Free Vision Screenings Offered Sept. 18 at Martin's Point Health Care

Exams are sponsored by Maine's Prevention of Blindness Programs

The Cumberland County chapter of Maine's Prevention of Blindness Programs will sponsor free vision screenings from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday, September 18, at Martin's Point Health Care in Portland.

The screenings, to be held in Martin's Point's Health Education Center at 331 Veranda St., will check participants for possible signs of glaucoma or other diseases that can lead to the loss of eyesight. The exams will be conducted by Dr. Michael Anastasio of Casco Bay Eyecare in Portland.

"Half of all blindness can be prevented with early detection and treatment," said Ken Murray, the Cumberland County chairperson of Maine's Prevention of Blindness Programs. "This is an opportunity for people in need to get a free checkup."

Most screening participants are age 60 or over, but persons of any age may participate. For more information or to schedule a screening, contact Murray at the Southern Maine Agency on Aging at (207) 775-6503. For directions, call the Martin's Point Health Education Center at (207) 828-2497.

Incorporated in 1986, Maine's Prevention of Blindness Programs is a non-profit group with a mission to educate people about the signs and symptoms of eye disease and to encourage regular eye exams. The group sponsored 28 vision screenings statewide in 2000.

"Maine has about 250 new cases of blindness every year, and many of those can be prevented," said Dr. Jan Wnek, M.D., medical director of Martin's Point, the state's largest not-for-profit primary care practice. "We're happy to participate in this important program."

The Martin's Point Health Education Center offers visitors a variety of resource materials, such as publications and videos, and classes that focus on a host of topics, ranging from weight management and smoking cessation to the management of diseases such as diabetes.

Established in 1981, Martin's Point is a not-for-profit health care provider with facilities in Portland, Brunswick and Windham, Maine, and in Portsmouth, N.H. The largest primary care practice in Maine, Martin's Point has a staff of more than 300 health care professionals and serves 54,000 patients - including military retirees and dependents of active military personnel - under all major health plans. Martin's Point serves patients in the areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, radiology, cardiology, and mammography, as well as other fields.

In addition, Martin's Point is known for its innovative approach to health care. Unique to Martin's Point is its online communication program called Patient's Personal Points, which allows patients to communicate via a secure server with their doctors to schedule appointments, ask medical questions and obtain prescription renewals. The program won a national technology award from the Healthcare Innovations in Technology Systems (HITS) Partnership in Technology national awards program. For additional information on Martin's Point Health Care, visit them online at www.martinspoint.org.

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