Background
In 1998, Lion Bill Allen of the Ruidoso (NM) Valley Noon Lions Club saw an article in The Lion magazine about a new project that Lions had started in Tennessee. The project was the vision screening of young children (ages 1-7 years) to identify risk factors (e.g., nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, etc.) that could possibly cause amblyopia or “lazy eye.” It was reported in the article that if the child did develop amblyopia and it was left untreated, it could lead to a lifetime of vision problems or possibly blindness.
Lion Bill Allen made some inquiries and found out the Club could buy a PhotoScreener Polaroid camera for $3,000, which the Club promptly did. The Club in turn coordinated with the Region IX Child Find and the eye screening by the Lions became part of the annual children’s health fairs in Lincoln County. The program expanded until the Club was covering all of Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
In February 2002, a group of Lions in clubs in Otero County (Alamogordo Breakfast, Alamogordo Noon, Alamogordo Downtown, Alamogordo Evening, Tularosa, High Rolls, Cloudcroft, and Timberon) decided they wanted to start the screenings in their communities so they petitioned District 40S for the funds to purchase a PhotoScreener, which was approved. The Alamogordo Breakfast Lions Club eventually became the lead Club and began their screening program which now covers all of Otero County. Programs soon followed in Silver City, Artesia, and Carlsbad, all using the PhotoScreener, except Silver City which used a Welch-Allyn SureSight. The Photoscreener used Polaroid film that cost $1 per picture. Since two shots were needed for each picture, it took about five minutes per child since the film had to “develop” to determine if a good picture had resulted. The pictures were sent to Vanderbilt University for evaluation ($1.50 per picture) with results being provided normally in about a month.
In 2006, Lions from the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions Club and the Alamogordo Breakfast Lions Club began an effort to present the program to other Lions Clubs across New Mexico. In May 2006, the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions were informed by Vanderbilt University that as of January 2007, they would no longer be evaluating the pictures. After some investigation on the Internet, the iScreen, LLC, company was contacted about their digital iScreen Camera System. Note that iScreen, LLC, primarily dealt with pediatric doctors who used the iScreen system to screen their patients. They agreed to let the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions try out their camera on a pay-as-you-go basis where they paid iScreen so much per picture evaluated. The iScreen camera took a digital picture of the child’s eyes which was uploaded after the screening to iScreen for evaluation with results back in a couple days. The first screening that occurred with the new camera was in October 2006. To the screening team’s astonishment and delight, the new system was so much easier, faster, and cheaper to use than the PhotoScreener.
The Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions continued to use the iScreen camera on a trial basis until September 2007 when the Club decided to purchase the system for $8,000 which included no charge for picture evaluation for the first three years. After the three years, cost of evaluation of the pictures would be negotiated with iScreen.
In September and November 2007 respectively, Alamogordo Breakfast and Taos Lions purchased the iScreen camera with the same picture evaluation plan. In 2008, Lions Clubs in Las Vegas, Portales, Albuquerque (together with the NM Lions Eye Bank), Deming, Santa Fe, Carlsbad, and Artesia purchased iScreen cameras.
In February 2008, those NM Lions Clubs who were conducting KidSight screenings decided to form an organization, New Mexico Lions Operation KidSight (NMLOKS). Soon after, a request was made to become part of the NM Lions Eye Foundation, a 501c3 organization. The request was granted, which permitted NMLOKS to apply for grants and donations to purchase screening equipment, set up and maintain a Central Office to conduct follow-up on referred children, and to pay for eye exams and glasses for children whose families could not afford it.
In January 2009, Dr. Todd Goldblum, MD, who is a medical advisor for the NMLOKS Program, discovered that a new digital screening camera, the PlusOptix S09, was on the market. After testing the new system, it was decided that due to the lower price and instant diagnosis read out, the PlusOptix S09 would be the preferred system for new clubs starting the program. During 2009, PlusOptix S09 cameras were purchased by Lions Clubs in Lea County (Hobbs, Lovington, Eunice, and Tatum), Gallup, Moriarty, Rio Rancho, and Silver City. The Los Alamos Lions purchased a new iScreen camera.Since the Program has expanded significantly, it was decided in December 2011 to split away from the NM Lions Eye Foundation and become a separate 501c3 organization. NMLOKS soon after was incorporated and received official approval from Lions Clubs International to use the Lions’ name and logo. NMLOKS, Inc., received its 501c3 status with the IRS in February 2014.
NMLOKS Directors met with NMDOH in December 2014 to discuss the possibility of NMLOKS contracting with them to administer the Save Our Children Sight Fund. They were very impressed with the NMLOKS presentation and provided a contract in January 2015. NMLOKS signed the contract with NMDOH to administer the Save Our Children Sight Fund. The latest contract with NMDOH now extends to 2019-20.
The NMLOKS Central Office was opened on 1 February 2015. Lion Brenda Dunn is the NMLOKS Program Manager and her office is in the Lions Community Center in Las Cruces. The primary purpose of the NMLOKS Central Office is to provide prompt technical and logistical support to the NMLOKS screening teams with respect to ensuring they are conducting their screenings appropriately (i.e., teams are annually certified) and that they have adequate equipment and materials. Other duties include the administering of the Save Our Children Sight Fund, the training of new screening teams, and outreach to grow the Program. Today, 22 NMLOKS screening teams are active across New Mexico. During the 202-23 school year, 23,495 children were screened. Of those children screened, 5.520 children were found to possibly have a vision problem that could cause amblyopia or lazy eye if not treated as well as negatively impacting the child’s ability to read and learn.
Brenda Dunn
Program Manager, New Mexico Lions Operation Kidsight, Inc.
818 S. Solano Drive Las Cruces, NM 88001
575-525-5631
Fax: 575-524-1699
Email: nmlionskidsight@gmail.com
Website: nmlionskidsight.com
Lion Bill Allen made some inquiries and found out the Club could buy a PhotoScreener Polaroid camera for $3,000, which the Club promptly did. The Club in turn coordinated with the Region IX Child Find and the eye screening by the Lions became part of the annual children’s health fairs in Lincoln County. The program expanded until the Club was covering all of Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
In February 2002, a group of Lions in clubs in Otero County (Alamogordo Breakfast, Alamogordo Noon, Alamogordo Downtown, Alamogordo Evening, Tularosa, High Rolls, Cloudcroft, and Timberon) decided they wanted to start the screenings in their communities so they petitioned District 40S for the funds to purchase a PhotoScreener, which was approved. The Alamogordo Breakfast Lions Club eventually became the lead Club and began their screening program which now covers all of Otero County. Programs soon followed in Silver City, Artesia, and Carlsbad, all using the PhotoScreener, except Silver City which used a Welch-Allyn SureSight. The Photoscreener used Polaroid film that cost $1 per picture. Since two shots were needed for each picture, it took about five minutes per child since the film had to “develop” to determine if a good picture had resulted. The pictures were sent to Vanderbilt University for evaluation ($1.50 per picture) with results being provided normally in about a month.
In 2006, Lions from the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions Club and the Alamogordo Breakfast Lions Club began an effort to present the program to other Lions Clubs across New Mexico. In May 2006, the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions were informed by Vanderbilt University that as of January 2007, they would no longer be evaluating the pictures. After some investigation on the Internet, the iScreen, LLC, company was contacted about their digital iScreen Camera System. Note that iScreen, LLC, primarily dealt with pediatric doctors who used the iScreen system to screen their patients. They agreed to let the Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions try out their camera on a pay-as-you-go basis where they paid iScreen so much per picture evaluated. The iScreen camera took a digital picture of the child’s eyes which was uploaded after the screening to iScreen for evaluation with results back in a couple days. The first screening that occurred with the new camera was in October 2006. To the screening team’s astonishment and delight, the new system was so much easier, faster, and cheaper to use than the PhotoScreener.
The Ruidoso Valley Noon Lions continued to use the iScreen camera on a trial basis until September 2007 when the Club decided to purchase the system for $8,000 which included no charge for picture evaluation for the first three years. After the three years, cost of evaluation of the pictures would be negotiated with iScreen.
In September and November 2007 respectively, Alamogordo Breakfast and Taos Lions purchased the iScreen camera with the same picture evaluation plan. In 2008, Lions Clubs in Las Vegas, Portales, Albuquerque (together with the NM Lions Eye Bank), Deming, Santa Fe, Carlsbad, and Artesia purchased iScreen cameras.
In February 2008, those NM Lions Clubs who were conducting KidSight screenings decided to form an organization, New Mexico Lions Operation KidSight (NMLOKS). Soon after, a request was made to become part of the NM Lions Eye Foundation, a 501c3 organization. The request was granted, which permitted NMLOKS to apply for grants and donations to purchase screening equipment, set up and maintain a Central Office to conduct follow-up on referred children, and to pay for eye exams and glasses for children whose families could not afford it.
In January 2009, Dr. Todd Goldblum, MD, who is a medical advisor for the NMLOKS Program, discovered that a new digital screening camera, the PlusOptix S09, was on the market. After testing the new system, it was decided that due to the lower price and instant diagnosis read out, the PlusOptix S09 would be the preferred system for new clubs starting the program. During 2009, PlusOptix S09 cameras were purchased by Lions Clubs in Lea County (Hobbs, Lovington, Eunice, and Tatum), Gallup, Moriarty, Rio Rancho, and Silver City. The Los Alamos Lions purchased a new iScreen camera.Since the Program has expanded significantly, it was decided in December 2011 to split away from the NM Lions Eye Foundation and become a separate 501c3 organization. NMLOKS soon after was incorporated and received official approval from Lions Clubs International to use the Lions’ name and logo. NMLOKS, Inc., received its 501c3 status with the IRS in February 2014.
NMLOKS Directors met with NMDOH in December 2014 to discuss the possibility of NMLOKS contracting with them to administer the Save Our Children Sight Fund. They were very impressed with the NMLOKS presentation and provided a contract in January 2015. NMLOKS signed the contract with NMDOH to administer the Save Our Children Sight Fund. The latest contract with NMDOH now extends to 2019-20.
The NMLOKS Central Office was opened on 1 February 2015. Lion Brenda Dunn is the NMLOKS Program Manager and her office is in the Lions Community Center in Las Cruces. The primary purpose of the NMLOKS Central Office is to provide prompt technical and logistical support to the NMLOKS screening teams with respect to ensuring they are conducting their screenings appropriately (i.e., teams are annually certified) and that they have adequate equipment and materials. Other duties include the administering of the Save Our Children Sight Fund, the training of new screening teams, and outreach to grow the Program. Today, 22 NMLOKS screening teams are active across New Mexico. During the 202-23 school year, 23,495 children were screened. Of those children screened, 5.520 children were found to possibly have a vision problem that could cause amblyopia or lazy eye if not treated as well as negatively impacting the child’s ability to read and learn.
Brenda Dunn
Program Manager, New Mexico Lions Operation Kidsight, Inc.
818 S. Solano Drive Las Cruces, NM 88001
575-525-5631
Fax: 575-524-1699
Email: nmlionskidsight@gmail.com
Website: nmlionskidsight.com