Sacramento CA, June 13, 2005 - For striving to provide vision services to people throughout the world, VSP is proud to honor Douglas Villella, O.D., from Erie, PA with its 2005 national People First Award.

Dr. Villella will be recognized on June 24, 2005 in Dallas, Texas, at the 108th Annual AOA (American Optometric Association) Congress & 35th Annual AOSA Conference during their House of Delegates meeting.

Dr. Villella, along with the Volunteer Optometric Service to Humanity of Pennsylvania (VOSH/PA), has focused the majority of his support, skills and effort to bring eyecare services to the villages of Guatemala.

Through his efforts, $1.6 million has been received since 1997 through foundation grants and gifts from private benefactors to build three permanent eye clinics in Guatemala, serving many of the poorest patients in Central America. In that time, the clinics have treated more than 130,000 people, provided in excess of 90,000 pairs of glasses and performed nearly 12,000 surgeries, mostly cataract surgeries and corneal transplants.

In describing what the People First Award means to him, Dr. Villella simply stated, "I hope that this award helps inspire others to volunteer in humanitarian projects, whether it's at home, in their community or across the world."

"We are honored to recognize Dr. Villella and all of the regional People First winners for their commitment to put people first," said Don Price, VSP Vice President of Provider Relations. "This award is a way for VSP to recognize, give thanks and express our gratitude to our exemplary doctors throughout the country."

Regional winners of 2005 People First Awards include: Henry Oster, O.D., Beverly Hills, CA; Terry Marquardt, O.D., Alamogordo, NM; Sandra Bury, O.D., Oak Lawn, IL; Glen T. Steele, O.D., Memphis, TN and William Burges, O.D., Castroville, TX.

About VSP
VSP provides eyecare benefit plans that range from comprehensive eye examinations and materials to complete medical and surgical eyecare. With more than 40 million members nationwide, one in eight people in the United States relies on VSP for eyecare health coverage. VSP's Sight for Students program has helped more than 250,000 low-income/uninsured children receive free eyecare services since its inception in 1997. VSP, a company with over $2 billion in annual gross revenue, has been recognized by Fortune Magazine for the sixth consecutive year as one of best places to work in America. For more information, visit us online at www.vsp.com.

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