SAN RAMON, Calif.—CooperVision Specialty EyeCare announced the latest iteration of its “Make a Difference” program, which is now entering its third year. The program is designed to provide U.S. and Canadian optometry students and educators with the opportunity to fit patients who lack financial resources with CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s iSee, Onefit and Paragon CRT specialty contact lenses. The company has grown the partnership to 25 universities, including New England College of Optometry, the University of Houston College of Optometry, and UC Berkeley School of Optometry.

Through the program, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare commits to working with both students and prescribing university practitioners to provide patients in need with complimentary warranted lenses. Each student and faculty member may identify one patient per school year to whom CooperVision will donate a pair of specialty contact lenses.

“Accessing quality eyecare and specialty contact lenses can be a seemingly insurmountable obstacle for people in some instances,” said Leah Johnson, OD, FAAO, director of professional affairs, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare. “Through the Make a Difference program, we’re taking another step to provide proper vision care to those in need, while at the same time growing the skills of the next generation of eyecare professionals.”

The Make a Difference program builds upon CooperVision’s existing Adopt-a-Patient program. That initiative—which began in 2016—encourages third- and fourth-year optometry students to “adopt” a deserving patient from their community who lacks financial resources to be fit with the company’s soft contact lenses.

CooperVision Specialty EyeCare develops, manufactures and provides access to a portfolio of industry leading custom and rigid gas permeable lens designs, including orthokeratology and scleral lenses to address segments such as myopia management, irregular cornea management and presbyopia management. Its steady voice, ongoing research and innovative products and services play a leading role in expanding care worldwide. The group’s brands include Blanchard, GP Specialists, Paragon, Procornea, Soflex, and No7 Contact Lenses.

To learn more about CooperVision Specialty EyeCare’s Make a Difference program, visit the page here.