Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL
Part V - Preventive Health Services
Subpart 7 - Maternal and Child Health Services
Chapter 23 - Eye Anomalies Services
Section V-2303 - Program Procedures

A. Training workshops are conducted each year by the regional Eye Anomalies Program consultants in each parish throughout the state. Training is provided to school nurses, public health nurses, teachers, parents, volunteers, and others. These individuals are trained to conduct the basic initial screening procedures with school age children in public, parochial, and private schools.

B. Initial screening is performed by certified Eye Anomalies Program technicians on infants, preschoolers, kindergarten children, mentally retarded children, hearing impaired children, and children referred from the Department of Education, since more complex clinical skills and/or equipment are required for these individuals.

C. The eye anomalies staff employs more definitive test procedures to screen school age children in public, parochial, and private schools when these children are referred. If the results of this rescreening are positive, this indicates the need for an ophthalmic examination. These children are then referred into medical diagnostic clinics. Individuals initially tested by Eye Anomalies Program staff are referred directly into medical diagnostic clinics without rescreening procedures.

D. Medical diagnostic screening clinics are scheduled as needed at parish health units throughout the state. All individuals failing the initial or rescreening procedures conducted by Eye Anomalies Program staff are invited into a clinic where they are examined by an ophthalmologist. These ophthalmic examinations assist in determining whether a particular ocular problem requires medical or non medical treatment. Counseling services are provided focusing on communicating the child's needs to parents, to educators, and to health personnel. The Ophthalmic Advisory Committee (see Section 2307) assists in the recruitment of ophthalmologists for these clinics.

E. School nurses are asked to follow-up on public school children who fail to attend clinics. OPPHS Eye Anomalies Program staff and public health nurses conduct a follow-up of preschool, parochial, and private school children who do not attend clinics in order to determine if they have sought private care services.

F. Post clinic conferences attended by the parents or guardians and a public health nurse or Eye Anomalies Program staff member are utilized to initiate needed follow-up for those attending the medical diagnostic clinic. Follow-up services are also provided by other agencies.