New Vision Screening Camera Enhances Efficiency for Local Schools

Each year, all Colorado schools must test the vision and hearing of all students in kindergarten, first, second, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. Additionally, testing is required for all new students and any student with an initial Individual Education Plan (IEP), triennial IEP, or 504 Plan. 

This year, performing vision screenings just got easier for area schools. 

Thanks to generous donations from the Ski Town Lion’s Club and our schools' Parent-Teacher Involvement Committees, the Steamboat Springs School District now owns a second Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screening Camera that can quickly perform vision screenings on students. 

The physical distance between the schools made managing the required testing with a single device increasingly difficult. With two cameras, school nurses have more flexibility to perform vision screenings quickly and efficiently. 

“It is also nice to have a backup,” said Josie Freschi, a school nurse at Sleeping Giant School. 

Who doesn’t remember the big chart with the letter “E” at the top? The Snellen eye chart is read by covering one eye and reading aloud the letters on the chart, beginning at the top and moving toward the bottom. The smallest row of letters the patient reads accurately determines visual acuity in the uncovered eye. It’s the traditional way of performing vision screenings. 

This new camera takes vision screenings to a whole new level. 

Not only does the camera check for visual acuity, but it also checks for several conditions a Snellen chart would never be able to detect. The camera checks for: 

• Hyperopia - farsightedness 

• Myopia - nearsightedness

• Astigmatisms 

• Anisometropia - unequal refractive power 

• Gaze - eye alignment 

• Anisocoria - unequal pupil size 

When a vision screening is performed on a student, the nurse can save the data the camera collected. The camera also recommends if a student needs a follow-up exam to address any issues detected by the camera. 

Students identified with concerns are rescreened to confirm the initial testing result. Nurses notify parents of the results and refer students for further testing. School nurses continue to monitor the students needing additional testing to ensure they receive follow-up care and help families overcome barriers to accessing care.

“The beauty of this machine is that if we have a student who hasn’t been thriving academically for a few months, we can easily check their vision to see if they just haven’t been able to read the board,” said Freschi. 

The camera is fast and can perform vision screenings on a classroom of students in 15-20 minutes. It is also engaging for students, making conducting a screening easier. All a patient has to do is stare directly into some colorful lights on the camera, accompanied by some fun sounds, and in just a few seconds, the camera generates a prescription for the student. 

“I had to do a screening on a three-year-old today, and they thought I was taking a picture,” said Freschi. 

With an additional vision screening tool, it is easier to share the camera with the Ski Town Lion’s Club. The Lion’s Club screens homeschooled and community preschool students across Routt County. 

Until now, the Lions Club has borrowed screening equipment from outside the valley to conduct screenings of homeschooled students and community preschool students when requested by parents and preschool centers. 

If a family needs financial assistance to pay for a follow-up exam, Bill Crosby with the Ski Town Lions Club helps connect families with providers who can help. 

Crosby has been a member of the Ski Town Lions Club since 2010 and serves as the primary liaison for families needing help with glasses. 

“We want teachers and parents to know we are a resource,” said Crosby. “We are here to help and can only help if we know it’s needed.” 

For any families or community members who need help, Crosby can be reached at billc@mtnwst.com.