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What InfantSEE Can Do for You

More patients, knowledge, experience and smiles than I ever imagined

GINA M. WESLEY O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.

We may sometimes think our patients who suffer from amblyopia, strabismus or visual development issues may have been those without the education or access to eye care. However, as we know, everyone, including privileged families, can suffer from these conditions.

One grandpa was the observer of several of his grandchildren suffering from amblyopia. This grandpa, former President Jimmy Carter, challenged the AOA to come up with a program that wouldn’t allow childrens’ eye issues to go undetected. That program, InfantSEE, was founded in 2005 and is still going strong almost 10 years later.

I signed up as an InfantSEE provider right after I graduated from optometry school, and the hundreds of babies I’ve examined since then have brought me more patients, knowledge, experience and smiles than I ever imagined.

If you are an InfantSEE provider, I applaud your efforts and encourage you to continue. If you are eager to sign on to be one, it’s never too late to realize the benefits this program can bring to patients and your practice. These benefits include:

Service to the community

Providing eye exams to babies ages six to 12 months is an excellent way to serve the community in which you practice. The ability to identify those children at risk for vision development issues is not only important for their wellbeing, but also places you as a resource for schools and programs that are family centric.

Once you are seen as a trusted eyecare expert, you may reap the rewards of referrals, requests to participate in public health educational events and (best of all) thanks from those families whose babies you examine.

Experience working with small children

For those doctors who face some trepidation in working with young babies, I advise you to just dive in. The more kids you work with, the more comfortable you will feel. Start with friends’ kids if available, or your own if young enough.

Remember, the exam you will provide gives you thorough data to determine whether a baby is at risk for abnormal vision development. Build from there.

An exciting service to add to your clinic

My staff is happy when babies come in or parents ask about our InfantSEE services. They are proud we offer this exam for our youngest patients to the point at which one staff member took it upon herself to create onesies for our pregnant moms that say, “Future Patient of Dr. Wesley.”

Also, we have a board where we post pictures of our babies with me on the day of their InfantSEE eye exam (with parents’ permission).

Early intervention

Our hearts go out to the babies we identify as having vision issues, but we are glad to have caught their issues early. Share the ownership of this great service with your staff, and your tiniest patients and your practice will thrive. OM

DR. WESLEY PRACTICES AT COMPLETE EYE CARE OF MEDINA, WHICH SHE OPENED IN 2008. SHE WAS HONORED AS MINNESOTA’S OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR IN 2011. E-MAIL DRWESLEY@CECOFMEDINA.COM, OR SEND COMMENTS TO OPTOMETRICMANAGEMENT@GMAIL.COM.