25 Weeks of Gratitude: Bringing Vision into Focus, One Child at a Time
Bringing Vision into Focus, One Child at a Time
By Jennifer Bridgeman
For Dr. Zain Chauhan, some of the most meaningful moments in medicine don’t happen in a clinic; they happen when care reaches children where they are, sometimes aboard a brightly colored mobile vision unit outside their school.
As a resident physician in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Ophthalmology, Chauhan has helped transform how children across Arkansas experience eye care, bringing it directly to them with the GoVision AR mobile vision screening unit.
“Being able to see clearly can change a person’s life,” he said. “And for many of these kids, this is the first time the world has really come into focus.”
Through GoVision AR, a project of UAMS and the Jones Eye Institute, children receive full eye exams, prescriptions and free glasses — often overcoming barriers that would otherwise prevent them from getting care. Transportation challenges, cost and access to pediatric eye specialists can make routine vision care difficult for many families. The mobile unit removes those obstacles.
And it does more than that. It turns a doctor’s visit into something approachable, even exciting.
“A lot of the kids get really excited because it’s something new and fun,” Chauhan said. “They get to jump into the van and look at the microscopes and lights. Most kids are generally excited to come in and have an exam.”
But the moments that stay with him most are those where access makes an immediate, life-changing difference.
At Lonoke Elementary, Chauhan met a child on the autism spectrum who was too anxious to complete his eye exam. Instead of giving up, Chauhan adapted, bringing in someone the child trusted.
“He had to go get his teacher, and I walked her through the exam with him,” Chauhan said.
Then came the breakthrough.
“At one point, he said, ‘I can see a star.’ And then he saw all the shapes on the screen,” Chauhan said. “We were able to get him corrected to 20/20.”
For Chauhan, that moment represented exactly why GoVision exists; meeting patients where they are, both physically and emotionally.
The need is significant. Some of the children the GoVision team sees require strong prescriptions but don’t have glasses. Others have been diagnosed with conditions like amblyopia (lazy eye) but haven’t received follow-up care.
“It’s important not just to screen these patients, but to follow up with them,” Chauhan said. “Some don’t have transportation to Arkansas Children’s Hospital or access to a pediatric eye doctor in their community. We’re bringing that care to them and making sure they don’t fall through the cracks.”
The impact extends beyond children. At community events, the GoVision unit also screens adults for serious conditions like diabetic retinopathy. In one case, the team helped connect a woman with a serious eye condition to a UAMS specialist after she had put off care while managing other health concerns.
Moments like those reinforce the program’s broader purpose, and Chauhan is quick to acknowledge that this work wouldn’t be possible without strong community support.
“The Blue & You Foundation grant has had a tremendous impact on our program and the healthcare community,” he said. “It’s allowed us to bring vision care directly to children and families who might not otherwise have access.”
Since receiving support from the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, the GoVision AR mobile unit has expanded its reach across the state, serving schools, health fairs and community events, and helping ensure that clearer vision is within reach for more Arkansans.
As the Blue & You Foundation celebrates its 25th anniversary, stories like Chauhan’s, and the children and families he serves, highlight the lasting impact of that investment.
Because sometimes gratitude looks like a pair of glasses, a trusted teacher by your side, and the moment a blurry world finally comes into focus.
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Blue & You Foundation, 25 Weeks of Gratitude spotlights 25 stories of Arkansans whose lives have been impacted by Foundation-funded work.
*The Blue & You Foundation was established in 2001 through an initial gift from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Since its inception, the Foundation’s financial base has grown through wise and prudent investment strategies. This has enabled the foundation to support its mission by making grants funded by the interest earned on those investments.