Hundreds of Uninsured Georgia School Children to Receive Free Eye Exams and Glasses

/PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa) and OneSight, a Luxottica Group Foundation, have partnered to bring the OneSight Vision Van, "SeeMore" to Georgia from January 21 to 23. Henry County Schools pre-selected more than 300 students from kindergarten through high school based on their financial and vision needs to receive free vision care, including full vision exams and new eyewear. Held at the Luxottica Retail Distribution Center (100 Greenwood Industrial Pkwy, McDonough, GA 30253), local doctors, community partners, BCBSGa associates and brokers, as well as employees from LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical and Target Optical will provide care and assistance during clinic hours (8:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily).

According to Prevent Blindness America, one in four school-aged children has visual disabilities that affect their ability to learn. Approximately 80 percent of all learning during a child's first 12 years is obtained through the eyes; yet 86 percent of children do not receive a vision exam during that time.

"This collaborative effort to bring the Vision Van to the greater Atlanta area will help make a meaningful difference in the lives of children who might not otherwise have had their vision needs met," says Monye Connolly, president, BCBSGa. "Our hope is that this service will provide these children with improved self-esteem and a better opportunity to live life to the fullest."

"OneSight provides important opportunities that help children succeed in school and, ultimately, in life," said Jane Walters, OneSight Captain. "We have seen many cases where a pair of glasses has made the difference in helping a child accomplish greater scholastic success or simply see clearly for the first time. Watching a child's face light up as the world comes into focus is something I will never forget."

OneSight (formerly known as Give the Gift of Sight Foundation), a Luxottica Group Foundation, is a family of charitable programs dedicated to improving vision for those in need worldwide through outreach, research and education. OneSight has been serving the McDonough, GA area since 2003 and during the past six years approximately 400 Henry County children have received free eye care and nearly 95 percent of these local children required and received free prescription eyewear.

"An eye exam is one of the best forms of preventative medicine today. Good vision health is connected to overall health and well-being. Supporting the Vision Van helps these children to more clearly experience the world around them," said Stuart Watts, regional vice president of BCBSGa's Specialty Sales, which includes the Vision business.

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Columbus Medicare Diabetes Screening Project Cited as Model for State by Lt. Governor Casey Cagle

PRNewswire/ -- Lt. Governor Casey Cagle today applauded the design and implementation of the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project (MDSP) in Columbus, citing it as a model for other cities in Georgia and around the country. He made his remarks at the Columbus Summit, a meeting hosted by the Columbus Research Foundation and the Columbus Medicare Diabetes Screening Project, designed to enlist other Georgia cities to adopt the innovative outreach effort in Columbus that has created a model for promoting diabetes screening for adults aged 65 and older.

"There is no greater health challenge in Georgia than the fight against diabetes," said Lt. Gov. Cagle. "The Columbus Medicare Diabetes Screening Project has developed an effective and powerful model for encouraging senior citizens to get screened and to work with their health care providers to prevent or better manage their diabetes. This model should be adopted by other Georgia cities to help our seniors win the fight against diabetes."

Since July 2007, leaders of the Columbus MDSP have conducted a variety of activities to increase awareness of the benefits Medicare offers to adults age 65 and older for free screening for diabetes. These leaders shared their strategies and accomplishments today with their counterparts from Albany, Augusta, Gainesville, Macon and Savannah, who had been invited to participate in this statewide launch of the MDSP.

Medicare beneficiaries at risk for diabetes are eligible for free, annual diabetes screenings from their health care provider. Although as many as 60% of Medicare beneficiaries are at risk for diabetes and should be screened, less than 10% of beneficiaries nationally used the free diabetes screening benefit in 2006, according to the most recently available data. In Georgia, just 6.8% of beneficiaries were screened in 2006.

The MDSP in Columbus has engaged citizens through a variety of awareness-raising and informational activities, including an event at the Columbus Civic Center, distribution of information in church newsletters, displays at shopping centers and health fairs, risk assessments at local fire stations, and advertisements on television and radio.

"A diverse group of public and private city leaders came together, worked hard, and delivered the message of free Medicare diabetes screening to the senior citizens of Columbus and health care providers," said Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington, as he welcomed the assembled crowd. "Our work in Columbus can serve as a model for how you might implement the Project in your communities."

The Mayor was followed by Dr. William Rowley, the Chief Operating Officer and a Senior Futurist at the Institute for Alternative Futures, who made a compelling case for the potentially devastating impact of diabetes on America and Georgia in the coming decades, and why we need programs such as the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project to help stem the relentless tide of this disease.

Steven Leichter, MD, FACP, FACE, Medical Director of the Columbus Research Foundation, then explained the details of the benefits Medicare offers for diabetes screening, and why their use is vital to helping identify older adults with undiagnosed diabetes or pre-diabetes. "It's critical that we get more of our seniors to use their free Medicare screening benefits," said Dr. Leichter, "so that we can help find those who have diabetes or pre-diabetes but don't know it. Screening and diagnosis is the essential first step to prevent diabetes for those at risk or to better manage diabetes for those who may already have the disease."

After watching a new video about the Columbus MDSP, participants at the Columbus Summit witnessed a lively panel discussion that included the perspectives of four local Columbus leaders who have worked with MDSP: Renee Adamson, Region 3 President, Georgia Pharmacy Association; the Rev. Dr. Johnny Flakes, 4th Street Missionary Baptist Church; Mike Gaymon, President, Columbus Chamber of Commerce; and Jeff Meyer, Chief of the Columbus Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Later in the forum the assembled community leaders from Albany, Augusta, Gainesville, Macon and Savannah joined with their counterparts from Columbus in small group work sessions, where they asked questions, brainstormed ideas for activities, and planned how they might implement the MDSP in their communities. At the end of the day, Lt. Governor Cagle gave the charge to participants to take what they had learned and work to promote diabetes screening for Medicare-aged residents of their own cities.

The Medicare Diabetes Screening Project in Columbus is a community-based effort to reach and motivate the estimated 12,000 seniors who have undiagnosed diabetes or pre-diabetes to see their doctors and take advantage of the free diabetes screening benefits offered by Medicare. Locally in Columbus, efforts have been led by the Columbus Research Foundation. On a national basis, the MDSP is co-chaired by the American Diabetes Association, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and Novo Nordisk Inc., and includes more than 20 organizations representing patients, health care providers, older adults, businesses and government. It is the first and only program designed to increase awareness and promote use of the largely unused, free screening benefits that Medicare offers for diabetes and pre-diabetes. Information is available at www.screenfordiabetes.org.

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