LifeSight

In May 2012 supported by a strategic group of collaborative partners including area eye care professionals school nurses and local Lions Clubs LifeSight formerly Northern Plains Eye Foundation launched Northern Plains Eye Foundation Western South Dakota Lions Children's Vision Screening Initiative CVSI now known as KidsFIRST Free Vision Screenings. While only an eye care professional can diagnose and treat a vision problem vision screenings identify children whose vision problems might otherwise remain undetected who are referred to an eye care professional for a complete eye exam. Through this program children from across the Black Hills region from 6 months of age through 5th grade have access to free vision screenings. KidsFIRST vision screenings are administered utilizing SPOT photo screening technology a non-invasive approach to obtain comprehensive accurate vision screening results in order to provide early detection of poor vision or risk factors by way of uniform screening processes that lead to timely diagnosis and treatment. KidsFIRST vision screening results are provided to parents of all children. In the case of children recommended for a complete eye exam additional information is provided about why the child is being referred to an eye care professional the meaning of eye conditions identified on the screening result and a list of eye care professionals in the region. As of May 2022 LifeSight administered over 45,000 KidsFIRST free vision screenings since program inception. More than 12% of children screened - in excess of 5,500 - had results which identified potential risk factors that may inhibit proper vision development and have been referred for a comprehensive eye exam. With KidsFIRST Free Vision Screening early detection effective treatment is usually possible. If left untreated children are at risk of permanent vision loss affecting among other things issues such as childhood development academic achievement and high school drop-out rates. Beginning in the fall of 2014 LifeSight was afforded the opportunity to engage a 4th year medical student at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine and a partnering optometric intern from the Illinois College of Optometry in a research project related to LifeSight's KidsFIRST Vision Screenings. The research project culminated in the publication of a manuscript entitled "Results of a Pediatric Vision Screening Program in Western South Dakota" in the March 2015 edition of "South Dakota Medicine" the South Dakota State Medical Association medical journal. Since that time LifeSight continues to engage medical students at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in ongoing volunteer research projects many of the projects related to KidsFIRST Vision Screenings. Subsequent research project papers published in "South Dakota Medicine" include "Childhood Vision Screening in Western South Dakota: "Examining Barriers to Post-Vision Screening Follow-up Referral" in January 2017 "An Evaluation of SPOT Screening Efficacy for Children in South Dakota" in May 2018 and "A Review of Childhood Vision Screening Laws and Programs Across the United States" in July 2019. A fifth research project was completed in 2020 and submitted for publication in "The Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus" JPOS entitled "Multi-clinic Evaluation of the SPOT Photoscreener's Efficacy for Detecting Amblyopia Risk Factors as Compared to Same-Day Optometrists' Examinations in 305 Western South Dakota Children." Though JPOS declined the manuscript reviewer comments were provided and based on this feedback the manuscript was rewritten and published in July 2021 in the new University of South Dakota medical journal "Aesculapius Journal Health Sciences and Medicine".

Our newest program VisionCARE for which the pilot launched at the end of 2019 focuses on giving access to no-cost eye exams and glasses critical to one's overall health and well being to people with no other option for care providing a simple but powerful path to helping people see better to live better. VisionCARE program provides a voucher for a no-cost eye exam and glasses to underserved individuals in the community. Individuals in need must meet certain criteria and work in conjunction with LifeSight program partner Community Health Center of the Black Hills CHCBH who makes the referral based on said criteria issues the voucher to the recipient and schedules an appointment with the recipient for the recipient to be seen by one of LifeSight's partnering eye care providers. Partnering providers have agreed to provide an eye exam and glasses to the voucher recipient with LifeSight reimbursing the provider at a reduced fee of $50 for their services. Initial voucher paperwork is completed by CHCBH and the recipient; recipient then takes the voucher to the appointment with the participating eye care provider. Upon completion of the eye exam and sign-off by the eye care provider and the recipient having received and signed for receipt of his her glasses the completed voucher is returned to LifeSight by the eye care provider. LifeSight reviews and verifies voucher completion and signatures prior to providing the $50 reimbursement to the eye care provider.

Gift of Sight a charitable program launched in 2008 as Christmas Gift of Sight awards sight-saving surgery to individuals without the financial means to afford the necessary care. In 2015 LifeSight expanded its Christmas Gift of Sight program from annual to semi-annual surgery awards and due to this in 2017 renamed the program "Gift of Sight". In 2018 the Gift of Sight service area was expanded from eye care clinics and their patients in the Black Hills of South Dakota to include eye care clinics and their patients located east of Rapid City in the Mobridge Pierre Winner all in South Dakota and Chadron Nebraska communities. Since its inception LifeSight and its program partners have provided 97 sight-saving surgeries through Gift of Sight helping those underserved in our community regain their vision and most importantly independence mobility and quality of life.