InfantSEE®, a program that provides no-cost, comprehensive eye and vision health assessments for infants, will host several pop-up workshops throughout the year to educate the next generation of doctors of optometry on its vital mission and provide optometry students with education in real-time.
Managed by Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation and backed from the beginning by long-time AOA visionary supporter Johnson and Johnson Vision, InfantSEE is a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child’s quality of life. Currently, there are 4,200 InfantSEE providers and the program has performed 167,000 assessments since inception in 2005.
“The InfantSEE workshops are designed to help students become comfortable with these pediatric patients and exams, including interacting with parents,” said Charissa Lee, OD, MBA, FAAO, Head of North America Professional Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Vision. “During each workshop, seasoned InfantSEE providers share their expertise and experience with students to encourage them to become providers after graduation – allowing the program to flourish and grow with each new generation. Johnson and Johnson Vision is proud to have been a part of the InfantSEE program since its inception.”
POP-UP WORKSHOPS
During Optometry’s Meeting 2023, held in Washington, D.C. in June, InfantSEE hosted two workshops open to all attendees. With a strong student and young professional attendance through the AOA+ program, InfantSEE delivered education outside of the typical classroom or conference environment. The event included a short educational presentation that highlighted the importance of early detection and intervention through eye exams as well as several live exam demonstrations.
“The InfantSEE workshops were a great way for students to experience what a real infant eye exam would look like. The beautiful little babies that were recruited really helped me see how to conduct an eye exam quickly and efficiently on children of that age,” said Charlea Leonard, student at Northeastern State University Oklahoma, College of Optometry. “The workshops were very fun and interactive! They definitely helped boost my confidence in my own abilities to conduct infant eye exams. I definitely recommend attending an InfantSEE workshop to anybody who enjoys working with children or even Optometrists that are curious about administering infant eye exams in their own clinics.”
“I had a great experience learning about how I can give back to the community through the InfantSEE program,” said Olivia Wynn, student The New England College of Optometry. “I loved to hear there is an initiative providing accessible assessments for infants.”
With the support of Johnson & Johnson Vision, InfantSEE will host additional pop-up events this fall at the Midwestern Regional Conference at Chicago College of Optometry at Midwestern University and Western Regional Conference at Southern California College of Optometry. Both events will offer four pop-up workshops throughout the conferences.
Additionally, to accommodate interested participants across the U.S., three virtual pop-ups will be held in October through AOA’s EyeLearn. More information on the virtual offerings will be released in EyeLearn in the coming months.
PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT
Participating InfantSEE optometrists provide eye and vision assessments regardless of income or insurance coverage. The AOA thanks all participating doctors for their dedication to this program and the life-changing care they provide every day. To learn more about becoming an InfantSEE provider, click here.
Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation is committed to raising awareness about the importance of eye health, increasing access to vision care, and providing support to doctors of optometry and students in need. To support InfantSEE and other initiatives, consider making a tax-deductible donation to Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation.
Read other stories from Women In Optometry about Johnson & Johnson Vision here.
