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NEI created NEHEP to help fulfill a vital aspect of our mission: to educate both professionals and the public about the importance of eye health.
NEHEP works closely with health professionals and health educators to create resources and tools they can use to raise awareness in their communities. In addition to its 6 program areas, NEHEP also focuses on:
- The importance of early detection and treatment for eye diseases
- Benefits of vision rehabilitation
- Populations at highest risk of eye disease and vision loss
NEHEP's 6 program areas
- Diabetic Eye Disease
- Glaucoma
- Vision Rehabilitation
- ¡Ojo con su visión!: Eye Health for Hispanics/Latinos
- Vision and Aging
- Eye Health, My Health: Eye Health for Black/African American People
Learn About our History and Goals
Vision loss is a major public health problem that affects millions of Americans. In 1988, Congress directed NEI to establish the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) to help prevent vision loss by developing education programs for the public and professionals.
For more than 20 years, NEHEP has been translating scientific discoveries into actionable guidance.
NEHEP aims to reach populations at higher risk of eye diseases. NEHEP also focuses on the importance of early detection and treatment and the benefits of vision rehabilitation.
NEHEP’s Strategic Plan
NEHEP’s goal is to work in collaboration with strategic partners to promote eye health as a public health priority and prevent vision loss through outreach and education.
NEHEP’s strategic plan describes this goal and outlines NEHEP’s objectives for the next 4 years.
Become a NEHEP partner
The NEHEP Partnership includes more than 60 national organizations that educate the public about eye health. Our partners play a key role in promoting eye health and raising awareness in communities across the country.
The Partnership establishes collaborative relationships between NEI and its members to promote eye health in communities across the nation.
NEI collaborates with NEHEP partners to:
- Cross-promote campaigns, events, and resources on social media
- Develop resources and tools with health professionals and health educators to raise awareness in their communities
- Create and implement eye health-related campaigns
- Support user testing and research with people living with vision loss or eye diseases
Contributors are responsible for:
- Submitting announcements and resources to the NEHEP newsletter, the Eye Health Connection
- Promoting NEI and NEHEP announcements and resources through websites, newsletters, blogs, social media, events, and other communication channels
- Collaborating with NEI to promote selected NEHEP awareness months and outreach efforts
Collaborators have all the responsibilities of contributors, and are also responsible for:
- Identifying opportunities to co-brand or co-create new materials or revise existing materials with NEHEP
- Participating in evaluation of NEHEP materials as requested
Ambassadors have all the responsibilities of collaborators, and are also responsible for:
- Joining a NEHEP workgroup if a relevant opportunity arises
- Implementing programs and activities to expand NEHEP’s reach or to evaluate NEHEP’s efforts
The NEHEP Partnership encourages mutually beneficial engagement between NEHEP and partners. NEHEP partners receive many benefits based on their partnership level.
Promotion
Partners in all levels benefit from promotion opportunities. Partners may be featured in the NEHEP Eye Health Connection newsletter, and the NEHEP Partnership Directory.
Connection
Partners in all levels benefit from the opportunity to network and form connections with other NEHEP partners and the NEHEP Planning Group through workgroups, summits, or other collaborative opportunities.
Material development
Collaborators and ambassadors can help develop materials, which may feature their logo. They can also help evaluate existing materials and programs.
Thought leadership
Ambassadors can participate in thought leadership through NEHEP workgroups. They can also identify new programs and activity opportunities.
If you have questions or want to learn more about joining the NEHEP Partnership, please email us at EyeHealthMatters@nei.nih.gov.
Sign up for the Eye Health Connection newsletter
Stay up to date on news from NEHEP — including the latest about our education programs, disease prevention initiatives, and other activities from NEHEP and our partners.
The Eye Health Connection brings you the latest updates from NEI and NEHEP partners, including:
- The latest vision research news
- Upcoming eye health events
- Helpful new resources
- Opportunities to collaborate with NEHEP partners
We send out new issues of the Eye Health Connection every 2 months.
Read about our Planning Group
The NEHEP Planning Group is made up of experts in eye health, health education, health communication, and community outreach. Planning Group members bring a wide range of knowledge about eye health and experience with populations at higher risk for eye disease.
Planning Group members:
- Recommend NEHEP program priorities
- Provide advice on the development, implementation, and evaluation of NEHEP activities
- Review and help refine NEHEP materials and resources
- Facilitate cooperation among the NEHEP Partnership
Planning Group members also carry out activities to help accomplish the goal and objectives outlined in NEHEP’s strategic plan.
NEHEP’s goal is to work in collaboration with strategic partners to promote eye health as a public health priority and prevent vision loss through outreach and education.
NEHEP’s strategic plan describes this goal and outlines NEHEP’s objectives around partnerships, outreach, education content, and evaluation for the next 4 years.
Jullia A. Rosdahl, M.D., Ph.D. (chair), Duke Eye Center, Duke University
Royce W.S. Chen, M.D., Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Zelia M. Correa, M.D., Ph.D., Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Susan Cotter, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O, Southern California College of Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University
Anju Goyal, M.D., Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Judy E. Kim, M.D., Medical College of Wisconsin
Janet Leasher, O.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.O., F.N.A.P., Camden Family Health, Summersville, West Virginia
Michael Maldonado, O.D., M.B.A., Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Eydie Miller-Ellis, M.D., Scheie Eye Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Omar Mohiuddin, M.P.H., M.S., OTR/L, CLVT, Duke Eye Center
Susan A. Primo, O.D., M.P.H., F.A.A.O., Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine
Sherrol Reynolds, O.D., F.A.A.O., The Eye Care Institute, Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry
L. Penny Rosenblum, Ph.D., Vision for Independence LLC
James Tsai, M.D., M.B.A. (member emeritus), New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mt. Sinai
Mark E. Wilkinson, O.D., (member emeritus), Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Parres Mone Wright, O.D., F.A.A.O., Midwestern University-Chicago College of Optometry