April 11, 2023 — Lumata Health has partnered with Prevent Blindness to collaborate on initiatives that will address barriers to care for patients with a focus on mental health resources.
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the seven million Americans with vision loss, 1 in 4 have experienced anxiety or depression; younger adults with vision loss have almost five times the risk of serious anxiety or depression. 
 
Currently serving thousands of individuals suffering from vision-threatening eye conditions through partnerships with health care systems, Lumata Health shares that it is a technology-driven health care startup with a mission to prevent vision loss from chronic eye diseases through its eyecare management platform for U.S. patients. 
 
To kick off the partnership, the two organizations are working on a training program for Lumata’s certified eyecare coordinators that focuses on mental health resources and support for individuals experiencing vision loss and blindness—set to take place in this spring.
 
“Our care coordinators are in frequent contact with patients experiencing vision loss, where they coordinate transportation, provide educational resources, and assist with refilling medications. When it comes to supporting mental health needs as patients lose their eyesight and often increasingly isolate themselves or lose elements of their daily routine, providing impactful resources is not one-size-fits-all,” says Landon Grace, CEO and cofounder of Lumata Health. “Through our aligned missions to prevent blindness and preserve sight, we will collaborate on numerous initiatives to address gaps in health care delivery, not least of which is providing mental health resources to individuals with chronic eye diseases.”
 
The organizations came in contact when one of Lumata’s care coordinators participated in the Prevent Blindness ASPECT program, an advocacy training program for individuals who are visually impaired and their allies. “We immediately saw parallels in our missions and, upon learning more, were impressed by their wraparound service model to tackle key barriers to care for patients at risk of losing their vision,” says Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “There was immediate enthusiasm to move the needle to effectively drive change addressing mental health for patients experiencing vision loss. We’re excited to roll out this first training program and continue to expand resources from there.”
 
For more information: lumatahealth.com.