Prevent Blindness Brings Constituents From Across the Country to Washington, DC for Annual "Eyes on Capitol Hill" Event
CHICAGO (PRWEB) June 20, 2017 -- Prevent Blindness, the nation’s oldest volunteer eye health and safety organization, will be holding its eleventh annual “Eyes on Capitol Hill” advocacy day on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Since 2006, Prevent Blindness and its affiliates have brought citizens from across the country to meet with members of the House and Senate, and their staff, to discuss the importance of vision and eye health programs and research.
In 1908, Prevent Blindness was founded as a public health and advocacy group dedicated to healthy vision. From children’s vision issues, to workplace safety, to adult eye disease and more, the Prevent Blindness mission has been to save sight across the age spectrum for more than 100 years.
This year’s Eyes on Capitol Hill meetings have been scheduled to specifically ask elected officials to:
• Provide $3.3 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 to strengthen vision and eye health efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Support the Maternal and Child Health Bureau’s (MCHB) National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (the Center) in developing a public health infrastructure to promote and ensure a continuum of vision and eye health care for children.
• Protect “essential health benefits” as defined under the Affordable Care Act, which includes children’s comprehensive eye exams and vision screenings and preventive services for chronic diseases, in any Senate legislative companion to the House-passed American Health Care Act.
• Provide $800 million to the National Eye Institute in FY 2018.
• Provide at least $3,294,000 for the Glaucoma Project at CDC in FY 2018.
• Join the Congressional Vision Caucus.
On June 28, all Eyes on Capitol Hill delegates will attend the sixth annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
“We are proud to continue to work with members of government, through our Eyes on Capitol Hill event as well as other local and national advocacy efforts, to help protect the gift of sight and continue to bring Americans to quality, affordable eye care,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness.
For more information on Eyes on Capitol Hill or Prevent Blindness and its advocacy initiatives, please call (800) 331-2020 or visit http://www.preventblindness.org/content/eyes-capitol-hill.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness touches the lives of millions of people each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screenings, community and patient service programs and research. These services are made possible through the generous support of the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America. For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund, call 1 (800) 331-2020 or visit us on the Web at preventblindness.org.
Sarah Hecker, Prevent Blindness, http://www.preventblindness.org, +1 (312) 363-6035, [email protected]
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