Journal article
Breaking down barriers to eye care for Indigenous people: A new scheme for delivery of eye care in Victoria
G Napper, T Fricke, MD Anjou, AJ Jackson
Clinical and Experimental Optometry | TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD | Published : 2015
DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12325
Abstract
This report describes the implementation of and outcomes from a new spectacle subsidy scheme and de-centralised care options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Victoria, Australia. The Victorian Aboriginal Spectacle Subsidy Scheme (VASSS) commenced in 2010, as an additional subsidy to the long-established Victorian Eyecare Service (VES). The Victorian Aboriginal Spectacle Subsidy Scheme aimed to improve access to and uptake of affordable spectacles and eye examinations by Indigenous Victorians. The scheme is overseen by a committee convened by the Victorian Government's Department of Health and Human Services and includes eye-health stakeholders from the Aboriginal communit..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Service's Ageing and Aged Care Branch funds the Victorian Eyecare Service (VES) and the Aboriginal Health Branch funds the additional subsidy for the Victorian Aboriginal Spectacle Subsidy Scheme (VASSS). The Australian Government Department of Health funds the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) and Medicare. Thanks to the members of the Victorian Koolin Balit Aboriginal Eye Health Advisory Group and the staff teams at the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS), the Australian College of Optometry (ACO) and participating VES practitioners. Thank you also to Barry Cole for providing assistance with the manuscript and to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions. The authors acknowledge the support of ACO management including CEO Maureen O'Keefe and Director of Clinical Services Sharon Bentley.