The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Health center celebrates fifth anniversary of optometry service
Lorain County Health & Dentistry is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its optometry service.
The health center opened its first vision clinic in October 2013 at 1205 Broadway in Lorain, and has since expanded services, adding a second site at 260 S. Main in Oberlin, according to a news release.
Since opening, Health & Dentistry has logged more than 20,000 optometry visits, the release said.
“The decision to open a vision clinic five years ago, was based on our patients’ input, and an understanding of local need,” Stephanie Wiersma, CEO of the Lorain County Health & Dentistry, said in the release. “Our uninsured patients, in particular, had difficulty finding an affordable optometrist and affordable prescription eye glasses. We decided we could do something about that.”
Effective planning as well as support from Lorain Lions, Lions Clubs of Ohio District 13B and Lions International made the optometry service possible, the release said.
A service organization committed to protecting sight and preventing blindness, Lions Clubs raised significant funds to enable Health & Dentistry to purchase computerized and other eye testing equipment, the release said.
Optometry services available at the two Health & Dentistry vision clinics include comprehensive eye exams, diabetic eye testing, glaucoma screening and eye glass prescription and dispensing, according to the release.
Lorain County Health & Dentistry is a Federally Qualified Health Center designated by the Health Resources & Services Administration, and the largest safety-net provider of primary and preventive health care in Lorain County. It is one of more than 50 Federally Qualified Health Center organizations in Ohio, and the only one in Lorain County, according to the release.
November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month, and diabetic eye disease is the leading cause of blindness and loss of vision, according to the release. Protecting eyesight and preventing eye disease is possible with regular check-ups.