Healthy People 2010 Strategic Partnership

Memorandum Of Understanding

Between

The American Optometric Association

and

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• The National Institutes of Health,
  National Eye Institute

• Office of the Secretary,
  Office of Public Health and Science,
  Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets forth the terms and understanding between the American Optometric Association (AOA) and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services regarding activities related to Healthy People 2010.

The AOA and the HHS share common priorities and interests in Healthy People 2010, including but not limited to the Healthy People 2010 Vision Objectives: Focus Area 28. Each organization has unique competencies through which it addresses these goals. The AOA and HHS recognize that by forming a strategic partnership and with efforts at the national, state and local levels, they can capitalize on the individual strengths of each organization to achieve the goals and targets set forth in Healthy People 2010, thereby improving the health of our nation.

Healthy People 2010, the nation's health objectives for the first decade of the 21^st century, identifies 467 specific disease prevention and health promotion objectives for improving the health of our nation and its communities. The two over-arching goals of Healthy People 2010 are the elimination of health disparities and the increase in the quality and years of healthy living. One of the 28 chapters in Healthy People 2010 specifically addresses vision issues and is entitled, "Vision and Hearing," including ten specific vision objectives (Vision Objectives). The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) manages and implements the Healthy People 2010 initiative. The National Eye Institute (NEI) is the lead agency for Healthy People 2010's Vision Chapter.

Healthy People 2010 builds on initiatives pursued over the past two decades. In 1979, Healthy People: The Surgeon General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention provided national goals for reducing premature death and preserving independence for older adults. In 1980, another report, Promoting Health/Preventing Disease: Objectives for the Nation, set forth targeted health objectives for the nation to achieve over the next ten years and by the year 1990. In 1990, Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives identified health improvement goals and objectives to be reached by the year 2000. Healthy People 2010 continues in this tradition as an instrument to improve health for the first decade of the 21^st century.

Founded in 1898, the American Optometric Association (AOA) represents more than 33,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students and paraoptometric assistants and technicians in more than 6,600 communities across the country. The AOA is a federation of state associations with affiliates in all states and the District of Columbia and also includes the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) and the Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS). Principal among the association's missions is its mission to improve the quality and availability of eye and vision care for all Americans. The AOA operates out of its main offices located in St. Louis, Missouri, and metropolitan Washington, DC.

This MOU reflects the common commitment of AOA and HHS to address the vision challenges facing the United States. This MOU reflects the intent of AOA and HHS to work together toward: translating and implementing Healthy People 2010 and its Vision Objectives into state, local, and community action; increasing awareness and use of the Healthy People 2010 and its Vision Objectives among the nation's doctors of optometry; enhancing communication, coordination and collaboration on a range of Healthy People 2010 Vision related activities, both existing and proposed; achieving the targets set forth in the Vision Objectives; and eliminating health disparities. The purpose of this strategic partnership is to catalyze progress toward the goals and targets set forth in the Healthy People 2010 Vision chapter and in several of the other Healthy People 2010 chapters with vision related issues and objectives, such as the Healthy People 2010 chapter for diabetes, and to improve the health of our communities and our nation.

These objectives will be accomplished by means of:

1. Programs, education, research and services designed to improve quality of life and to reduce health disparities;
2. The early identification, diagnosis, treatment and management of eye diseases and vision disorders, which impact people of all ages from infants to the elderly; and
3. The prevention of blindness and vision impairment.

The American Optometric Association will:

1. Promote public and professional awareness of eye diseases and vision conditions found in the Healthy People 2010 Vision focus area (i.e. Chapter 28) (Vision Chapter) and emphasize that most of these conditions are amenable to primary, secondary and tertiary prevention;
2. In partnership with NEI, contribute to the development of national action plans for each of the Vision Objectives;
3. Identify Public health policies that can serve to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with vision disorders and eye diseases conditions found in the Vision Chapter;
4. Communicate with practicing optometrists and educators at schools and colleges of optometry regarding the Vision Objectives, Healthy People 2010, and health disparities, and encourage their implementation of activities to achieve the targets set forth in the Vision Chapter and Healthy People 2010 to eliminate health disparities;
5. Educate policymakers regarding Healthy People 2010, the Vision Objectives, and existing health disparities;
6. Identify Healthy People 2010 and its Vision Chapter as a resource for policymakers, providers, and the public insofar as it provides a comprehensive profile of our nation's health and vision status by population;
7. Encourage state optometric associations to forge alliances with local partners for the purpose of eliminating health disparities and achieving the Vision Objectives;
8. Disseminate information regarding Healthy People 2010, the Vision Objectives, and health disparities through its networks and to practicing optometrists and educators at schools and colleges of optometry, including but not limited to at least 3 articles per year in its professional newsletter and magazine;
9. Provide a web link from the AOA Internet homepage to the Healthy People 2010, the Healthy Vision 2010 and healthfinder® homepages.
10. Meet bi-annually with representatives from the HHS to review the progress of activities and the partnership and to determine whether there are other potential opportunities of mutual interest that would serve to further benefit the joint endeavors of the organizations; and
11. Provide AOA representation to national Healthy People 2010 related and Healthy Vision 2010 related meetings.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will:

1. Facilitate communication between the AOA and other Healthy People 2010 partners;
2. Develop and produce Healthy People 2010 and make provisions for Healthy People 2010 to be accessible in print form, as CD-ROM, and through the Internet;
3. Monitor the health of the nation and progress toward the Healthy People 2010 Objectives, including the Vision Objectives and the elimination of health disparities;
4. Bring the AOA together with other non-governmental organizations that share a mutual interest in the Vision Objectives, eliminating health disparities, and achieving the goals in Healthy People 2010;
5. Facilitate joint efforts for enhancing professional education, including joint presentations, co-hosting of national conferences, and dissemination of best practices.
6. Provide staff expertise, as resources allow, for promoting Healthy People 2010, the Vision Objectives, and the elimination of health disparities to optometrists through dissemination and implementation activities of mutual interest;
7. Bring AOA together with other governmental and non-governmental organizations that share a mutual interest in disease prevention, health promotion and the elimination of health disparities among children and adolescents;
8. Provide technical assistance, as resources allow, for data and implementation activities through the National Eye Institute, the Healthy People 2010 Vision chapter lead agency; and
9. Provide assistance, as resources allow, for promoting Healthy People 2010, the Vision Objectives, and the elimination of health disparities to health professionals and community organizations and for developing a companion document to the Healthy People 2010 Vision Objectives.

The AOA Executive Director, the Director of the National Eye Institute and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) jointly will evaluate the progress and effectiveness of this relationship and determine the future direction of the partnership at the end of each year based on mutually agreed upon criteria.

Nothing in this MOU shall be deemed to be a commitment or obligation of Federal or American Optometric Association funds.

This Memorandum of Understanding is at-will and may be modified by mutual consent of authorized officials from the AOA and the United States Government. This MOU becomes effective upon signature by authorized officials from AOA and the U.S. Government and will remain in effect until modified or terminated by either party by mutual consent or upon 60 days' prior notice. In the absence of a mutual agreement by authorized officials from the AOA and the United States Government to continue further this partnership, this agreement shall end on December 31, 2005.

LEGAL AUTHORITY

This agreement is authorized by Section 1701 and 1704 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 300u and 300u-3, as amended.

[signed September 26, 2002-October 1, 2002]

J. Pat Cummings, OD
President American Optometric Association

Eve E. Slater, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Assistant Secretary for Health
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Randolph F. Wykoff, M.D., M.P.H. & T.M.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
(Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Eye Institute
National Institutes of Health

CONTACT LIST

AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION

J. Pat Cummings, OD
President
American Optometric Association
243 N. Lindbergh Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63141
Phone: (307) 674-8042
Fax: (307) 674-8042
Email: JPCummings@aoa.org

John Whitener, OD, MPH
Assistant Director
American Optometric Association
1505 Prince Street, Suite 300
Alexandria, VA 2231
4Phone: (703) 739-9200
Fax: (703) 739-9497
Email: amoptcor@aol.com

ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH

Eve E. Slater, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Assistant Secretary for Health
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W., Room 725-H
Washington, DC 20201
 

NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE

Michael P. Davis
Associate Director
Office of Science Policy and Legislation
National Eye Institute, NIH
Building 31, Room 6A23
31 Center Drive MSC 2510
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
Phone: (301) 496-4308
Fax: (301) 402-3799
Email: mpd@nei.nih.gov

Rosemary Janiszewski, M.S., CHES
Deputy Director
Office of Communication, Health Education, and Public Liaison
National Eye Institute, NIH
Building 31, Room 6A32
31 Center Drive MSC 2510
Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510
Phone: (301) 496-5248
Fax: (301) 402-1065
Email: rjaniszewski@nei.nih.gov

OFFICE OF DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION

Randolph F. Wykoff, M.D., M.P.H. & T.M.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health
(Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (202) 401-6295
Fax: (202) 690-7054

Emmeline Ochiai, J.D., M.P.H.
Health Advisor
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (202) 401-6295
Fax: (202) 205-9478
Email: EOchiai@osophs.dhhs.gov

Debra C Nichols, M.D., M.P.H.
Public Health Advisor
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: (202) 401-0735
Fax: (202) 205-9478
Email: DNichols@osophs.dhhs.gov