An Eye Toward Helping Students

Mobile Eye and Dental Screenings Coming To County Schools

For The Students: County Executive Angela Alsobrooks stands with PGCPS CEO Dr. Monica Goldson, CF Founder Dr. Larry Caplin and former New Orleans Saints Wide Receiver Brandon Coleman. PHOTO: RAOUL DENNIS // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

County students will get free eye and dental screenings starting January 2020—and in some cases, they will receive eye glasses.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks joined with Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Dr. Monica Goldson and former NFL wide receiver Brandon Coleman to announce a new partnership with the Student Health Impact Project (SHIP), sponsored by CF Charities Nov. 25, to include free mobile dental and vision services for schools.

All PGCPS students will be able to access the services. Dental and vision care will be provided at schools or in mobile units. Dental care will include routine treatment; vision care will include screenings, follow-up services with an optometrist or ophthalmologist and free glasses as needed.

Coleman, a native of Prince George’s County, played for the New Orleans Saints. He is working with SHIP to bring the program to county schools via mobile clinics.

Brandon Coleman. PHOTO: RAOUL DENNIS // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA

“We have school nurses in our 206 schools in addition to an outside agency but what this does is provide an opportunity for preventive care across the schools and 136,000 students. The ability to actually bring the service to the school helps us in a variety of areas including parents not having the time to take off [from work], transportation and the follow-up visits,” said Dr. Goldson.

Dr. Larry Caplin, Founder/CEO, CF Charities says that the program will provide the diagnosis, offer referrals, potentially purchase the glasses and provide the follow up.

“It truly is a complete wrap around-around support service for every student in the school system,” Goldson says.