Red Lake IHS Hospital

Optometry Clinic

Mission Statement:

Our goal is to provide high quality eye care to our patients in combination with the best possible customer service. 

Staff:

One Optometrist and one Optometric Health Technician

Phone number:

Direct line: 679-0111

Hospital line: 679-3912, ext. 275.

Clinic Hours:

Monday through Friday, from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m.,  and from 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.  These hours can change on occasion.  Because we have two staff members we can’t always answer the phone, so please leave a message and calls will be returned as soon as possible.

Services:

1. We offer comprehensive eye exams which include:Fitting, ordering, dispensing, and minor repairs of eyeglasses,  Fitting, ordering, and dispensing of soft contact lenses, Treatment of most “red eye” conditions.
2. We currently have a student eyeglasses program, dependent on yearly funding, that provides a $45 dollar credit towards the purchase of eyeglasses.  This service is provided once each year, the student must be in grades Pre-school through 12^th grade, and must be eligible for Contract Health Services.
3. We currently have an eyeglasses program for patients diagnosed with diabetes, regardless of age, which is also dependent on yearly funding, that provides a $60 credit towards the purchase of eyeglasses.  This service is provided once each year.  Each patient must have a current dilated pupil exam along with the eyeglasses prescription, or have retinal photos taken through the JVN Program.  The exam can be from an outside provider as long as proof can be shown that the pupils were dilated.
4. JVN Program: this service is for patients with diabetes and involves a series of digital photos taken of the inside of each eye, without the pupils being dilated.  This service is provided by 2 nurses from the Outpatient Clinic.  An appointment for the JVN Program can be scheduled by calling the hospital at 679-3912, at extension 192 or 260.  After the photos are completed, the patient must also have a current eyeglasses prescription, which can also be from an outside provider.

The Indian Health Service- Joslin Vision Network Teleophthalmology Program

Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among adults. American Indians and Alaska Natives with diabetes are particularly susceptible to diabetes-related blindness, largely because less than half of them get an annual diabetic eye exam. The Indian Health Service-Joslin Vision Network (IHS-JVN) Teleophthalmology Program was established in 2000 to use telemedicine technology to provide accurate, cost-effective annual eye exams to American Indians and Alaska Natives. After more than 21,000 eye exams across the nation, this program has proven its effectiveness in decreasing diabetes-related blindness in American Indians and Alaska Natives

What is diabetes-related blindness?

Virtually all people with diabetes develop damage to blood vessels in their eyes. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy. The damage to the blood vessels can sometimes grow to dangerous levels, ultimately leading to blindness. People with diabetic retinopathy usually do not experience visual symptoms until it is too late and blindness has set in.

The good news is that timely, annual eye exams of people with diabetes can help prevent diabetes-related blindness. These exams identify people at high risk for losing their sight who need to be treated to prevent further vision loss. Furthermore, eye exams and laser treatment of high-risk individuals is very cost effective, saving hundreds of millions of dollars each year by preventing diabetes-related vision loss.

Blindness caused by diabetes can be prevented. In fact, early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy can reduce severe vision loss by more than 95%. The IHS JVN Teleophthalmology Program is leading the way to improving early identification of

American Indians and Alaska Natives are at risk of losing their sight.

The JVN Machine