Vision Speciality Clinic

The Athens City-County Health Department administers specialty clinics with full support provided by the Ohio Department of Health. Specialty clinics were developed to give communities access to pediatric medical specialists, allowing children to receive medical exams in their local communities.

Vision clinics are diagnostic eye clinics, which provide eye examinations at no charge to the family. The clinical staff includes an optometrist, opthamologist, ODH vision consultant and public health nurses.

After examination of your child the eye specialist makes recommendations. These mayh include eyeglasses, patching, further tests, medication, surgery, or observation. Local public health nurses provide follow-up.

Vision diagnostic clinics are available to children from birth to twenty-one years of age, living in Athens County, regardless of parents' income. The frequency of clinic scheduling is dependent on local need and the availability of resources.

Program Summary

Types of Eye Problems:

Nearsightedness
Farsightedness
Lazy eye
Crossed eyes
Color blindness
Astigmatism
Infections

Vision Clinics Provide:

Early detection
Examinations by an optometrist and opthamologist
Glasses for financially eligible children
Follow-up for children with chronic conditions

Criteria for Referral:

0-21 years of age
Suspected of having an eye problem
Referred by a local physician, public health nurse, or school nurse
Failure on a vision screening
Observable eye defect
Frequent vision complaints
Inability to be tested

Financial Assistance

If your child needs further treatment, financial help may be available through the Healthy Start Program or the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH) program. The public health nurse at the clinic can help with this application.

For more information about this program, please contact:

Vickey Haller, RN
Public Health Nurse
(740) 592-4431 ext. 231

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