Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (SORCC)

VIST Program

VIST Program

(Visual Impairment Service Team) Visual impairment services are provided to Service Connected and Non Service Connected Veterans with vision loss with coordinating VA  services to community resources and  to assist Veterans and their families to adjust to their vision loss. 

VIST Program Services

• Optometry Exam
• Application assistance for talking books
• Ordering low vision aids
• Referrals for Blind rehab, commission for the blind orientation and mobility, or VICTOR program for low vision
• Veterans Benefit Review
• Adjustment Support for the Veterans vision loss

VIST Coordinator Visual Impairment Services Team Coordinator

The VA SORCC VIST Coordinator provides lifetime case management to Veterans with legal blindness or visual impairment. The duties of the VIST Coordinator include the following:

• Identify veterans who are legally blind or have  severely disabling  visual impairment/ low vision.
• Provides adjustment counseling and problem resolution options.
• Coordinates all services for Veterans including VA resources and benefits, Non-VA benefits, and community services.
• Provides referrals for local, reginal, and national resources.
• Provides education and outreach training related to VIST services and blindness.
• Enrolled Veterans who are legally blind  Veterans in catastrophic disability.  This eliminates all medical and  Rx copays for the Veteran.

Who May Benefit from VIST Services?

If a Veteran requires the assistance of another person or exhibits any of the following functional deficits, a referral to VIST may be indicated:

• Difficulty reading mail, newspaper, medication labels or other standard size print with regular eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Difficulty performing activities of daily living, such as managing their medications, grooming, cooking, using the phone, telling time, etc., as a result of their visual impairment.
• Diabetic Veterans who have difficulty seeing to measure their insulin or seeing to check their blood sugar with regular eyeglasses or contact lenses.
• Difficulty ambulating safely and independently as a result of blindness or visual impairment.

Eligibility

• Enrollment in VA Healthcare System and;
• Are Legally Blind or;
• Have a Visual impairment that impacts the Veterans ability to successfully complete the activities of everyday life or;
• Are low vision coupled with excessive disabilities

Referrals

Referrals may come from the Veteran, family member, healthcare professionals, other/ non-VA agencies , or other  concerned individuals. Contact Information: If you have any questions or would like to make a referral, please call: Laurette E. Santos VIST Coordinator Phone: 541-826-2111 ext. 3894

Christina Villasenor VIST program support /Coordinator assistant Phone 541-826-2111 Ext. 3575