Megan E. Collins, M.D., M.P.H.., an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, has been named a 2021 Health Care Hero in the Community Outreach/Education Hero category by the Maryland Daily Record newspaper. The Health Care Heroes Awards honor origanizations and individuals who have made an impact on the quality of health care in Maryland. 
Since joining Johns Hopkins, Collins has focused on researching barriers in access to pediatric eye care, the impact of eyeglasses on academic performance, and health communication strategies to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship. As part of all of these research areas, she leads Hopkins’ activities for Vision for Baltimore (V4B), a citywide, collaborative school-based vision program providing vision screening, eye exams and eyeglasses to every child pre-K-eighth grade in Baltimore City Public Schools. To date, the program has provided eye exams to more than 11,000 students.  Even during the pandemic, Collins and the V4B team continued to provide vision care services for children in need across the city.