October Eye Health Month

Did you know your eyes see more than just the world around you. They are the gate way to your health.

 Strokes, Tumors, and Diabetes all can be detected by an optometrist during a complete eye health exam.

 October is eye heath month. and World Sight Day is Thursday, October 12,2006.

Why not get an eye exam - we only get 1 pair to last our life time.

Wainwright Stampede Parade 2005 

Optometric Assistant of the Year 2004

Everyone at Prairie Vision Centre would like to congratulate Diane for winning the honor of ?Optometric Assistant of the Year? 2004, presented by Ocular Sciences and the Optometric Assistants Division of the Alberta Association of Optometrists.

Optometrists Choose New President

EDMONTON ? At their Annual General Meeting, held September 30^th in Calgary, the Alberta Association of Optometrists confirmed Dr. Roxanne Arnal as President, to lead them into their 85^th year of service to Albertans.

More than 360 doctors of optometry serve eye care needs in over 80 communities throughout Alberta. ?We are the most accessible and lowest cost provider for eye care? stated Dr. Arnal, ?and it?s time for fundamental change to the way eye health care is funded in this province?.

The Alberta Association of Optometrists is participating in a Primary Health Care Reform Initiative, similar to the process being undertaken by the Alberta Medical Association. In partnership with Alberta Health and Wellness, optometrists are looking at ways to deliver eye health and vision care more efficiently and effectively. Dr. Arnal addressed the members saying ?we need a collaborative model that funds the service not the provider. We need to define appropriate roles for the primary care provider and the specialist?s services?. She went on to say ?when we have Albertans going to the hospital emergency to have a foreign body removed because they would have to pay the optometrist out of pocket?.this is not effective and does not serve either the patient or the system?.

The AAO announced their long term program called ?The Class of 2020? at the conference in Calgary. The AAO believes this initiative supports the primary health care reforms, because its focus is on prevention and early detection. ?Our goal through the Class of 2020 program? stated Dr. Arnal, ?is to raise awareness about the correlation between vision and learning, and thereby ensuring every Alberta student is not prevented from reaching his or her learning and growth potential because of undetected eye health or vision problems. By starting with our children, we will hopefully raise a generation that recognizes the importance of eye health, and will add this to their annual health check up list.

Recently a study sponsored by the Vision Council of America, called Eye Exams for Children: Their Impact and Cost Effectiveness was released. It was developed with an advisory panel that included experts in ophthalmology, pediatric medicine, optometry and public health, and authored by economist Alan J. White, PhD. It concluded that universal eye exams were found to be more cost effective than tobacco prevention programs, cochlear implants; screening for diabetes, depression or hypertension; liver, heart and lung transplants; driver and dual-side airbags; and many other health interventions.

Alberta optometrists are well positioned to provide eye health care throughout the province. As indicated by Dr. Arnal in her acceptance speech, ?We welcome the opportunity to work with government and medicine to ensure clinical and cost effectiveness in eye health care.?

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Wainwright's Small Business

of the Year 2006