• Mobile health program supports student's academic success, promotes overall well-being

DETROIT, Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian, a Michigan‑based provider of government‑sponsored health plans and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), announced today it has partnered with the Envolve Vision Van to provide eye exams and eyeglasses at no costs to students in low-income urban and rural communities.

Meridian and the Envolve Vision Van kicked off the school-based mobile vision program in October at Greyhound Intermediate School in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, where 188 students received eye exams and prescriptions for 48 pairs of eyeglasses. Earlier this month, the van visited five elementary and middle schools in the Wayne-Westland Community School District. In all, the van provided vision exams to 846 students at both schools and 179 eyeglass prescriptions. The eyeglasses will soon be delivered to the children's homes by mail at no charge, courtesy of Meridian.

"We have so many bright young people in our Michigan cities and rural communities. This partnership will not just improve their eyesight, it will change their lives. A cool pair of eyeglasses can open up a new world for a child to grow academically and live his or her best life. By bringing vision services onsite to the schools, we are removing the potential transportation barrier for parents and caregivers of having to take the prescription to an optometry office at a later time," said Jill Howard, Meridian's Vice President, Population Health and Clinical Operations.

"The free vision screenings and glasses our students received from Meridian is an invaluable gift for our students. Their contribution not only supports our student's academic success, but also promotes their overall health and well-being. Such initiatives significantly alleviate the financial burden on our families and underscores Meridian's commitment to serving their community," said Amanda Faughnan, Supervisor of Social Emotional Learning for the Wayne-Westland Community School District.

The project is supported through Centene, which owns Envolve Vision and offers the mobile vision van to provide vision screenings and eyeglasses to communities. Under this program, the van's trained technicians performed onsite vision screenings for school-aged children. Students all receive a no-cost pair of glasses with their vision screening results and an eye care information packet for their parents and caregivers with instructions on proper vision care.

It is estimated that more than 20 percent of school-aged children in the United States have vision problems and low-income and minority children have a greater than average risk of underdiagnosis and undertreatment. Studies have shown that when vision problems are corrected with lens students perform better in school.

Meridian chose Eaton and Wayne-Westland to launch the vision program because of its existing relationship with those two school districts through furniture donations it made earlier this year.

The Wayne-Westland Community School District chose the following schools for the launch:

• Wildwood Elementary School - 500 N. Wildwood Westland, MI 48185
• Champions, Stevenson Middle School - 38501 Palmer Rd, Westland, MI 48186
• Walker-Winter Elementary - 39932 Michigan Ave. Canton, MI 48188
• Hicks Elementary - 100 Helen Inkster, MI 48141
• Taft-Galloway Elementary - 4035 Gloria Wayne, MI 48184

Meridian plans to expand the program to more schools next year across Michigan to give more school-aged children a chance to see clearly and achieve success in the classroom and beyond.

About Meridian

Meridian in Michigan provides government-sponsored managed care services to families, children, seniors, and individuals with complex medical needs primarily through Medicaid (Meridian), Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Wellcare), Medicare-Medicaid Plans (MeridianComplete), and the Health Insurance Marketplace (Ambetter from Meridian). Meridian is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to helping people live healthier lives. For more information about Meridian, please visit mimeridian.com.

About Envolve Vision

Envolve Vision is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation that offers a mobile vision van to provide vision screenings and glasses to the community. Envolve Vision serves more than 18 million members in 32 states and Puerto Rico and has over 25,000 eye care providers in its network. For more information visit envolvevision.com.