our mission is to screen, treat, save and restore sight and hearing

for those in need in partnership with lions clubs

1010 NW 22
nd
Avenue, #144 Portland, OR 97210
(503) 413-7399 (800) 635-4667 FAX: (503) 413-7522 www.olshf.org

Through our Mobile Health Screening Program (MHSP), we have screened almost 500,000
students in Oregon since 1994, responding to school districts cutting health screenings from
theirbudgets.OLSHFhassignificantlyincreasedthenumberofchildrenthatwescreenannually,
fromover50,000in201213toover72,000in201314(pleaseseegraphabove).
Studies show 25% of children have vision problems, but only 10% of those who need glasses
actually have them.
1
Seeing well is connected to learning well vision affects learning Good
eyesightfacilitateslearninginschoolanddevelopmentingeneral.
2

About 17% of adults in the United States, 36 million, report some degree of hearing loss. It is
estimatedthat30schoolchildrenper1,000haveahearingloss.
3

1
ChildrensVisionCareinthe21
st
CenturyandItsImpactonEducation,Literacy,SocialIssuesandtheWorkplace:
ACalltoAction,JoelN.Zaba,M.A.,O.D.,September2008.
2
HealthierStudentsareBetterLearners:AMissingLinkinSchoolReformstoClosetheAchievementGap,Charles
E.Basch,March2010.
3
NationalInformationCenteronDeafnessandOtherCommunicationDisorders,NationalInstitutesofHealth.
OregonLionsMobileHealthScreeningProgram
our mission is to screen, treat, save and restore sight and hearing
for those in need in partnership with lions clubs

1010 NW 22
nd
Avenue, #144 Portland, OR 97210
(503) 413-7399 (800) 635-4667 FAX: (503) 413-7522 www.olshf.org

School nurses have been responsible for checking students sight and hearing. However, now
there are fewer nurses and in fact, Oregon ranks near the bottom 42
nd
in School Nurse to
Studentratio.
4

In 2014, the Oregon Department of Education submitted a report to the Oregon House
Education Committee recommending the means for creating a statewide screening program
based on our Lions health screening program. The full ODE report is available by request,
brenda@olshf.org.

OLSHF screenings take advantage of the latest technology using objective vision screening
devices (SPOT digital screener seen below). Photo screening devices allow us to accurately
detect potential vision problems despite language, behavioral or other screening barriers. The
screeningprocessrequiresfewervolunteers.
A 2012 medical study by Silbert, D.I. and Matta, NS., entitled Performance of the Spot Vision
ScreenerfortheDetectionofAmblyopiaRiskFactorsinChildrenreportsthattheSpotscreener
isafast,userfriendlyandportabletoolforthedetectionofamblyopiariskfactorsinchildren.
TheOregonLionsSightandHearingFoundationconductedourdistrictsannualvision
andhearingscreeningsforthefirsttimethisyear.Iwassoimpressedwiththequalityof
testingthatwasdoneforourstudents.TheLionsstaffwasknowledgeable,efficient,
organizedandgreattoworkwith.Theywentoutoftheirwaytotrainandsupportour
districtstaff,anddeliveredasuperiorscreeningforourstudents.
NancyHaning,RN,DistrictNurse,Tigard/TualatinSchoolDistrict

4
NationalAssociationofSchoolNurses,www.nasn.org,August2011.
SPOTPhotoScreener Objective,DigitalScreening Earscan3Audiometer