In 1999, SHA screened more than 7,000 children ages 3, 4 and 5 for vision and hearing problems. Of those, approximately 20 percent were referred for further testing. To reach those children, SHA screeners logged more than 16,500 miles — enough to get them from Minneapolis to Moscow, three-fourths of the way around the world.

So where does SHA actually screen?

The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, made up of 11 counties, is divided into five quadrants: east, north, south, St. Paul and Stillwater. Cities on the outer ring include Annandale in the northwest, Howard Lake in the west, Cottage Grove in the southeast and Forest Lake in the northeast.

To cover that wide area, SHA has five screening teams. The Metro East team, composed of mother and daughter Lynne Johnson and Karry Case as well as Jennie King-Pelinka, is responsible for areas such as Woodbury, Mendota Heights and Cottage Grove. They also screen at Minneapolis Head Start.

Four screeners comprise the Metro South team: Kathy Lamon, Kathy Noel, Carol Roehm and Ellie Burkhart. They screen at Minneapolis Head Start and areas such as Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Delano.

The Metro North team, formerly Sandi Scherer and Janet Schley and now the new team of Sandy Johnson and Karel Smith, screen in areas such as Monticello, Maple Grove, Coon Rapids and Forest Lake. They also are responsible for screening in the Anoka, Washington and Wright county Head Start programs.

Carol Furlong and Heidi Hegel make up the St. Paul team. Their area encompasses cities such as St. Paul, White Bear Lake, Lake Elmo and St. Paul Head Start.

Screeners Julie Ritzer and Pat Rossini, who “retired” last summer, continue to serve the Stillwater area.

For SHA and these 12 screeners, finding vision and hearing problems early — in the first years of life — is critically important for speech, language and intellectual development. Teachers and parents at one of SHA’s screening sites, Meadow Creek Christian Preschool in Andover, agree. Each year, we have parents say, "We are so thankful that the screening took place," explains teacher LuAnn Johnson. "It’s reassuring to them that if there is a problem, it’s caught early."

For more information on SHA’s preschool screening program, call Sue Veys, director of preschool screening, at 651/645-2546.

Toys make noise. Loud noise. That’s the result of a study in which the Sight & Hearing Association found that 10 of 12 toys tested were louder than traffic on 35W.

For the second year, SHA and researchers from the University of Minnesota tested a dozen toys — taken right off the shelves of local toy stores — for potentially dangerous noise levels.

The four loudest toys measured above 100 decibels (dB) — louder than a chain saw. The loudest toy, S.R.M.’s Power Fazer, measured at 110-115 dB, the same level as an auto horn in the ear. Regular exposure to noise over 100 dB poses a risk for permanent hearing loss.

“I am truly amazed at the level of some of these toys,” said Michael D. Peters, M.D., an otolaryngologist and resident at the University of Minnesota’s department of otolaryngology who tested the toys. “I would have never guessed they would be this loud. I wouldn’t even let my own children play with them.”

Because of a child’s shorter arm span, toys are often potentially more dangerous because children hold them closer to their ears. In the Sight & Hearing Association study, the toys were tested for noise levels at a distance of three inches, six inches and 12 inches to simulate the way a child might hold the toy. A sound-proof booth was used to ensure an accurate recording.

Currently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission does not have regulations that address the loudness of toys. Another regulatory agency, the American Society of Testing and Materials, requires only that toys not exceed 138 dB when measured 25 cm from the surface of the toy. That is louder than a gunshot or a jet at take-off. Standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) for the nation’s workers indicate that continued exposure to noise over 85 dBA will eventually harm hearing.

Nearly 6,000 motorists each year suffer serious eye injuries or even blindness from working around batteries. To help make this important task easier, free jump-start safety stickers are available from the Sight & Hearing Association. These fluorescent stickers — perfect for placement underneath the hood of a vehicle — provide do’s and don’ts for a proper jump-start as well as a diagram showing the proper placement of jumper cables.

For a free jump-start safety sticker, send a stamped, self-addressed business-sized envelope to Sight & Hearing Association, 674 Transfer Road, St. Paul, MN 55114.

The Sight & Hearing Association, Minnesota Academy of Ophthalmology and Phillips Eye Institute teamed up to provide a free glaucoma screening for the public.

How long have you been involved with SHA?
I joined the SHA board two years ago. In that time I have been impressed with the quality of the leadership and staff of SHA, as well as the continued attention to the SHA mission.

As an employee of one of the major HMOs in Minnesota, you are probably more aware than most about changes in the health-care field. How can we best get people focused on prevention efforts rather than treatment?

In working in both public health nursing and managed care, it has become apparent to me that to create preventative action requires multiple approaches: screening, education, motivation and public awareness. Education is important to convey the risks and the means to prevent adverse health events or conditions. A method of screening also is important to identify the individuals at highest risk of such outcomes. Motivation is then necessary to create change and move individuals or groups to actions based on the risks and their readiness to change. Lastly, public awareness helps to create a greater knowledge of the risks and supports broader motivation and acceptance of the actions that result in prevention. From my observation, SHA incorporates all of these aspects into its program initiatives and product development. The education materials are second to none, the screening is effective, the approach to motivation is apparent in all the public awareness campaigns, and the public awareness campaigns are excellent. Probably the greatest issue going forward will be to reach people at an impressionable point in life to truly create a focus on prevention.

On the more personal side, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy camping during the summer and fall. I also keep busy with two young boys and assist with scout activities.