PRESS RELEASE from Interior Health

Interior Health is pleased to announce a new eye clinic at Kootenay Lake Hospital to serve all residents of the Kootenay Boundary who have the wet form of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The services will be provided by visiting retinal specialists through the Provincial AMD Treatment Program.

A retina. Photo source: richardmasoner, Flickr, Creative Commons.

“Improving access to treatment is excellent news for residents in the Kootenay Boundary,” said Health Minister Michael de Jong. “Our government is committed to providing access to the greatest range of health services possible in the Kootenays and other rural areas of B.C.”

Wet AMD is a chronic disease of the retina of the eye, and affects the central vision of the sufferer. It can cause blindness and tends to affect people age 50 and over. Retinal specialists (ophthalmologists with additional training in diseases of the retina) treat wet AMD patients with either ranibizumab (Lucentis), bevacizumab (Avastin) or verteporfin (Visudyne) / Photo Dynamic Therapy (PDT).

Interior Health has secured visiting retinal specialist services in the Kootenay Boundary which means patients here will no longer have to travel to clinics in Cranbrook or Kelowna for wet AMD treatments that are covered by the province.

In addition to wet AMD treatments, visiting retinal specialists will perform cataract surgeries in Nelson, supporting the overall access to cataract surgeries in the region. Cataract surgeries are also performed at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail.

“There are few things more important to maintaining our independence as we age than our eyesight. I’m pleased Interior Health is bringing specialists to Kootenay Boundary, improving access to provincially-covered treatment for this condition,” said Norman Embree, IH Board Chair.

Visiting retinal specialists will start seeing patients at Kootenay Lake Hospital at the end of July. Patients who currently receive their wet AMD treatment outside Kootenay Boundary should discuss getting a referral to the new Nelson-based program with their optometrist or family doctor.

“I’m very pleased the visiting retinal specialists are supporting the skilled group of clinicians we already have in place and thereby expanding the network of eye care services available across the Kootenay Boundary,” said Ingrid Hampf, Acute Area Director for Kootenay Boundary.

Before the Province announced a Provincial wet AMD program in June of 2009, patients had to cover the cost of the drug out-of-pocket. Only Visudyne was previously covered by the Province.

More information on the provincial program is on the Ministry of Health website.