How Conexus’ pediatric council helps kids get free eye exams, glasses

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- The 8News partnership with Conexus for its annual Gift of Light campaign has entered week three, and the work continues -- providing children in local schools with free eye exams and glasses as needed. But that wouldn't be possible without Conexus' pediatric council.

Conexus relies on their pediatric council to guide them. The council looks at the data collected during eye screenings and also makes recommendations on the newer technology that Conexus uses in their mobile vision clinic.

8News spoke with Evan Silverstein, a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), about what the data is utilized for.

"Based on those results, we determine who should be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist or an optometrist, and also who needs to be seen by the mobile vision clinic," Silverstein said. "And so my part is saying, okay, when we see children in our mobile clinic, who should get glasses, who should be referred, and make recommendations to the optometrist who are doing the really good work on the, on the floor, on the ground."

You might remember, when you were in school, going into the nurses office and reading the eye chart and then being told to go back to class. That is called a subjective eye exam and while that was good, it was prone to errors.

"We did this big study that was published in the Journal of American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, or Jpost. and we looked into third graders and we screened them both with the subjective and also the objective," Silverstein said. "So reading the eye chart and also the instrument based vision screening. And we found that the instrument based vision screening referred more people... So we decided to switch from the subjective to the objective. And so, that was part of my job is making that evidence based recommendation to our group."

Sometimes, during the screenings, the eye technician notices an issue that cannot be corrected by glasses. Conexus then works with the school to alert the family about a possibly more significant eye problem.

"So the next step is that a letter is sent home to the family saying that your child needs a more in-depth eye examination. and we work with the nurses to ensure that that happens, for that child," Silverstein said.

To help raise awareness of the Conexus Gift of Light campaign, 8News presents the Great Holiday Light Tour Sweepstakes! See Richmond’s holiday lights in style — sign up for a chance to win a free Holiday Lights Limo Tour for up to eight guests.