VSP Blog

Patricia Cochran
Vice President of Finance &
Chief Financial Officer

As VSP’s vice president of Finance and chief financial officer, I oversee VSP’s charitable donations to the community. A key focus of these efforts is expanding access to eyecare for underprivileged children through VSP’s Sight for Students program.

When considering the important factors in a child’s development, things like a sound education and a positive self-image immediately spring to mind. Healthy vision plays a significant role in both of these aspects, for if a student cannot clearly see the blackboard or struggles to read the words in their books, their classroom performance and self-confidence are sure to suffer.

According to a 2007 VSP survey, 65 percent of children nationwide have not had an eye exam in the last 12 months. When low-income families must chose between living expenses and eyecare, these numbers increase further, resulting in tens of thousands of children each year who do not receive the eyecare that they require.

In response to this national need, VSP Vision Care launched the Sight for Students program in 1997 to provide uninsured and low-income students with free comprehensive eye exams and eyeglasses. Today, the program continues to thrive, and through VSP’s annual investment of $12 million, more than 50,000 children receive vital eyecare each year at no cost. I am pleased to announce that as of May 2007, VSP’s national network of eye doctors has served more than 400,000 disadvantaged children through the Sight for Students program.

As a not-for-profit, community benefit company, VSP can make these investments in our community to increase access to care. This is absolutely unique among vision care plans and ranks VSP among the leaders in all of healthcare.

Studies show that poor grades and behavior problems can be attributed to vision impairment. The eye exams provided through Sight for Students help diagnose vision problems and provide children with the vision correction that they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. When eye exams unlock a struggling student’s potential, they open doors to better learning and new opportunities.

Coupled with our commitment to Sight for Students, VSP supports legislation to increase federal funding for children’s eye exams as a means to improve learning for all children. Expanding eye exams to all children would have a tremendous impact on the health and progress of America ’s young students.

Testimonials from the Sight for Students program show time and time again how a comprehensive eye exam can be a life-changing event for a child. Making a difference in other people’s lives is a core value at VSP, and we will continue to support efforts that help ensure that every child has the opportunity to rise to the head of the class. I look forward to your thoughts on Sight for Students and the importance of eye exams for all children.

─ Patricia

File under: VSP in the Community | Tagged: charitable eyecare, children, private practice eye doctors, Sight for Students, VSP Vision Care