Establish/Enhance a VCRP Nov 00
Page 7
ESTABLISHING AND ENHANCING
A VISION CONSERVATION AND READINESS PROGRAM
Objectives:
1. Describe the approach in planning a vision conservation and readiness program on an installation
2. Describe the approach in marketing a vision conservation and readiness program to the chain of command.
3. Describe the approach in marketing a vision conservation and readiness program to the community
4. Conducting a vision conservation and readiness program
I. Planning a vision conservation and readiness program on an installation
A. Know the stockholders
1. Understanding the Culture
a) Reactive mentality of the Medical Community
b) The bean counting fallacy
2. Know the command atmosphere
3. Evaluate the status of vision conservation and readiness on your installation or base. Is there anyone doing anything about it?
4. Know the DUTIES of the Vision Conservation & Readiness Officer
B. Evaluate the Vision Conservation & Readiness Program Team on your installation or base.
1. Know your Vision Conservation & Readiness Program Team members
a) Occupational Health: Nurse, Physician, Physician’s Assistant, Technicians
b) Safety Officer
c) Industrial Hygienist / Biomedical Environmental Engineer
d) Medical Staff: Eye Docs, Emergency Room Staff, Troop Medical Clinic Staff, and Outpatient Clinic Staff
2. Who should take the lead as Vision Conservation & Readiness Officer: Optometrist
a) Strong point: Has working knowledge
b) Challenges:
(1) Clinical Workload
(2) Low Priority
(3) Lack authority
(4) Needs to develop site survey knowledge
c) Comment: May be on contract
3. Who often has the lead? The OHN
a) Strong points:
(1) Better Patient Control
(2) Better coordination
(3) Knows the Occupational Health system
b) Challenges:
(1) Need to acquire VCRP knowledge
(2) Moderate authority with responsibility
c) Comment: May need to contract services
4. Other Players: Preventive Medicine Doc
a) Strong point: Has authority
b) Challenges:
(1) Low priority
(2) Knowledge of vision conservation & readiness
c) Comment: May contract or need to contract services
5. Other Players: Industrial Hygiene / BioEnvironmental Engineer
a) Strong points:
(1) Goes everywhere
(2) Worksite knowledge
(3) Knows system
b) Challenges:
(1) Need to acquire VCRP knowledge
(2) Moderate authority
(3) Comment: May need to contract services
6. Other Players: Safety
a) Strong points:
(1) Has authority
(2) Better program coordination
(3) Knows overall system
b) Challenges:
(1) Needs to acquire VCRP knowledge
(2) Comment: May need to contract services
C. Evaluate the vision conservation & readiness program on your installation
1. Review Documents
a) Local Regulations, SOP’s, Instructions
b) Union Contracts
c) Contract in place
d) Eye Injury Statistics
2. Perform a site survey
D. Initiate / revise the program
1. Make a Plan of Action
2. Prepare a proposal for the Vision Conservation & Readiness Team
a) Team Meeting
b) Discuss the Plan
3. Involve your chain of command
a) Brief the Command
b) Obtain Command Emphasis Letter
4. Develop / Revise Documents
a) Local Regulations, SOP’s, Instructions
b) Union Contracts (renegotiate)
c) Service Contract in place
d) Eye Injury Data Collection protocol
e) “Wise Owl” Program
5. Consult USACHPPM Tri-Service Vision Conservation and Readiness Program Team (if necessary)
II. MARKET THE PLAN TO THE COMMAND
A. Friends in high places. This is critical! Obtain approval and support from:
1. Medical Unit Commander
2. Line Commanders, Wing Commander, etc.
3. Flight Surgeon, Division Surgeon
B. Find Ways to Make Your Program Visible
1. Information Paper
2. Success Story from elsewhere
3. Create Opportunity to Speak (Be persistent)
4. Invite Yourself to Meetings
5. Cross Marketing
6. Event Marketing
7. World Wide Web
III. MARKET THE PLAN TO THE COMMUNITY
A. Articles in installation newspaper
B. Signs and posters in sports and work areas with clinic name and phone for questions
C. Join community speaker pool
D. Take opportunity to speak to at risk groups
E. Create opportunity to speak to community groups
F. Tell the community what is available!
G. Inform the community of safe practices.
H. World Wide Web
IV. CONDUCTING A VISION CONSERVATION & READINESS PROGRAM: GETTING IT UP AND RUNNING & TUNING UP THE PROGRAM
A. VISION/OPTICAL READINESS
1. Assist unit with readiness monitoring
a) Clinic-based Database
b) Unit-based Database
2. Keep command informed
B. OPTIMIZE SAFETY EYEWEAR PROGRAM
1. Optimum lens and frame materials
2. Enhanced Frame Selection
3. Update Contracts
a) “One-Stop” shopping”
b) Optical Contract Enhancements
4. Minimize number of steps in the process
5. Monitor Turn-a-round Time
6. Monitor Quality of Eyewear
C. JOB VISION STANDARDS
1. Review for Applicability
2. Develop New Local Standards
3. Review waiver criterion and mechanisms
D. VISION SCREENING
1. Consolidate with other testing/screening programs
2. Include more employees if possible
3. Routine for VDT workers if possible
4. Automate if possible
E. IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE SUPERFLUOUS PROGRAMS/SCREENING
1. Target very low risk tasks or operations
2. Document lack of injury
3. Consult Regulations / Instructions
4. Clear with Preventive Medicine
F. VISION EXAMINATIONS
1. A labor - management negotiable item (Change from TB MED 506)
2. Ensure staffing mechanism included if included in contract agreement
3. Curtail abuses
a) Review Eye Hazardous List
b) Document suspected abuses
c) Consider reporting as fraud if rampant
4. Provide if staffing level allows with written caveat of termination if staffing changes
G. EYE INJURIES
1. Establish a Reporting System (EIRS or your own)
2. Monitor Trends
3. Communicate problem areas to those affected
H. SPORTS PROTECTION
1. Appropriate Protective Devices
2. Meets national standard where one has been established
3. Educate potential and actual participants
4. Promote with pictures of professional athletes using protection where possible
I. EDUCATION
1. Safety Stand Down Day
2. Assist Safety and Occupational Health with eye safety classes
3. Speak in classes of schools that support the installation youth
4. Present at local professional society meetings (Optometry and other professions)
J. ENVIRONMENTAL VISION
1. Assist IH with Illumination Surveys
2. Assist IH and OH staff with VDT workstation evaluations
3. Understand NVG, LASERs effect on vision
4. Increase opportunity for walk-through of work areas
MARKET YOUR PROGRAM AND YOUR PROFESSION! NOBODY ELSE WILL!!!
REFERENCES - Army
AR 40-5: Preventive Medicine
AR 385-10: The Army Safety Program
TB MED 506: Occupational Vision (should be replaced by DA PAM 506 in summer 1999)
(See Reference List In the Outline on Regulations and Publications )
REFERENCES - Air Force
USAF AFOSH Std. 127-31 (Cl) paragraph d. (new AF Instructions being written)
AFI 34 -107: Racquetball / Squash / Handball
HQ USAF/SG, 15 sep 93, Medical examination requirements for personnel potentially exposed to laser radiation
REFERENCES - Navy
BUPERSINST 171.20, Sport Safety Program
OPNAVINST 5100.23D,
Chapter 19 - Sight Conservation
Chapter 14 - Mishap Investigation, Reporting, and Recordkeeping
Chapter 22 - Non-Ionizing Radiation
Establish/Enhance a VCRP Nov 00
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URGENT / NOT URGENTIMPORTANT / I
· Crises
· Pressing Problems
· Deadline-driven projects, meetings, preparations
Quadrant of Tyranny / II
· Preparation
· Prevention
· Values clarification
· Planning
· Relationship building
· True re-creation
· Empowerment
Quadrant of Quality
NOT IMPORTANT / III
· Interruptions, some phone calls
· Some mail, some reports
· Some meetings
· Many proximate, pressing matters
· Many popular activities
Quadrant of Deception / IV
· Trivia, busywork
· Junk mail
· Some phone calls
· Time Waster
· “Escape” activities
Quadrant of Waste
1. Most important things are rarely urgent
2. To be successful, one should devote time in Quadrant II, quadrant of quality
3. The more we work on Quadrant II, the smaller the other quadrant will become.
Extract from “First Things First” by Stephen R. Covey, A Roger Merill, Rebecca R. Merrill