When Sandra Schweitzer heard about Good Health, Great Hair – our health partnership with four salons and barbershops in West Baltimore – a light bulb went off: Can we do something similar to help kids get glasses?
A member of her team, Greg Emde, had suggested taking vision screenings and glasses into the community in a similar way. As Director, Regional Optical Retail and Support for Vision Essentials, she saw an opportunity to make an impact on the community. Partnering with the Baltimore Community Health team, Sandra, Valerie Walker-Clark, OD, and several members of the optometry team did just that.
Building on Kaiser Permanente’s existing partnership with West Baltimore’s Frederick Elementary through Future Baltimore, the optometry team completed nine eye exams for students in pre-kindergarten through first grade. The students were identified based on prior basic vision screenings by the Baltimore City Health Department.
“It’s really fulfilling to be able to serve the community like this and to spend the day with such amazing kids and school staff. Everyone in Community Health and Optometry, plus the team at Frederick Elementary, has gone above and beyond to ensure that these exams could happen today,” said Schweitzer. “Miss Wiggins even went to some of the kids’ homes yesterday to ensure we had all the permission and information we needed to conduct exams. That shows how much she cares about these kids, and makes us even more proud to be here today.”
Next Wednesday, Doc Broc will be on hand alongside the rest of the KP team to deliver glasses to the students who needed them. Check back for more photos of that exciting day.
Kaiser Permanente’s Good Health, Great Hair community health outreach program is running several social and community services in west Baltimore now, and will resume no-cost health screenings, tests, and flu shots in September.
