The challenge
For many Southwest Washington families, accessing quality children’s eye care is a major challenge. Driving the distance to the Portland area and its busy urban setting can be challenging for some families. Fortunately, Casey Eye Institute has operated satellite clinics in Vancouver and Longview for years. These bring world-class ophthalmology services much closer to home for many area residents.
"Having these locations is really important and valuable," says Leah Reznick, M.D., head of the Pediatric Ophthalmology at Casey. "Parents often tell us that without a local clinic, they might not seek the medical care or follow-up their child needs. Having ophthalmologists in their own community makes a tremendous difference."
However, not all children’s vision services are fully covered by insurance. That's where donors like Mike Clark and the Bedrosian Foundation have stepped in to fill critical gaps in funding. That’s where donors like Mike Clark, the Bedrosian Foundation, and the anonymous donors behind the Washington Children’s Ophthalmology Fund have stepped in to fill critical gaps. The generosity of these philanthropic champions ensures all children can receive essential vision services, regardless of their families’ insurance coverage or ability to pay.
The Need for Philanthropic Support
One of the most common eye diseases affecting children is amblyopia, or "lazy eye." Caught early, this vision disorder is easily treated by patching the stronger eye to improve sight in the weaker eye. If left untreated, it can cause permanent vision loss in that eye.
But there is a surprising problem. “Insurance doesn’t cover patches,” Dr. Reznick says. "So, for patients who were unable to purchase, whether they had insurance or not, we provided boxes of Band-Aid patches using funds from the Bedrosian Foundation. This has really improved people's access to eye care and made a life-changing difference for so many children."
Another major issue in Southwest Washington is lack of access to affordable glasses for kids on Medicaid plans like Molina Health. Very few optical shops contract with these plans. This policy leaves hundreds of children without the corrective lenses they require after surgery or to treat conditions like strabismus (crossed eyes).
"More than half the kids I see in Southwest Washington have WA Medicaid insurance, and they are unable to get glasses," Dr. Reznick says. “Thanks to the Washington Children's Ophthalmology Fund, we can give out vouchers to the Casey optical shops in Longview and Portland for families who cannot afford glasses. This generosity has helped hundreds of children.”
Dr. Reznick estimates that she provides five or six vouchers a day in the Vancouver clinic. “We spend the fund down,” she says. “Then we have to pause giving out glasses because there are no more funds.” The Washington Fund provided the first pair of glasses to a child in 2022, when a total of 55 pairs were given out. Last year, 58 pairs were funded and so far, 29 pairs have been provided in 2024.
Life-Changing Impact
The clinics in Vancouver and Longview treat the full spectrum of pediatric eye conditions, from common refractive errors to rare childhood cancers. No matter how routine or complex the case, access to children’s eye care is transforming lives across Southwest Washington.
One young patient came in with severely blurred vision, which turned out to be caused by a subluxated lens – the lenses inside his eyes had shifted due to an undiagnosed case of Marfan syndrome. After corrective surgery, he received glasses courtesy of Washington Fund donors that helped him see clearly for the first time.
A little girl whose eyes had been crossing for months regained her vision and depth perception with patching supplies and glasses funded by donors. “She had 20/200 vision in one eye and was quickly losing sight,” Dr. Reznick recalls. “Thanks to donor funds, we were able to provide glasses and patches, and the child’s vision improved to 20/30 in both eyes. It was life-changing."
Dr. Reznick explains that vison is a fluid sense. In children, it is developing so rapidly that seeing poorly for just a few months can cause serious vision problems. “Kids can actually lose their sight from lack of treatment, which creates an enormous personal cost and is very costly for society.”
The Southwest Washington clinics are well equipped to provide comprehensive eye care. Although some families do need to travel to the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic in Portland for specialized imaging or other care, it is incredibly important to provide care in our communities. The generosity from the donor community has made a huge difference in making quality eye care available to children from across the southern half of Washington State.
If she were granted one wish, Dr. Reznick muses, “I would wish for there to be better access so that kids in Washington can easily receive the glasses, patching, and basic treatments they truly need to develop their vision properly. With support from caring donors, we can make that wish a reality."