NEW YORK—Vision Source has announced a mobile vision clinic tour of 13 major U.S. cities in 2020 to raise awareness for the importance of an annual comprehensive eye exam. Along the tour, Vision Source doctors and staff will provide free exams and corrective eyewear to families across the country who do not have access to vision care. The tour began in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and will also travel to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis and Washington D.C. Locally licensed doctors within the Vision Source network will staff the events, which will be equipped to support all aspects of a comprehensive eye exam.

A 2019 Vision Source study of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that more than 50 percent had issues with their vision in the past year, and 34 percent did not go for a professional eye exam. The major barriers to having an annual eye exam included not thinking they needed one (33 percent), unsure of where to go (25 percent), lack of insurance, (22 percent) and expense (22 percent).

Rosa Yohannes, who suffered from regular headaches and was diagnosed with oligodendroglioma, a rare grade three tumor, by her Vision Source optometrist when she was 19, said, “I thought I was going to live the rest of my life with really awful migraines. By mentioning this ongoing symptom to my doctor during my annual eye exam, she helped me uncover that a brain tumor was the root of my migraines. After surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, I’m happy to say that I’m cancer-free and am so thankful for the eye exam and the wonderful team of optometrists and physicians who saved my life.”

Amir Khoshnevis, OD, chief medical officer for Vision Source, said, “We have a unique opportunity in 2020 to raise awareness about the critical importance of eye health. Most people think about how important their vision is and how difficult school, work, or just everyday living would be if you could not see well. The correct glasses or contact lenses are just the starting point. When we examine the eye, we see so much more than just your vision. For example, we directly evaluate exposed blood vessels, allowing us to identify concerns for hypertension, diabetes and much more.”

More information about the mobile vision clinic tour, including dates and locations, please visit visionsource2020.com (http://visionsource2020.com/).