the community newspaper for east oahu since 1987

Retina Institute of Hawai'i Launches Project Vision


Archived November 2007 article
Hawaii's at-risk populations are about to get some health help with the launch of a new mobile retina-screening program that will help detect systemic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, retinal ailments like macular degeneration, and other eye disorders including cataracts and glaucoma. Project Vision will officially launch on Saturday, November 3, 2007.

The nonprofit screening program, created by the Retina Institute of Hawai'i, will provide free retinal scans to under-served populations throughout the Hawaiian Islands. The mobile eye-screening unit will be deployed a minimum of one day a week and will allow for the identification of patients who would benefit from treatment to prevent or minimize the progressive loss of vision.

The Project Vision mobile unit will be equipped with a state-of-the-art retinal camera, which will provide a 200-degree internal view of a patient's retina in less than 90 seconds. The procedure requires no eye drops and there is no invasive risk to the patient, as the pupil is not dilated.

One of the primary goals of the project is to proactively seek out high-risk diabetic populations and detect signs of retinal disease before irreversible vision loss has occurred. This is especially significant given Hawaii's high incidence of diabetes.

"There are 100,000 people in Hawaii who have diabetes and 25 percent of them don't even know they have it," said Dr. Michael Bennett, president of the Retina Institute of Hawai‘i (RIH) and Project Vision. "People of Native Hawaiian, Filipino and Japanese ancestry have the highest rates locally, and there is a higher prevalence here than nationally. Through early detection of diabetes, retinal diseases, cataracts and glaucoma, Project Vision has the ability to dramatically reduce the rate of vision loss and health complications among high-risk populations."

Retinal exams can also detect other high-risk condition in individuals without diabetes. For example, a recent study published in the Sept. 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology reveals that moderate retina diseases or eye hemorrhages are associated with an increase in heart disease related deaths.

Technicians staffing the Project Vision mobile unit will digitally store and archive all of the retinal scans. RIH physicians will interpret the scans and generate follow-up letters containing the results for both the patient and their primary care physician. Those without a primary care physician will be referred to PMAG/HMSA referral programs.

Project Vision plans to develop partnerships with community physicians in the areas it serves. RIH will provide the equipment, staff and management support. Community sponsors will be sought to offset capital and operating costs and to provide marketing and volunteer support. For more information on contributing to the project, call (808) 955-0255.

The Retina Institute of Hawai‘i is an Oahu-based ophthalmic practice founded in 2001 by Dr. Bennett. The institute specializes in the medical and surgical management of sight threatening diseases that affect the retina, vitreous and macula.