Colorado & Denver News

cbs4denver.com Showcase

Great NFL Hair

E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Clinic Offers Eye Care To Low-Income Families

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

Recipient E-mail:*
- Your Name:*
- Your E-mail:*
Add a Message:
Send me a copy of this e-mail.

Type the characters in this picture:*

Click here to refresh with new letters

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

Print Share + Comments (1)

Feb 17, 2010 4:55 pm US/Mountain

Clinic Offers Eye Care To Low-Income Families

Written by Kathy Walsh

Reporting
Kathy Walsh
E-mail

DENVER (CBS4) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 2: Esther, 9, gets her eyes examined
CBS
Click to enlarge 2 of 2: Coloradans are taking a stand and finding solutions in their effort to Beat the Recession. Visit our Beating the Recession section.

Close

numSlides of totalImages

Related Links

Envision Colorado

Sometimes a child is labeled with a learning disability when all he or she really needs is a good pair of glasses. But eye exams can be expensive and out of reach for the uninsured.

There is now a clinic in Denver called Envision Colorado that's focused on providing affordable vision care for low-income children and their families. Martha Lucero took advantage of the services. Her 14-year-old son, Angel Piedra, may need glasses.

"I know that my son is having trouble reading the board up in school and comes home with a headache," Lucero said.

Esther, 9, also had her eyes examined at Envision. She last had a checkup three years ago. Her mother couldn't afford a follow-up.

"I haven't been working since April 2009 due to a disability," Lucero said.

Lucero is a single mom, out of work with no health insurance. She's not alone.

"There's a lot of people out there struggling to make ends meet and sometimes vision care is what gets pushed to the back," said Optometrist Deborah Roos, Clinical Director of Envision Colorado.

The nonprofit eye care clinic was started to try to change that. Located in north Denver, it serves uninsured families with an annual income under $42,800. Comprehensive eye exams for children ages four to 10 are free, above age 10 it's $44. Private practices often charge up to $190. Glasses at Envision start at $64.

"If we didn't charge at least minimum for our optical parts, we couldn't keep our doors open and we wouldn't have the service," Roos said.

Roos is now looking for new patients. She's at the clinic two days a week. She's set her sights on the neediest people, hoping she can help them realize their vision.

Envision Colorado was founded by Dr. Paul Conkling and Anita Joseph, his wife. The services are open to anyone who qualifies, not just Denver residents.

Additional Resources

For more information go to www.envisioncolorado.com.