DANVILLE — Dr. Herbert Ingraham, director of ophthalmology with Geisinger Health System, is marking his fourth year participating in Mission Cataract, a program that provides free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no means to pay.
This year, screenings will be held on April 25 at the ophthalmology clinic at Geisinger Medical Center (GMC), and the surgeries will be performed on May 16 at GMC’s outpatient surgery center on Woodbine Lane in Danville.
To qualify for this free community service, applicants must have poor vision as a result of cataracts uncorrectable with glasses that interfere with activities of daily living; no Medicare, Medicaid or third-party insurance coverage; and no other means to pay for cataract surgery.
“Most know they have cataracts, but they just don’t have the means to pay for their surgery,” said Dr. Ingraham. “Many candidates are working poor who have jobs and are doing all the things they’re supposed to do, but they just don’t have insurance. And, having cataracts puts them at risk for losing the jobs they do have because of their poor vision.”
According to Dr. Ingraham, because many people are without insurance and are not seeing a physician, they do not have anyone to inform them a program like this exists. Hundreds of letters have been distributed to an array of organizations to help spread the word.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that can impair vision. More than half of all Americans age 65 and older have cataracts in their eyes, but they can affect anyone of any age. The surgery, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes, is one of the most common operations performed in the United States, according to the National Eye Institute. The procedure also is one of the safest and most effective types of surgery. In about 90 percent of cases, people who have cataract surgery have better vision afterward.
For information about Geisinger’s Mission Cataract program, contact the Division of Ophthalmology at 271-6531.
