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By Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs

The Navy component of the 2016 class of pastoral care residents with Department of Veterans Affairs program leadership.

The Class of 2016 Joint Navy-Department of Veterans Affairs Pastoral Care Residency Program graduated 11 Navy and Veterans Affairs chaplains Sept. 23 at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP), marking the completion of the 31st year of the program.
The residency program equates to a year of graduate education for chaplains. The six VA graduates will minister to patients within the VA healthcare system. The five Navy chaplains are now qualified to serve at Navy hospitals, and they are placed in assignments that require the skills and experience to provide intensive pastoral care and counseling in multi-disciplinary medical and clinical environments. Their commitment is to serve for three years after completing the program.
During her remarks, the guest speaker for the event, Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben, the Navy’s chief of chaplains, focused on the growth that the group has experienced over the past year.
“You have grown in your understanding of who you are and what you have been called to do,” Kibben said. “You’ve developed a keen sense of judgement necessary to navigate those complex and often ambiguous environments. It’s critical we have both the competence and character as we live out our call, to be where and when we’re needed most.”

Chaplain Kim Nielson, chaplain supervisor at the
Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, speaks to the
 graduates and their friends and family during the
graduation ceremony.

The goal of the residency program is to prepare chaplains to assist patients and their families and prepare them to be strong in the most difficult of moments.
“There’s loss of life, there’s news that’s distressing or something has happened that unsettled the person who the chaplain is talking to,” said Cmdr. (Chap.) Michael Chaney, staff chaplain and resident coordinator at NMCP. “This residency program allows chaplains to go through a year of training where they will become more aware of themselves while they are in these situations and allow themselves to step out of the way to let healing and ministry happen between the chaplain and the person.”
“We try to visit every person who gets admitted,” said Lt. Cmdr. (Chap.) D. Chad McIntosh, a graduate of the program who is being stationed at NMCP. “I was responsible for four wards. We present ourselves to see if there is a spiritual or religious need that we can fill. Sometimes they want prayer, sometimes they want to talk about they are going through.”
McIntosh answered the call to provide pastoral care to Sailors and Marines after more than a decade as a pastor in Anderson, Indiana. McIntosh had previously served for four years as an enlisted member of the Marine Corps.
“The program is very intensive – what I got most out of it is self-reflection,” McIntosh said. “When I can figure out what I’m feeling, I can better help them with what they are feeling.”

Guest speaker Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben, the Navy
chief of chaplains, congratulates the chaplains for
completing the program and for being “head and
shoulders above your peers who have not yet
had the experience.”

During the yearlong program, the two groups alternate with six months at NMCP and six months at the Hampton VA Medical Center. Throughout each week, the chaplains spend three days visiting patients in the wards and two days meeting with supervisors for educational session, such as group meetings for sharing verbatims.
Verbatims are a personal reflection of a specific patient encounter and are required weekly.
“After a patient encounter, the chaplain sits down at a computer and reconstructs the encounter ‘verbatim,’ including what was said, what was done, how the chaplain was feeling, and anything else that is significant, such as the doctor walked in and the patient’s affect changed,” Chaney said. “Chaplains present a verbatim to the group weekly and the group evaluates how they did.”
While completing the four quarters of in-depth integration of theory and practice in clinical pastoral education, the chaplains are required to participate in more than400 hours of structured group and individual supervision and instruction, and a minimum pf 1,200 hours of clinical practice. This class completed more than 1,600 hours of clinical practice.

In addition, each resident is responsible for the 56 weekly assignments of their clinical work, and 40 weekly reading reflection stations, and a major research project.

Rear Adm. Margaret Kibben, the Navy chief of chaplains, presents a letter of appreciation to John Sammons for his 43 years of dedicated service to the chapel at NMCP as the music director and musician. Sammons was later recognized during services on Sept. 25 as his last day serving the chapel.Formed in 1984 and with the first class graduating in 1985, the Hampton Roads Clinic Pastoral Education Center united the efforts of the Navy Chaplain Corps and the National Veterans Affairs Chaplain Center to provide certified CPE for selected Navy chaplains. The program is accredited by the Association for Clinic Pastoral Education. http://dlvr.it/MMcr2N

By Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF/SW/EXW/CAC) Patrick Gravel was recognized Sept. 15 by the Portsmouth Police Department for assisting the victim of a car crash last year. Gravel is a staff member of the Healthcare Simulation and BioSkills Training Center at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP).

Chief Tonya D. Chapman, chief of police for the Portsmouth Police Department, reads a Service to Law Enforcement certificate during the award ceremony for HM2 (FMF/SW/EXW/CAC) Patrick Gravel.

The chief of police, Chief Tonya D. Chapman, presented an award certificate to Gravel during a ceremony at police headquarters. Gravel was recognized for his actions as part of the Portsmouth Police Department’s annual awards program. During the ceremony, Chapman praised Gravel for his actions and concern for those at the scene of the crash.
Although the crash occurred in December, Gravel recalled the scene vividly.
“I was taking my son back to school after a doctor’s appointment at NMCP,” Gravel said. “As I was passing through an intersection, the light was turning yellow. The truck behind me ran the light on red and hit a sedan that was entering the intersection. She hit the sedan just right and flipped her truck three or four times. I saw it all in my rear-view mirror.”
Gravel immediately dialed dispatch, a number he’s familiar with since his wife is a part-time paramedic for the City of Portsmouth, and reported the incident as he turned his car around. By the time he got there, Logistics Specialist 1st Class Erich Klain was already out of his vehicle and beginning to pull the driver of the truck out of hers.
“The truck was on its side, so I helped him and we moved her away from the vehicle,” Gravel said. “I told him to stay with her so I could check on the occupants of the car. Those in the car had minor injuries and were mostly shaken up. So I came back to her and checked her vitals. I checked her pulse, and checked her pupillary response with the flashlight on my cell phone. I kept her awake since I suspected she had a concussion.”

Chief Tonya D. Chapman, chief of police for the Portsmouth Police Department, presents a Service to Law Enforcement certificate to HM2 (FMF/SW/EXW/CAC) Patrick Gravel.

As a volunteer firefighter/emergency medical technician for the city of Carrollton, and with three deployments to Iraq, Gravel said it wasn’t that unusual to see a car on its side, and that his corpsman and EMT training kicked in.
“When the paramedics arrived, I knew them since my wife is a firefighter/paramedic for the City of Portsmouth and Isle of Wight County,” Gravel recalled. “I told them her vital signs and status. I assisted with putting her on the backboard, because I’m also a volunteer firefighter/EMT in Carrollton, and assisted with getting her loaded up.”
Gravel is humble about the recognition, and thought he was being summoned to court as a witness when he got the call about the award.
“I’m a little awestruck at the whole thing,” Gravel said. “It doesn’t feel like I did that much in my opinion. I did my job. I would hope that someone would stop for my wife if something happened to her. As an EMT, I do this every day, as a corpsman, I do this every day, so for them to honor me was a shock and a surprise. I do this because I love my job. I love being a Sailor and I love taking care of people.”
Gravel’s dream of serving in the Navy began when he was six years old.

HM2 (FMF/SW/EXW/CAC) Patrick Gravel with his wife Crystal, children Konnor, 11, and Kyndel, 5, and Chief Tonya D. Chapman during the award ceremony.

“I can remember when my dad retired after a 20-year career as an electrician’s mate,” he said. “However, there are seven corpsmen in my family, including myself and my wife. Everyone else is either retired or separated.”
As Gravel celebrates his 13th anniversary of service, his résumé speaks volumes.
His tours to Iraq include treating patients in casualty evacuation in 2005, deploying with a Marine light armored reconnaissance battalion in 2006, and deploying with a Marine wing support squadron in 2009. He also deployed aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) in 2010 to assist with victims of the earthquake in Haiti, as well as last year during Continuing Promise 2015.
Gravel’s current assignment in the Simulation Center is to teach HM First, a course for corpsmen who are transferring to operational units, and the Tactical Combat Casualty Course which is for corpsmen who are preparing to deploy in support of combat operations. http://dlvr.it/MJdTwp

Baby Boomers Health & Wellness
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are 78 million baby boomers.  These are people born between 1946 to1964.  Baby boomers are living longer, but there are many chronic health issues may affect their quality of life.  The CDC has reported that overall death rates in this age group, 52 to 70 years old, has declined over the past decade, but the presence of chronic disease has not changed.  Medical information from 2009 to 2012 shows the following startling numbers for baby boomers:  close to 19% had diabetes, 40% were obese, 50% had high cholesterol and more than 51% had hypertension.  One number has decreased in this age group – the number of those using tobacco.  It was at 18% in 2013 which is 8% lower than in 2003.
Unlike previous generations, baby boomers have adopted attitudes and lifestyles that were very different. The U.S. Government Accountability Office research shows that baby boomers are more active and tend to focus on feeling healthy.  Some within this age group may have a tendency to take exercise to the extreme.  This is not surprising since baby boomers were the first to be targeted by television advertisers pitching healthy life style alternatives.  Baby boomer’s priority seems to be the maintenance of a healthy body and mind resulting in living an active and independent lifestyle for as long as possible.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) studies reflect that healthy lifestyle choices can help maintain energy, mental functioning, physical strength and stamina, and help in the prevention of many chronic diseases. The numbers prove that a good diet in your later years reduces your risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart diseases and certain cancers.  As you age, your body continues to need many of the nutrients found in healthy food choices.  The food to avoid, at any age but especially those considered baby boomers, includes those with empty calories such as chips, cookies, soda and alcohol. http://dlvr.it/MG7Ht0

By MC1 (SW/EXW/AW) Gary JohnsonNMCP Public Affairs
The Project C.A.R.E. team at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) offers cutting-edge, state-of-the-art care to active-duty and retired military trauma patients.
“C.A.R.E.” stands for Comprehensive Advanced Restorative Effort and is a multi-disciplinary patient care initiative to help restore function and improve the appearance and quality of life of traumatically injured service members through total patient rehabilitation.
“Some of our patients suffer extreme disfigurement from trauma and others come in for treatment for scars and skin discoloration,” said Capt. Kenneth Ortiz, plastic surgeon and NMCP Project C.A.R.E. champion.“Our goal is to help our patients return to as normal of a day-to-day life as we can.”
Originally started at NMCP in 2002, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery-funded program has changed its name a few times, but has always offered the same level of quality care for active-duty military members and within the last few years has opened up for retirees.
There is no out of pocket cost for patients because the treatments are considered reconstructive rather than cosmetic. In the past, aesthetic improvement for service members was considered unnecessary and once a patient was considered, functional, she was dismissed.
“Even when a patient is ‘functional’ there can be appearance issues that really impact a patient’s quality of life,” Ortiz said. “Sometimes we can get drastic or just small improvements, but all of our patients are generally happy with the results they see.”
The C.A.R.E. team at NMCP consists of multiple departments including Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Oral Surgery, Dermatology, Wound Care, Prosthetics and Mental Health.
Utilizing this team approach, each patient is individually evaluated and a treatment plan is formulated. Depending on the circumstances, a combination of surgical and non-surgical treatments is planned, along with an emotional recovery plan to include support groups, mental health counseling, or both.
Some of the major treatments provided by the program are scar and wound revisions, skin grafts, major and minor reconstructive surgery, laser treatments for skin discoloration and wound care.
Potential patients of the program should expect varying results depending on their injuries, and the possibility of multiple procedures over several months.
Patients from anywhere on the east coast can be seen and if they need a specialized procedure not offered locally, they can be referred to a civilian community.
“We want people to know that we are here to help and support them in their road to recovery,” said Steven Kostrzewa, NMCP Project C.A.R.E. manager. “All a potential patient needs to do is ask their healthcare provider about getting a referral to our program. They can be active duty or retired. Once they are referred to us, we will do all we can to help them.”
For more information, contact Project C.A.R.E. at NMCP call (757) 953-7272 or (757) 953-7312 Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. http://dlvr.it/MD114d

Blanca Fletcher, right, a nurse
educator, adds the finishing
touches to a simulated wound
on the hand of Air Force Maj.
Jeremy Garlic, a staff pediatrician.

By Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs
The Healthcare Simulation and Bioskills Training Center (HSBTC) at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) celebrated their 10thanniversary Aug. 31 with an open house that offered visitors the opportunity to watch demonstrations of the simulation equipment, as well as try out many of the trainers themselves.
The HSBTC provides state-of-the-art, simulation-based medical training to members of the Armed Forces and the local community. The center provides training programs for each of the 14 graduate medical education programs at NMCP. The center also provides training to sustain skills, improve safety and improve the functionality of teams in all medical disciplines and specialties.
“We are so honored today to celebrate 10 years and so proud of what we have achieved during this time,” said Cmdr. Michael Spooner, medical director of the center. “This is a big moment, and if you talk to someone in the Simulation Center, you understand how, with a little creativity, you can put together what it takes to enhance the training of people in nursing, in medicine and throughout health care.”
Simulation offers the learner, regardless of their skill level, an opportunity to get hands-on experience for a specific patient complaint.

Andrew Lindsay, simulation operator, explains
the inner workings of the birthing simulator.

“There’s a lot of benefit for them to train in a safe environment and get the extra practice,” Cmdr. Joy Greer, deputy medical director of the HSBTC. “We can identify potential safety threats and improve the quality care our patients are getting. Our residents really enjoy hands-on learning, and routinely comment that their time spent here is value added.”
Since it opened in 2006, the center has trained more than 20,000 Department of Defense and civilian healthcare professionals. They now have more than 50 different simulators. This includes task trainers, low- and high-fidelity mannequins, cut suits and the latest in 3D virtual simulation.
According to Ret. Capt. James Ritchie, the first medical director of the Sim Center, the idea behind the center was to expand the experiential learning of the trainee. Ritchie reflected on the launch of the center while he attended the celebration.

HM2 (FMF) Kevin Muse, a reservist on his two-
week annual training, guides HM3 (SW/AW)
Tana Carter, in the use of one of the surgical trainers. 

“The idea is to train medical personnel in handling potentially difficult and highly complex situations,” Ritchie said. “We started off with some basic mannequins and since then, the equipment gradually accumulated as we were able to access funds and request grants. We also had a gradual accumulation of the different disciplines and the surgical trainers. The SimMan 3G became our core mannequin, and then we acquired the human patient simulator and the combat simulators with the trauma effects.”
The mannequin-based education that originated with Ritchie in the emergency room grew over the years, and by the time he turned over the reins of the center to Spooner in 2013, the center had been transformed to an entire wing encompassing thousands of square feet. The center now occupies more than 5,700 square feet and includes a Bioskills Training Center that opened in 2015.

David Simmons, a simulation operation specialist,
shows Jena Brunson, left, Megan Ward, both
of the Navy-Marine Corps Public Health Center,
how to manipulate the mannequins eyes
using the computer. 

2013 also marked a turning point for the vision of the center that started with a simulation symposium.
“The symposium for all Navy sites really plugged us into the thought leaders in simulation and helped us set the vision for where we needed to go,” Spooner said. “We set out to become an accredited site and that included bringing our nurses on board. In 2015, the center was accredited by the American College of Surgeons. We also recognized the need to base our training on objectives and testing afterward. The training is much more planned and reproducible to maximize our impact and measure that impact.”
The center offers training remotely on ships and in the field. Most recently, they were on board USS Bataan and USS Iwo Jima and continue to serve their fleet colleagues in operational training.
“One of the biggest benefits is the team training, where we can take a medical team or combat team who is skilled in their area of expertise, but have never worked together before,” Greer said. “We use simulation to bring them together as a team and it’s amazing to see.”

HM2 (FMF/SW/EXW/CAC) Patrick Gravel speaks
to visitors about the combat simulators that train
healthcare providers to respond to battlefield trauma. 

Since 2013, the staff expanded from eight to 18, including two nurses who focus on curriculum development which allows the center to target specific training needs.

“Looking back, I have to say, I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved,” Spooner said. “I have a vision, and my team executes that vision. Our success is because of our insightful people on our staff who are constantly pushing us forward. The beautiful thing is that they are always coming up with ideas and pushing me to think further ahead.”

Ret. Capt. James Ritchie, left, former medical
director of the HSBTC, and Cmdr. Michael
Spooner, current medical director, cut the cake
during the open house. http://dlvr.it/M9h195

Story by Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs
Photos by MCSA Zachariah GrabillUSS Bataan Public Affairs
For the medical staff of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) who participated in Exercise Bold Alligator Aug. 22 – 24 on board USS Bataan, communication and high-tech medical simulation were vital to preparing for treating mass casualties during a potential deployment.
Bold Alligator is a large-scale exercise that involves service members from more than 30 U.S. commands and 14 countries. The exercise allows Navy and Marine amphibious forces to test and improve their interoperability. A portion of the exercise focused on medical teams responding to simulated mass casualties.
The exercise is critical to maintaining readiness for the more than 70 doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen from NMCP who would be called upon to augment the ship’s medical staff and the assigned fleet surgical team if Bataan were deployed to a war zone with extensive casualties.

Lt. Steven Starr, a nurse assigned to NMCP, prepares to
 deliver care to a simulated patient during the mass
casualty drill. 

“We provided a full-scale mass casualty simulation to assess and utilize the casualty receiving treatment ship (CRTS) crew, which is the crew that NMCP augments to Bataan in case of a large-scale combat situation,” said Cmdr. Michael Spooner, director of the Healthcare Simulation and Bio Skills Training Center at NMCP.
Spooner acted as “movie director” for the scenario, ensuring the actors portraying the injured and the simulation equipment were staged correctly and in the correct order.
“To date, this was the biggest exercise in terms of simulation equipment that we have done,” Spooner said of his team of 16 simulation technicians, 11 of whom were on Bataan. “We had three cut suits, three different simulation mannequins and a MAT trainer, which simulates leg trauma for tourniquet application. Each wave had four or five walking wounded that we moulaged in different fashions to simulate different injuries.”
Spooner said this was one of the first times in many years that the CRTS augmentation team participated in such an extensive exercise.

Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Lawrence, an anesthesiologist, and Lt. Steven Starr, a nurse, both who are assigned to NMCP, provide medical care to a simulated patient during the mass casualty drill.

“After two days of ship orientation, we brought the (simulated) causalities and actually had the medical team function in their role and work through the scenario,” Spooner said. “This takes it to a higher level since they will have to put together the ship orientation with having to treat the casualties.”
“There is a huge portion of our team that had not been on a ship,” said Cmdr. William Wiegmann, a critical care nurse assigned to the CRTS. “For them, orientation to the ship was critical, as well as to determine which medical supplies are on board since they vary between a ship and a land-based hospital. The ship’s medical staff and the fleet surgical team know the ship, the equipment and the capabilities. They helped us find the supplies and determine who would be the best person for certain aspects of care.”
The mass casualty exercise began on the flight deck, where in a real-world situation, patients would arrive via helicopter. The simulated patients were triaged to be classified as immediate, delayed or walking wounded and then placed in staging areas by the elevators.
“The first patient is going to be the first person who we want to go into the operating room, and then the second, and we stage them that way,” said Wiegmann, who coordinated staffing and matched each nurse’s skillset with the simulated injuries. “Then we can take the patients into the operating room or to main medical in the order of severity of their injuries.”

Multiple teams of doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen
 work together to give medical care to simulated patients
 aboard USS Bataan. 

While the simulated patients passed through primary and secondary triage or were waiting for transportation, the team continued to perform life-saving care along the way. This included needle decompressions and inserting chest tubes. The CRTS team also continued to assess who should be the next to go to one of the four operating rooms on the ship.
“What evolved the most was the communication,” Wiegmann said. “What makes the drill successful isn’t necessarily the medical equipment or the resources, but the level of communication. As information traveled throughout the team, it made a huge impact, and so did the simulation.
“It’s the realistic ability of patients to get better and worse as they are moved along… when you are doing triage on a plastic mannequin, it’s hard not to treat it as a plastic mannequin,” Wiegmann said. “But when there’s blood spurting out of a rubberized mannequin, and there are audible moans and groans to match, it’s much closer to real life. And when someone is wearing the cut suit, and a real person gives real-time feedback, it’s very helpful.”
A cut suit is worn by an actor, and it allows the surgical team to perform real surgical techniques during a drill.

Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship
USS Bataan, Fleet Surgical Team 6 and NMCP work
 together in medical triage to give medical care
to a simulated patient during the mass casualty drill. 

“The simulation changes the dynamic of the drill,” Spooner said. “The medical people involved have to suspend disbelief in order to believe they are actually in that role. When we can provide them the ability to enter into that idea in that moment that this might be real, it’s rewarding. By giving the surgeon the equipment to ‘operate’ on, the entire surgical team has to be there to support the surgeon, so everyone falls into the role as if it’s real. The value that we add is that we allow the team to come together and function.”
Spooner has deemed this exercise to be the best executed drill that his team has performed, which is a tribute to the team’s hard work. From setting up the equipment early in the morning, to resetting the equipment for the second drill during lunch, Spooner said his team puts in a long day that ends with the reward of knowing the impact they are having.

“We want to make sure they are ready, or at least are able to conceptualize that readiness, which is the real reason why we wear the uniform,” Spooner added. “We wear the uniform so we are ready when called upon for that mission.” http://dlvr.it/M711TN

http://dlvr.it/M64x2B

By Rebecca A. PerronNMCP Public Affairs
Being aware of potential eye problems and offering eye protection to their children are the most important steps parents can take to ensure their children’s eyes remain healthy. Eye problems can be identified through vision screenings and by observing the red reflex, while protection can include wearing safety goggles or sunglasses.
These essential measures are recommended by Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Miller, the pediatric ophthalmologist at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, during Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.
Miller, the only active-duty pediatric ophthalmologist in the Navy, sees about 45 to 50 patients per week in the clinic, while also operating on babies, children and adults for several eye conditions. He said there are three typical conditions that trigger a patient referral.
“The first is a young child with crossing eyes, and that is the most common surgery I perform, which is strabismus surgery, or realigning the eyes,” Miller said. “I also treat adults with strabismus. A patient comes in with what some call a lazy eye, or an eye that drifts or eyes that cross. I perform surgery on the muscles to realign them. It’s a very common procedure for pediatric ophthalmologists.”

Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Miller, pediatric ophthalmologist, examines 
the eyes of Brody Prieto Jr., who was recently diagnosed
as color blind after receiving a vision screening.

Miller commonly sees patients who have failed a vision screening at their school or pediatrician’s office and are referred to him because they are not seeing as well as they should. This includes children whose vision screening indicates they are color blind.
“The next most common patient I see is young babies under a year of age with a blocked tear duct,” Miller said. “They have a lot of drainage or tearing from the eye, so the second most common surgery I perform is the nasal duct obstruction surgery. I also do rounds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit looking for retinopathy of prematurity, which is a condition that can lead to blindness.”
Miller recommends that parents simply observe their children’s eyes regularly, and that through awareness, they can help identify these conditions.
“If their eyes are crossing beyond age three months, they should be seen by seen by their pediatrician. Parents should also look at the red reflex in photographs. When you take a photograph of someone with flash and you get the red eyes, the red should be the same in both eyes. If there’s a difference, like one eye has a white reflex, that could be a sign of a tumor in the eye or a cataract, and is a reason to be evaluated by a pediatrician.”
Beyond conditions of the eye, Miller is also concerned with helping prevent eye injuries.
“People don’t always think about sporting activities for children that the professional organizations recommend eye protection for,” Miller said. “Eye protection should be worn for shooting sports like paintball, and even sports like basketball to protect eyes from finger pokes. For any high-speed ball sport, like baseball and lacrosse, we recommend eye protection even if they don’t need glasses to see clearly.”
Eye protection should also be worn while using anything that can propel an object with high velocity, such as a lawn mower, a hammer or wrench, or power tools. Keep other foreign objects out of the eyes, such as cosmetic contact lenses for use at Halloween, because they can cause irritation and injury.
It’s also important to protect children’s eyes from damage that the sun’s UV rays can cause.
“Kids need sunglasses when they are outside, because extended UV exposure does affect the eyes,” Miler said. “If you are going to the beach, or spending a lot of time outside, children should wear UV protection for their eyes along with their sunscreen.”
Miller also recommends that every child should have their vision screened at least by their pediatrician or primary care physician in the preschool ages and as they reach three, four and five.
“Every state has vision-screening requirements. The vision screening is performed through the pediatrician and then through school, and if something is identified, then they should be referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist,” Miller said. “For children who need glasses, an eye exam once a year is appropriate. As children grow and the eye changes shape, their vision is going to change. It’s going to change about once a year, maybe every 18 months or two years. Vision changes the most by the time a patient reaches their early 20s, so annual screenings should be continued until then.”
Miller said for those who have been identified as near-sighted, playing outside regularly and making sure they are reading at an appropriate distance can help reduce the progression of near-sightedness. http://dlvr.it/M5mscW