Transitions Optical and VSP Vision Care Unveil State-of-the-Art Mobile Eye Clinic

PINELLAS PARK, Fla., March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Transitions Optical and VSP® Vision Care today announced the launch of a new mobile eyecare clinic containing a state-of-the-art, comprehensive eye exam room, full eye glass dispensary and a full-service finishing lab with the capability to produce and distribute customized eye glasses to serve communities in need.

More than 50 pre-screened students from Azalea Elementary located in Pinellas County are the first to benefit from the new clinic.  The evaluation process for students grades K-5 included initial screenings by Prevent Blindness Florida. Students who failed the screenings will be given comprehensive examinations in the clinic, staffed by VSP eye doctors.  For students requiring prescription lenses, VSP and Transitions Optical will provide the students with complimentary eyewear fitted with Transitions® lenses. 

The inaugural event will kick-off a five-year partnership providing charitable eyecare services and educational outreach to underserved children and adults throughout the country.  

"With one in four children having an undetected vision problem that can interfere with their ability to learn, proper eyecare and eyewear is critical to their performance inside the classroom and in their everyday lives," said Dave Cole, managing director, Transitions Optical.  "We are proud to partner with VSP to provide this important service to families and communities most in need throughout the country, including those right here in our own community.  This effort embodies our mission to help raise awareness about the need for healthy, quality sight."

This partnership marks another milestone in furthering the efforts of the VSP Mobile Eyes® Program. What started as an extension of relief efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the program features two mobile eyecare clinics, each with two comprehensive exam rooms and full eyeglass dispensaries, which respond to disasters and assist people in need in communities throughout the U.S. The new clinic will be the third clinic in the fleet and has the unique feature of a finishing lab featuring full-service lens finishing equipment, donated by Santinelli International, providing patients with glasses on-site.

"The VSP Mobile Eyes program is an important aspect to VSP's mission to increase access to quality eyecare. With this program and our Sight for Students® program, VSP has funded close to $116 million in free eyecare and eyewear to more than 577,300 low-income, uninsured and underinsured families across the country," said Rob Lynch, CEO of VSP Global(SM). "Transitions and VSP both have a strong commitment to supporting the community and helping people see better. By leveraging the strength of our two organizations, and in partnership with our 26,000 private practice eye doctors, we will be able to extend our reach even further to help more people in need."

In addition to complimentary eyecare services during the launch event, all students will have the opportunity to visit "Bess the Book Bus" and learn about the connection between healthy sight and reading, while choosing a new book to take home. Local Tampa health education organization, More Health, Inc., will also be on-site conducting interactive learning modules focused on the five senses and protecting the skin and eyes from harmful UV rays.  Among all of the educational activities, students will also be able to enjoy entertainment and games from Radio Disney.  

To learn more about healthy sight and to find an eyecare professional near you, visit www.Transitions.com.  For more information about the VSP Mobile Eyes program, visit www.vsp.com/community.  

NOTE:  Phone interviews with key spokespersons will be available upon request.  For high-resolution images, please contact Rachel Hopkins at [email protected].

About Transitions Optical, Inc.

Transitions Optical is a joint venture of PPG Industries, Inc. and Essilor International.  The first to successfully commercialize a plastic photochromic lens in 1990, today the company is a leading provider of photochromics to optical manufacturers worldwide.  Transitions Optical offers the most advanced photochromic technology in the widest selection of lens designs, materials and brand names.

Transitions® lenses are the ideal everyday choice for healthy sight.  They are clear indoors and at night.  Outdoors, they automatically darken as light conditions change.  Transitions lenses provide visual comfort, and enhance visual quality by reducing glare and enhancing contrast, helping you to see better today.  Transitions lenses block 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays – helping to protect the health and wellness of your eyes – so you can see better tomorrow as well.

For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, the first to earn the American Optometric Association's Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers, visit Transitions.com or contact Transitions Optical Customer Service at (800) 848-1506 (United States) or (877) 254-2590 (Canada).

About VSP Global

VSP Global(SM) includes VSP Vision Care, the largest not-for-profit vision benefits and services company in the United States with 55 million members; Marchon® Eyewear Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers, designers and distributors of quality fashion and technologically-advanced eyewear and sunwear; Eyefinity®/Officemate® which offer innovative solutions and the premier management software and technology to improve overall practice management and patient experience; VSP Labs, industry leaders in new technologies, production processes, service and logistics.

Since 1997, VSP has provided more than 557,309 low-income, uninsured children with free eyecare. Through relationships including those with the American Diabetes Association and Prevent Blindness America, VSP promotes the importance of annual eye exams for maintaining eye health and overall wellness.

SOURCE VSP Vision Care