DECATUR, Ga. — The Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC) is expanding access to eye care to many Veterans living in rural areas by now offering eye exam screenings and eyeglasses fitting and repair during primary care visits.
Beginning May 4, 2015, the clinic in Blairsville, Ga. will become the latest Atlanta VAMC site of care to offer the Technology-based Eye Care Screening (TECS) Program, a VA Office of Rural Health-funded program designed to provide Veterans access to routine eye exams, screening for possible eye disease, and eyeglass fitting and repair.
"Veterans used to have to travel to the medical center in Atlanta to receive eyeglasses and a screening eye exam; now they can receive those services at their primary medical care home," said Dr. April Maa, director of tele-ophthalmology and comprehensive services at the Atlanta VAMC Eye Clinic.
The remote care initiative is designed for Veterans with no known eye problems and joins programs already offered at Newnan and Rome Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) and a more robust program at the Trinka Davis Veterans Village CBOC in Carrollton, Ga.
“We are up and running with it at the Newnan and Rome CBOC, and will be ready to see patients in Blairsville starting the first week of May. In the future, we hope to expand the TECS program to sites of care in Stockbridge, Ft. McPherson, and Austell,” said Dr. Steven Urken, chief of ophthalmology at the Atlanta VAMC.
Veterans can schedule an appointment by calling the Atlanta VAMC Eye Clinic; (404) 321-6111, extension 6660 and choose either Blairsville or Rome TECS programs.