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Prevent Blindness recognizes significant efforts to improve children’s vision
The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness awarded Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, with the third annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award at its recent annual meeting.
The NCCVEH established the award to commemorate Bonnie Strickland and her work to create a comprehensive system for children’s vision in the U.S. Strickland served as director of the Division of Services for Children with Special Needs, Maternal and Child Health Bureau prior to retirement in 2014.
The award recognizes significant efforts to improve children’s vision and eye health at the state of national level, according to the press release.
Donahue, a professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University, was selected for his efforts to improve children’s vision through stakeholder engagement, volunteer coordination and advancement of vision screening technology, according to Prevent Blindness.
He established a partnership with the Tennessee Lions Club to develop a vision screening program targeting preschoolers. The program grew from the state level to national level in partnership with Lions Club International.
He also promoted collaboration across professional stakeholder groups to develop uniform best practices in vision screening methodology, according to Prevent Blindness.
Past recipients of the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award include the Illinois Eye Institute at Princeton Vision Clinic based at the Illinois College of Optometry, and The Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Children’s based at Boston Children’s Hospital.
Reference: preventblindness.org