Eye care is a rapidly growing field within community health centers with the number of eye care providers and support staff nearly tripling since 2014. According to the 2023 Uniform Data System (UDS) report, there are now 499.74 optometry FTEs, 838.73 vision care personnel FTEs, and 42.06 ophthalmology FTEs at community health centers—a remarkable 170% increase in optometry FTEs and 315% increase in vision care personnel FTEs since 2014—while growth in ophthalmology has stagnated. Despite this rapid growth, little is known about the community health center eye care workforce as few surveys at the state or national level include these roles in their data collection, analysis, or reports.
The Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) – leaders in supporting the establishment and expansion
of eye clinics at community health centers – is excited to announce the launch of the 2024 Health Center Eye Care Workforce Survey which delves deeply into the current community health center eye care workforce landscape with the goal of identifying existing needs and opportunities for improving recruitment and retention. ACU recognizes the vital role that eye care plays in comprehensive healthcare and seeks to support a growing and thriving eye care workforce.
2023 Survey Highlights
In July 2023, ACU piloted a brief survey that focused on community health center optometrists asking them about tenure, residency completion, expected number of patient visits per day, and more. This survey was a key first step in understanding the optometry workforce. To learn more about the findings, access the 2023 Community Health Center Optometry Workforce Survey report and Optometrist Tenure and Residency Status: Impact on Hourly Wages poster, presented at ACU’s 2024 Annual Conference.
Why Your Participation in the 2024 Health Center Eye Care Workforce Survey Matters
The 2024 Health Center Eye Care Workforce Survey aims to provide a comprehensive view of the health center eye care workforce by identifying strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement. By gaining insights into recruitment and retention, the survey will help develop strategies to attract and retain skilled eye care providers and cultivate a robust workforce. It will also highlight service delivery gaps, enabling health centers to address unmet patient needs. The data gathered will inform policy and funding decisions, advocate for increased resources, and strengthen training programs, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes through a well-supported and capable workforce. Your insights will help us ensure that all patients receive the high-quality eye care they deserve. If you are an eye care provider (both optometrist or ophthalmologist), we encourage you to fill out this survey. By participating, you will directly contribute to supporting the future of eye care providers and services in community health centers nationwide.
To participate, simply click on this survey link. For any questions regarding the survey or ACU’s eye health and vision care programs, please contact Luke Ertle at lertle@clinicians.org.
Additional Resources
ACU provides free job postings for community health centers looking to hire eye care professionals. Contact Luke Ertle, Program Director, at lertle@clinicians.org for more information about job postings.
ACU’s Vision Services Committee recently published a new resource, FQHC Eye Care Services Billing & Coding: Tips and FAQs. This resource will help streamline billing processes and ensure that optometry services in health centers are appropriately supported and compensated.
