Missouri Prevention of Blindness program visits Nevada
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The Missouri Prevention of Blindness program, in cooperation with Vernon County Health Department and the University of Missouri, offered a free eye screening clinic at the Franklin P. Norman City/County Community Center Thursday afternoon.
"It gives you an idea of problems before they become too bad. Let's you know if professional help is needed right away or not," Lillie Olson said after her screening.
Brenda Kennedy, from Missouri Prevention of Blindness Program, said the program is, "a rough screening to see what [patients] need."
The event was free to the public and consisted of a visual acuity test, a glaucoma screening, and a consultation with an ophthalmologist.
Kennedy said the screening looked for eye problems such as cataracts, glaucoma, and corneal diseases.
"The whole gamut," Kennedy said. "The main goal is to provide screening to very low income people to prevent blindness."
The doctors performing the screenings are residents at Mason Eye Institute at the University of Missouri.
Kennedy said the ophthamologists from Mason Eye Institute are unable to write prescriptions but can provide referrals in case further care is needed. When necessary, follow up care is arranged through local providers.
"The doctors are fantastic to work with us when we can not pay much," Kennedy said, noting that some clients have no other means of eye care.
The Prevention of Blindness program operates on an approximate $250,000 annual budget, provides eye screenings and glaucoma testing to more than 4,000 patients across the state, and provides further care for approximately 400 patients which meet income and vision requirements.
"We usually find at least one person that needs us," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said the Prevention of Blindness program offers 12 eye screening clinics across the state each year, and that few other states have similar programs.
"It's a few years before we can come back [to a county]," Kennedy said. "I try to spread it out."
Kennedy said the average attendance for the eye screening clinics is approximately 60-65 people but record turnouts of as many as 130 have been recorded.
"There are few resources for cataract surgery in Missouri." Kennedy said, noting that charitable programs that used provide financial assistance to low income people, no longer exist.
For further information, readers can call the Prevention of Blindness program at 1-800-592-6004 ext. 7 or visit the Rehabilitation Services for the Blind website at: http://dss.mo.gov/fsd/rsb/.