers, public health experts, health-care providers, educators, early childhood education professionals, senior- and child-care professionals, government agency staff, corporate partners, health program professionals, legislative staff, and other stakeholders.