NCLSA Visionary Report - September 2005

The NCLSA mobile screening unit, better known as the Vision Van, has had a very busy month. The two weekends at the California State Fair were a wonderful service and public awareness success, with 68 Lions and 11 eye-care professionals providing vision screening to over 300 people. Compliments to event chair Dr. Neita Daquipa (Maharlika Lions) for several months of efforts to put it all together. The Vision Van was at the Sacramento Stand Down for three days in mid September, the District 4-C5 New Member Night, and has been reserved by four Clubs in the next few weeks, Central, Mother Lode, Cousin Jacks, and Sierra Lions. Also, the Van has had the new Zeiss-Humphrey Autorefractor installed. This new device will give our volunteer eye care professionals the ability to accurately examine a patient's eyes in a remarkably short period of time while eliminating the need for much technical dialogue between the doctor and patient, which sometimes can be a problem due to language barriers. As mentioned last month the purchase of the Autorefractor was made possible by a grant from the Karl Kirchgessner Foundation.	Vision Is Possible (VIP) chair Fay Young finalized arrangements with the Mercy Spirit Program (Catholic Health Care West) to perform local cataract surgeries at the significant cost savings to NCLSA. The first two surgeries were performed in late August by Country Club Lions. In the past month the Adopt-A-Vision program received calls from eight people in need of glasses.
NCLSA was able to forestall buying an expensive medical table/stand for the Autorefractor thanks to a loan of the exact model needed from Dr. Heidi Schauffele OD (Embarcadero Lions) and Dr. Tom Fleischmann OD.

The mobile screening van has been used by dozens of Lions Clubs in District 4-C5 over the years at venues ranging from State/County Fair's to local community health fairs. The sponsoring Lions Club provides the volunteers and arranges for the eye-care professional. NCLSA requests payment of $150 in advance of an event to cover insurance and maintenance expenses. NCLSA President Frank Dann (Antelope Lions) continues to serve as the Mobile Screening Unit Chair. For information and reservations call Frank at (9160 532-4352.