In the news

Employees are restless and job hunting again after more than a year of feeling stuck in place. With competition for talent becoming increasingly fierce, employers are stepping up their game to attract and keep good talent. Benefits packages are a key focal point.

Vision changes are an unfortunate, and often unavoidable, reality of aging for many. These changes often emerge in people’s 40s and are initially most noticeable when reading or doing other tasks that require focusing on small details. However, there are steps people can take as they age to protect their eye health.

The second annual Versant Health Vision Wellness Study looked at people’s perceptions of eyecare during a landmark year for the healthcare industry. Even in a year dominated by a pandemic, the study found that eyecare services endured.

This year, many children and families are excitedly—some nervously—preparing for the return to the classroom. However, there is one item on their back-to-school checklist that stands out as one of the most important steps for ensuring children’s long-term learning success—a vision screening or eye exam.

Screen time for children escalated significantly over the past year as many schools switched to virtual learning environments and embraced digital learning tools. Now, the consequences are starting to emerge—and eye health has taken a big hit. Parents will need to pay greater attention to kids’ vision problems in the coming years and will increasingly need to tap into vision insurance.

Versant Health has named Dan Dunkers as its senior vice president and chief information officer. Dunkers brings more than 30 years of experience in progressive IT, management and business thought leadership to his role.

The second annual Versant Health Vision Wellness Study looked at people’s perceptions of eyecare during a landmark year for the health care industry, including the value of eyecare services, interest in telemedicine and concerns about eyecare costs.

Davinder S. Grover, MD, MPH has joined the Medical Policy Council at Versant Health. Versant Health’s Medical Policy Council assists in assessing the managed vision care company’s medical policies, use of technologies, quality improvement and outcomes analysis.

Jennifer Wyeth has been named vice president, strategic planning, governance, and project management. The position became effective July 12. Wyeth previously served as director of operations management in MetLife’s $18 billion U.S. group benefits business.