We worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide data for a national vision health report that helps to close the knowledge gaps about U.S. eye health.

Read Full Report Here

Our Main Goals

• Improve vision health
• Optimize readiness
• Enhance quality of life for service members and veterans

The VCE was created by Congress through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to address military eye injuries. This includes:

• Prevention
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Rehabilitation 
• Visual system disorders including:
  • Vision problems linked to traumatic brain injury

We also established the Defense and Veterans Eye Injury and Vision RegistryLearn more about DVEIVR. This registry keeps track of eye injury data over time from the DOD and VA medical records.

Operational Structure

Our organization reports to two offices:

• DHA Research and Engineering Directorate
• VA Office of Patient Care Services

A Branch Chief and a Deputy Branch Chief oversee our organization. They work with other DOD and VA groups to plan the organization's future.

Prevention, Diagnosis, Mitigation, Treatment & Rehabilitation

We strive to prevent, treat, and help patients recover from visual system injuries and conditions. We work with the VA and their partners to improve eye health for all service members and veterans. We accomplish this through:

• Research prioritization and translation
• Requirement assessment and data analysis
• Clinical educational support
• Defense & Veterans Eye Injury and Vision Registry 

Looking Ahead

As a primary source of eye care for service members and veterans, we plan to ensure that care is coordinated in the best way possible. We've made progress in key areas to improve the eye health and vision of injured service members and veterans.