(PRESS RELEASE) PITTSBURGH, PA — On Sept. 14-16, OneSight, a leading global vision care nonprofit, collaborated with Aetna, a CVS Health company, to offer free eye exams and glasses to 333 children and adults in the Pittsburgh area. Out of the patients seen, 96 percent needed glasses. The three-day charitable clinic was sponsored by Aetna.
The event addressed unresolved vision needs for individuals and families throughout Pittsburgh who may otherwise lack access to eye exams and glasses. Leveraging OneSight’s proven clinic model and manufacturing capabilities, most participants in need of glasses received their newly prescribed, quality eyewear on-site. The vision clinic took place at the CVS Health Workforce Innovation and Talent Center located inside of Ebenezer Baptist Church.
“Given the barriers many Pittsburgh families face in accessing necessary health care services, such as vision care, Aetna recognizes the need to meet people where they are and facilitate access to eye exams and glasses at a location that is convenient to them,” said Mike Cole, Keystone President and North Atlantic Territory Lead, Aetna. “Collaborating with providers such as OneSight allows us to continue to deliver on our commitment to communities to bring our heart to every moment of their health.”
According to a study by OneSight and Deloitte, there are more than 1 billion people globally who need glasses, but don’t have access to get them. Studies show that clear sight can dramatically impact learning, job performance and earning potential. Clear sight can help students learn up to twice as much in school and can help increase a worker’s productivity by 35 percent and enable them to earn 20 percent more.
“Thanks to Aetna’s dedicated partnership and generous support we’ve been able to provide access to eye exams and glasses to those in need in the Pittsburgh community,” said K-T Overbey, President & Executive Director, OneSight. “We know that access to vision care can be life changing, and we’re grateful to Aetna and our doctors and volunteers for helping us ensure that lack of access to vision care is not a barrier for the Pittsburgh community.”
For more information about vision care and how to get involved, visit www.OneSight.org.