A new retinal imaging camera and a partnership with Loma Linda University Medical Center will help many Catalina Island Medical Center patients protect their vision.

Medical Group staff are now able to use an Aris Retinal Imaging Camera to scan patients' eyes for a number of degenerative diseases. Those images are then sent electronically to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where they are interpreted by board-certified ophthalmologists.

The new camera will be particularly helpful for patients with diabetes, a disease which has seen rapid growth, both on the island and the mainland. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of diabetes have more than doubled in the last 25 years. It currently impacts more than five percent of the United States population, but the incidence increases as a person ages. Nearly 20 percent of adults ages 65 to 74 have diabetes.

The disease is insidious, causing numerous problems throughout the body. Careful monitoring of blood glucose levels can prevent some of those problems, but a patient must also consult closely with their medical provider to protect against those side effects, which can include blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in American adults. It is a progressive condition and the National Eye Institute estimates that 40 to 45 percent of diabetic patients have some form of diabetic retinopathy.

Because many diabetic eye diseases have no side effects until vision begins to be lost, early detection is the key to protecting sight and medical professionals recommend that diabetic patients have an retinal scan at least once a year.

Catalina Island Medical Center's new retinal imaging camera will allow local diabetic patients to monitor their vision and have annual scans without a trip to the mainland.

"Having this equipment here allows us to screen for the vascular diseases of the eye caused by diabetes," said Medical Group Manager Deanna Stover. "By using it we'll be able to prevent compromises in vision for our patients."

Providing this new service has been a cooperative effort between several agencies and facilities. The Aris camera was purchased through a grant from the Unihealth Foundation and the telemedicine capabilities needed to send the scans to Loma Linda University Medical Center were obtained through a federal grant from the Health Resources Services Administration.

"Several elements had to come together to provide this service," said Dawn Sampson, social services and grants manager at CIMC. "It was well worth the effort -- we have many patients with diabetes and the Aris Camera will make a dramatic difference in their lives."

For more information or to schedule an appointment with your medical provider, call (310) 510-0096.