The diabetic specialty group within South Carolina & Georgia House Calls has a new tool in the fight against Retinopathy. Their sophisticated new portable retina screening camera gives their practitioners within their diabetic specialty group the ability to offer an essential early screening solution for their diabetic patients.
Diabetic Retinopathy is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the tissue at the back of the eye, and poorly controlled blood sugar is one of the risk factors for the disease. Although there is no cure presently, early detection and treatment can slow the progression of the disease.
Rebecca Dillard, SCHC Project Manager, stated, “the camera will initially be rolled out in the brick-and-mortar Main Street Physician clinics in the Grand Strand. After training and testing, it will be available for front-line Nurse Practitioners who can provide the screening option for their in-home diabetic patients.
According to Rebecca, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in South Carolina, and the ongoing management of the disease is critical for each patient’s success. In addition to looking toward technology, SC & GA HC previously developed an in-house diabetic specialty group to include dietitians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and pharmacists. This team working closely with insurance companies and hospitals, practices a proactive value-based model that ties compensation to patient outcomes rather than the old standard fee-for-service model.
SC House Calls & GA House Calls is a network of over 250 medical professionals providing In-home medical house calls and Telehealth visits to Private Residences, Assisted Living Communities, and Skilled Nursing Facilities. SC House Calls serves all 46 Counties of South Carolina. New patient registration, appointments, and 24-7 access to medical professionals is available through its Center for Telehealth @ 800-491-0909
