On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Indiana University Schools of Optometry and Nursing joined forces with the local Lions Club to celebrate the spirit of collaboration and community by presenting the annual “MLK Day of Vision.”
The “MLK Day of Vision” is held by IU Optometry and the Lions Club. The Bloomington Salvation Army scheduled the patients for the day while the Bloomington Lions Club funded the glasses, all services were provided by IU School of Optometry. This event consists of optometry students and clinical faculty participating with various other health sciences disciplines. This year, IU Nursing provided students and faculty who screened for A1c levels and Blood Pressure. Thanks to their participation, some patients screened in pre-diabetic ranges, with one referred to further follow-up care.
This authentic interprofessional experience served community members aged 5 to 78, resulting in 45 eye exams and over 30 pairs of glasses being ordered. Eligibility requirements were that patients had to be low-income with no vision insurance and more than 2 years since their last exam.
Thanks to participation from the IU School of Optometry, IU School of Nursing, Bloomington Lions Club, and Bloomington Salvation Army, this collaborative effort exemplified the transformative power of service and solidarity in addressing healthcare disparities within our communities.