by Linda Cameron, Sr. Marketing Associate
For some folks struggling to scrape money together each month to pay for their high-blood pressure medicine or insulin, having blurred vision just doesn’t seem like an emergency.
Blurred vision can mean anything from a detached retina to a cataract slowly clouding the window each of us peers out from every day
A detached retina needs medical attention, now. Cataracts sneak up on you. One day you strain to see clearly and notice that your vision has changed. People without health insurance go to the Emergency Room. Having no health insurance and going to the ER won’t get your cataract removed.
Uninsured people in Pierce County can, however, get their cataracts removed through the Cascade Eye & Skin Centers, P.C. Complimentary Cataract Surgery Program.
United Way of Pierce County recognized the extraordinary health care access opportunity for uninsured people in Pierce County to experience the life-changing event Cascade Eye & Skin Centers, P.C. offered. Sitting down at a table last fall with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health department and Community Health Care, a plan came into being.
Someone needing cataract surgery can call Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department’s Healthcare Access program or CHC directly. If an uninsured client is referred to Community Health Care, it takes about two to three weeks to get an appointment with a primary care doctor. All CHC’s doctors know they can refer their patients to Cascade for a complimentary surgery. If a patient qualifies, the referral is sent to Cascade within two days for surgery. An appointment is made and the surgery and follow-up care is scheduled.
Just this week, the first of these surgeries was completed. We hope it will be the first of many.
Thanks to donations from service providers and pharmaceutical companies - and the generosity of Cascade Eye & Skin Center - blurred vision goes away. With no expense to the patient. Another person in Pierce County can keep their job, remain independent and see their loved ones smile.
READ MORE about this program from Kathleen Merryman at The News Tribune
This is a really great program. Kudos to the groups for partnering to help those in need!
ReplyDeleteCataract is a condition that leads to cloudiness or opacity in the lens of the eye. It causes due to aging and may be genetic, diabetes. To prevent it, one should use UV-protective sun glares, avoid being exposed to elements that are promotes the development of cataract.
ReplyDeleteEven though Cataracts are common people tends to take it as a serious issue.Some people also keep it as a bar for measuring the age.But cataract can be seen in younger people or rarely even in kids.However cataract surgery procedures are simple and takes lesser time compared to other surgeries,about one hour to 30 minutes.
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