During November – Diabetes Awareness Month – St. Mary’s Health partners with Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS) to hold a FREE diabetic retinal exam event. This is part of the 2nd Annual 30/30 Retinal Screenings Campaign.
The IRIS 30/30 Retinal Screening Campaign emerged from a sense of community and desire to raise awareness around the risks of ophthalmic diabetic complications. IRIS will provide at least 30 Diabetic Screening Events in 30 days across the country. By collaborating with primary care and eye care providers, these screenings will be provided at no cost to the patient. This year, IRIS and its partnering leaders in telehealth aim to screen more than 1,000 patients across the United States.
WHO:Â diabetic patients and those at-risk for diabetes
WHEN: November 4 & 5. 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
WHERE:Â 3801 Bellemeade Ave, Suite 100
HOW:Â Reserve a 5 minute appointment by calling 812.485.1402
Jason Crawford, CEO of IRIS, says “Our mission is to end preventable blindness. In order to accomplish this goal, we have to educate people about diabetes and the need for annual eye exams. I cannot think of a better way to do that than by offering our partners the tools to do these tests free of charge during the month of November.â€
During the first IRIS 30/30 Campaign in November 2014, the organization and its partners uncovered eye disease in 35% of the patients screened. “The patients that were identified with pathology had little knowledge of the risks of diabetes, let alone that they themselves had active retinal disease. Our partners, in collaboration with IRIS, were able to further educate the patients on their disease and direct them to the right specialist to receive treatmentâ€, commented Sunil Gupta, MD, retinal surgeon and founder of IRIS.
About St. Mary’s HealthÂ
St. Mary’s Health, in partnership with St. Vincent Health in Indianapolis, is a member of Ascension Health – the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health system. We are a faith-based health ministry serving communities in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. With a medical staff of more than 750 physicians, St. Mary’s specializes in cardiac, surgical, orthopedic, rehabilitation, neurosciences, women’s, children’s, seniors, emergency, and trauma services. For more than 140 years, St. Mary’s has been guided by its mission of serving all persons, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. For more information, please visit our website at www.stmarys.org.
About IRIS
IRIS provides an automated retinal imaging system and FDA-cleared cloud-based interpretation platform to primary care practices as a more efficient and easily accessible way for patients to receive their annual Diabetic Retinal Exam. IRIS and its partners are improving quality, expanding access, and reducing costs for Diabetic Retinopathy Exams across the United States. For more information, visit www.retinalscreenings.com
