The Vision Council of America named Assemblyman Philip Ramos (D-Central Islip) to its honor roll for his efforts to educate Suffolk County residents about the importance of eye exams in preserving healthy vision and preventing vision loss.

As part of its "Check Yearly, See Clearly" campaign, the VCA offered educational materials to nearly 8,000 state legislators for distribution in their communities. Ramos and 105 other legislators from 30 states were singled out for their efforts to promote the importance of regular eye exams.

"This national recognition means the hard work we’ve done to get this important information out to Suffolk families has paid off," Ramos said. "So many people forget how crucial their vision is to everyday life – the Vision Council of America is making strides to change that."

A recent study found that more Americans will likely suffer vision loss as baby boomers age and become more affected by vision threatening conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration, VCA reported.

"Vision loss drastically affects the ability of an otherwise healthy person to function daily," Ramos said. "Prevention is always the best medicine, and I will continue to make information available about the necessity of annual eye exams, as well as programs like Family Health Plus and Child Health Plus, which offer low- to no-cost vision coverage."

For information on the VCA’s "Check Yearly, See Clearly" campaign, contact Ramos’ district office at (631) 435-3214. For more information on Family and Child Health Plus, visit the New York State Department of Health Web site at www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/.