In order to meet the health care needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, it is necessary to ensure that adequate educational opportunities for training the needed health care personnel are available.

At present, the student pursuing on education in many health care areas can obtain his education from an institution within the Commonwealth. One health care area for which students must currently seek an education outside of the state is optometry. In recent years the General Assembly has provided funds specifically identified for supporting contractual arrangements with existing schools and colleges in other states. The number of such opportunities was expanded in response to a recommendation contained in "A Report on the Feasibility of Establishing a School of Optometry in the Commonwealth of Virginia." Another recommendation of the same report was that a study be undertaken to examine the feasibility of establishing a regional school of optometry.

With the foregoing in mind, the 1976 Session of the General Assembly directed that a study be undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a regional school of optometry in Virginia.

The purpose of this document, then, is to report on the feasibility of establishing a regional school of optometry in the Commonwealth of Virginia.