Who We Are:
The mission of
Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership (AEPPP), an initiative
supported by the Ohio Department of Aging, is to develop a strategic
plan of action to address issues relating to vision care public policy,
vision care services, vision education, and vision research that impact
the quality of life for Ohio's seniors now and in the future. The
formation of the Partnership and its on-going work is supported by
a proclamation from Ohio Governor Bob Taft.
Why
Our Work Is Important:
According to Vision
Problems In Ohio more Ohioans than ever are facing the
threat of blindness from age-related eye disease.
The number of Ohio seniors affected by these
diseases is expected to double over the next 30 years as
the Baby Boomer generation ages, largely resulting from the eye diseases
of diabetic retinopathy, cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). More than 2.5 million Ohioans will be affected.
·
Age-Related
Macular Degeneration (AMD), a condition that primarily affects
the part of the retina responsible for sharp central vision is the
most common cause of blindness and vision impairment in Americans
age 60 and older. More than 71,000 Ohioans age 60 and older have late-stage
AMD, while hundreds of thousands more suffer from some form of the
disease. There are two forms of AMD, dry and wet. Dry is the most
common form of the disease. Wet is less common but more threatening
to vision due to the growth of tiny new blood vessels under the retina
that leak fluid or break open. The exact cause of AMD is not known
but risk factors include age (usually over 50 years), race (predominantly
Caucasian) and cigarette smoking. Specific nutrition habits have been
found to slow the progression of AMD in some patients. ·
Diabetic
retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that affects
the tiny blood vessels of the retina, affects more than 216,000 Ohioans
age 18 and older. As diabetes becomes more widespread, the risk of
developing diabetic retinopathy increases, as does the risk of other
eye diseases such as cataract and glaucoma. Eventually, almost everyone
with juvenile-onset diabetes will develop some degree of diabetic
retinopathy.
Cataract,
a clouding of the eye's naturally clear lens and is the leading cause
of blindness in the world, affects nearly 880,000 Ohioans age 65 and
older. Ongoing research into the normal healthy functioning of the
eye's lens may help us better understand the causes of cataract and
how they might be prevented.
Glaucoma
is a chronic disease that often requires life-long treatment to control.
Approximately 92,000 Ohioans have glaucoma-and half don't even know
the disease is slowly robbing them of sight. Glaucoma causes a gradual
degeneration of cells that make up the optic nerve that carries visual
information from the eye to the brain. For this reason, as many as
half are unaware of their disease. Once the loss of vision is noticeable,
a significant amount of irreversible nerve damage has already occurred.
How
Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership Will Address the Growth
of Aging Eye Problems:
- Build partnerships
and collaborations to provide input to various state agencies and
organizations concerned with Ohio's aging population to insure a
consistent and comprehensive statewide plan of action.
- Advise and
make recommendations as to ways of increasing awareness about the
growing future vision needs of Ohio's aging population.
- Examine and
recommend best practices for seniors in the area of identifying
eye problems and maintaining healthy eyes.
- Identify ways
to increase vision research and vision research collaborations that
seek the causes of and cures for sight-robbing eye diseases.
- Provide annual
reports which identify and assess the status of its work within
Ohio and recommend appropriate actions by both the private and public
sector.
The Honorable Merle Grace Kearns,
the Director of the Department of Aging and Robert D. Newcomb, O.D.,
MPH, Professor, OSU College of Optometry, co-chair the Partnership.
The Public/Private Partnership consists of 24 member organizations
who were appointed by the co-chairs.
The
Partnership's Action Plan:
Ohio's Aging Eye
Public Private Partnership has divided its work into the following
three areas:
- Public and
Professional Awareness
Chaired by Richard T. Bunner, Past Board Chair-Prevent Blindness
Ohio
- Public Policy
Chair Position open
- Vision Loss
Prevention Research
Marc Cloutier, PhD , Special Assistant for Biotechnology, Ohio Department of Development and Timothy Kern PhD, Professor of Medicine and Ophthalmology and Director of Diabetes Research Center, Case Western Reserve University
Each subcommittee
meets at least bi-monthly and welcomes participation from interested
individuals. Contact preventblindnessohio@compsuserve.com
to join the activities of one of the subcommittees.
See the "What's
New" section for details about the programs and activities
that are being designed and implemented through the work of the Partnership
subcommittees.
Our
History:
On April 28, 2003,
more than 100 policymakers, government officials, social service agencies
and others gathered for a day of learning and discussion at the Ohio's
Vision . . . Awaken to the Challenge Conference. Ohio's Vision
brought to light many of the vision health challenges that will face
Ohio seniors and their caretakers over the next three decades. The
conference was also the first step in creating a new committee among
Ohio leaders to address the impact this vision loss will have on seniors'
quality of life and the economy.
According to the
report Vision
Problems in the U.S., published in 2002 by the National
Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America (PBA), over 187,000 Ohioans
age 40 and older are currently legally blind or visually impaired,
largely resulting from the eye diseases of diabetic retinopathy, cataract,
glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The number of
older Americans affected by these diseases is expected to double over
the next 30 years as the Baby Boomer generation ages. At the culmination
of the Ohio's Vision conference, which was held at the Ohio Aerospace
Institute in Cleveland, organizers created the Aging Eye Public/Private
Partnership, which was formed within the Ohio Department of Aging.
Organizers of the Partnership were NASA Glenn Research Center, National
Governor's Association, Office of the Governor, Ohio Department of
Aging, Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, Ohio Department of
Health, Ohio Ophthalmological Society, Ohio Optometric Association,
Ohio Veteran's Administration Work Group, Opticians Association of
Ohio, Prevent Blindness Ohio and Review of Refractive Surgery.
"Ohio's Aging
Eye Public Private Partnership is dedicated to raising awareness regarding
this growing public health concern," said Merle Grace Kearns Director
of the Ohio Department of Aging and co-chair of the group.
"As a state we
must be informed so that we can prepare for the early detection, treatment
and rehabilitation services that will be needed," said Dr. Robert
Newcomb, co-chair of the Aging Eye Public/Private Partnership. "Diabetic
retinopathy is the leading cause of new blindness in adults between
the ages of 20 and 74. When I was in school, there was no obesity
epidemic nor was there a medical condition known as 'pre-diabetes'.
If we are going to reduce the projected rates of legal blindness from
diabetic retinopathy and other aging eye diseases, doctors, patients,
social service agencies, educational institutions, and government
must all be involved," Dr. Newcomb added.
Members
of Ohio's Aging Eye Public Private Partnership:
Association of
Philanthropic Homes for the Aging
Association of Area Agencies on Aging
Association
of Ohio Health Commissioners
Council for Older Adults
KnowledgeWorks Foundation
Ohio Council
for Home Care
Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education
Ohio Agencies Serving the Visually Impaired
NASA Glenn Research Center
Ohio Department of Aging
Ohio Department of Health
Ohio Department of Insurance
Representative Kathleen Chandler
Ohio Nurses Association
Ohio Ophthalmological Society
Senator Steve Stivers
Senator Randy Gardner
Ohio Rehabilitation Services
Commission
Ohio Osteopathic Association
Ohio Optometric Association
Ohio Veterans Visual
Impairment Services Team
Opticians Association of Ohio
Prevent Blindness Ohio.
 |
View
the complete Partnership Roster |
