HPU Physician Assistant Students Conduct Free Vision and Hearing Screenings

Twenty-eight High Point University physician assistant students provided vision and hearing screenings for 127 children at four Boys & Girls Club sites in the city of High Point. Pictured was Morgan Gray, a first-year PA student from Newark, Delaware, who instructed a girl to cover one eye for a vision screening.

HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 1, 2026 – Twenty-eight High Point University physician assistant students provided hearing and vision screenings for 127 children at four Boys & Girls Club sites in the city of High Point. Faculty from the School of Optometry also screened children for specific eye conditions.

Community Collaboration for Children, Inc. (C3), a nonprofit, multi-agency collaborative dedicated to supporting children and families in need, coordinated the screenings. C3 planned to follow up with the children’s parents if their screenings indicate a need for more in-depth evaluation.

The screenings provided PA students with their first opportunity to work with pediatric patients while helping prepare local children to return to school, said Amy Maurer, assistant professor of physician assistant studies.

“It helps our students to work on communication skills and gives them insight into some of the challenges that these families might face,” Maurer said. “Hearing and vision screening used to be done in the schools, but they don’t have time to do that anymore, so we’re keeping children from falling through the cracks and prevent them from starting school at a disadvantage. Adding optometry was a nice advantage this year. If the children fail their vision screening, we can find out more what their needs may be, and we can suggest what kind of glasses the children may need. It’s sort of a one-stop shop this year.”

The screenings were a great opportunity for the PA students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom and bring it into the community, said Ashlee Brentlinger, a second-year PA student who helped conduct a vision screening at the Boys and Girls Club site at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church.

“It’s also being able to give back to the local community, the kids around here, and provide a service that is helpful and beneficial,” said Brentlinger, who is from Middletown, Delaware. “In these vision and hearing screenings, we may be able to catch something before they go back to school. If they need glasses, are having trouble or struggling in school, I think it’s important that we can help them get the assistance they need to succeed in school and have a better transition.”

The PA program includes a five-week rotation that allows students to work with pediatric patients as part of a full medical team. However, these vision and hearing screenings help solidify those skills, said Baird Thoni, a second-year PA student.

“I think it’s important that you learn how to deal with younger patients, connect with them and examine them in an official way,” said Thoni, who is from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“We’re only in our ninth week of PA school, so all this is brand new to us,” said Thomas Ware, a first-year PA student from Gainesville, Georgia. “Being able to process the vision and hearing screenings and giving back to the community not only teaches you how to do the actual screenings themselves but also how to treat people with kindness and make sure those kids are taken care of.”

Phil Driscoll, president of the C3 board of directors, said partnering with HPU provides resources to do screenings for young children, many of whom would not have had the opportunity to have their hearing or vision checked. By doing the screenings during the summer, families have the time to get follow-up exams if they reveal potential medical issues.

“Having HPU students’ help is really critical because it’s important for these young kids to be given the opportunity to see if there’s any challenge they’re going to face,” Driscoll said. “As we know if kids get behind in the early grades, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep going. Being able to identify any hearing or vision issues is important to their learning experience.”