On Saturday, April 29, Mid Atlantic Retina partnered with Wills Eye Hospital for the second annual Wills Eye on Diabetes Day to raise awareness, reduce healthcare disparities, and eliminate diabetic blindness in the greater Philadelphia region.
With the help of almost 100 Mid Atlantic Retina, Wills Eye, and Jefferson Medical volunteers, we screened 79 patients for diabetic eye disease and provided follow-up care resources free of charge.
Diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness in the 37 million adults living with diabetes in the United States. The longer someone has diabetes mellitus, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy. After 25 years, nearly all people with diabetes mellitus will show some signs of diabetic retinopathy.
The screening event allowed the participating physicians to diagnose other ocular complications such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and myopic degeneration and provided 33 free pairs of eyeglasses to patients who needed them. The event also offered resources for insurance coverage and diabetic health information.
Wills Eye on Diabetes Day was part of a simultaneous city-wide diabetes event with Scheie Eye Institute and Temple Health. This event was held in partnership with The Asplundh Family, BNY Mellon, Essilor Luxottica Foundation, EyeNuk Artificial Intelligence Eye Screening, Regeneron, Shields & Shields Oncology, and ZEISS.
