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Luverne Lions bring new technology, volunteers to streamline elementary school vision screening

Lead Summary
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By
Lori Sorenson

For a typical vision screening at Luverne Elementary School, students view a chart and read the smallest letters their eyes can focus on.
For those still learning the alphabet or who have language barriers or are nervous about testing, the process can take several minutes or longer.
That’s why school nurse Phil Paquette welcomed new technology last week that screened for vision deficits in a matter of seconds.
Even better, the equipment was manned by Luverne Lions Club members who were trained to operate the cameras.
“It’s really an impressive piece of technology,” Paquette said Wednesday during the first round of student vision screenings.
“Rather than each one taking minutes, it now takes only seconds. And when we’re screening 520 kids, that’s a real time savings.”
The equipment and volunteers were courtesy of Minnesota Lions District 5M3 KidSight, which uses Welch Allyn Spot Vision systems to screen children for several eye problems.
In a single shot, the camera measures for nearsightedness, farsightedness, crossed eyes, unequal pupil size, lazy eye, unequal refractive power and astigmatism (two focus points).
Paquette said that’s far more than the traditional screenings test for.
“All they have to do is look at the camera,” he said.
After each screening, the device prints out a report of the results for students to share with their parents. The screening, like all school health screenings, isn’t meant to take the place of a professional eye exam, but it does indicate if an eye exam is required.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 2 and 3, Luverne Lions Club volunteers operated two cameras to check elementary students during their regular gym class session.
Paquette said it typically takes the whole class session to get through all the students, but last week the students had extra time for gym games.
By the end of the two-day vision screening, the Spot Vision system caught 45 deficits in 520 students, who were referred to eye doctors for treatment and/or corrective lenses.
“I think that it is great that we are able to catch these visual deficits early so that the issue can be recognized and corrected for our students,” Paquette said.
“The Lions Club volunteers did amazing work during the two days of screening. I am very grateful for their help and their visual screening equipment.”
For more information about the KidSight Lions Club program or to support the cause, see lionskidsightusa.org.

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