New Orleans, December 1, 2005 — This month, VSP doctors boarded the Carnival Cruise ships "Ecstasy" and "Sensation" in New Orleans and set up eyecare clinics for resident hurricane evacuees who may need vision exams or new glasses.
The storm destroyed many local medical offices, displacing thousands of doctors and patients, and leaving many without access to eyecare or medical records to replace their lost or broken glasses. Thankfully, VSP (Vision Service Plan) devised a workable solution – if doctors and patients can't get to a medical office, then the office should be brought to them.
The cruise ship clinics were the brainchild of VSP doctor Jarrett Johnson, a New Orleans-based optometrist who lost her practice in the storm and appealed to City Mayor Ray Nagin to establish the program. Together, VSP and the Mayor's office will provide free eyecare service for the nearly 3,000 City of New Orleans employees and their families who currently live aboard the ships.
"Many of our citizens have gone without basic medical screenings since the storm hit, so these mobile clinics have been of tremendous service to the community," said Dr. Johnson. "We're extremely grateful to Mayor Nagin and to VSP for helping us to provide these much needed exams for the people of our great city."
Since September 2005, VSP has worked with the American Red Cross to distribute more than 62,246 vouchers throughout 40 states for free eye exams to displaced hurricane survivors, and mobile eye clinics have been set up in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. To further assist displaced doctors, VSP donated nearly $90,000 in an effort to help re-establish optometry practices in the area.
"The devastation of Hurricane Katrina was so widespread that most people didn't stop to think about something as seemingly simple as eyecare," said Dr. Johnson. "But to a survivor whose entire world has been turned upside down, access to new glasses could put them one step closer to normalcy."
About VSP
VSP provides eyecare benefit plans that range from comprehensive eye examinations and materials to complete medical and surgical eyecare. With more than 41 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 300,000 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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