The CDC’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System (VEHSS) composite estimates of vision loss and major eye disease prevalence revealed that, in 2017, there were 7.08 million people living with visual acuity loss, of whom 1.08 million were living with blindness.

Now, more than ever, the need to address this crisis in care requires innovative approaches and intentional collaboration at the community level to create and sustain a viable network to provide a multidisciplinary approach to support an individual’s whole health. However, recent expansions in both mobile healthcare and the primary care medical home model are creating new roads to integrate strategies to overcome traditional barriers to accessing needed preventative services, while establishing continuity of care to manage chronic health conditions.

With feedback from over 15 unique community partners it was clear the only way to address these trends is to work strategically and intentionally together harnessing both our strengths simultaneously.

The solution – Develop a network of community vision telehealth screening and monitoring sites across Oregon. Harness technological advances to detect eye disease. Focus on improving vision health outcomes by building screening, telehealth infrastructure and referral networks at the community level, while ensuring sustainability.

This innovative approach will increase the capacity of vision screenings by 750% (~300 participants screened per site), annually. Retrospective program data predicts 10 – 15 % detection potentially blinding conditions. Expect to train 80 Community Health Workers to be O.H.A. certified Vision Health Navigators.

Speakers:
 ◦ Bella Almario, Training and Fields Manager, Casey Eye Institute
◦ Dove Spector, Research Manager, Casey Eye Institute

Conference 2023