Digital Healthcare Announces DiabetesAmerica to Utilize Retasure for Retinal Imaging Assessment

Digital Healthcare Announces DiabetesAmerica to Utilize Retasure for Retinal Imaging Assessment



Digital Healthcare, a Wake Forest, NC company specializing in sight-saving retinal risk assessment, announced today that DiabetesAmerica, a group of comprehensive diabetes management Health Centers based in Houston, Texas has selected the Retasure solution to provide retinal imaging risk assessment. DiabetesAmerica specializes in helping individuals live with diabetes. Their medical professionals promote wellness through a variety of personalized treatment and educational programs--from medical treatment to diabetes education, nutritional counseling, exercise programs and lifestyle instruction.



Wake Forest, NC (PRWEB) March 25, 2008



Digital Healthcare, a Wake Forest, NC company specializing in sight-saving retinal risk assessment, announced today that DiabetesAmerica, a group of comprehensive diabetes management Health Centers based in Houston, Texas has selected the Retasure solution to provide retinal imaging risk assessment.



DiabetesAmerica specializes in helping individuals live with diabetes. Their medical professionals promote wellness through a variety of personalized treatment and educational programs--from medical treatment to diabetes education, nutritional counseling, exercise programs and lifestyle instruction. Five of their physicians have been recognized nationally by the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program for providing outstanding diabetes care to their patients. DiabetesAmerica currently has health centers in Houston, Dallas, Corpus Christi and San Antonio, and will be adding additional facilities across Texas and in other states in 2008.



"We are proud to have DiabetesAmerica as our latest client," said Scott Sanner, Senior Vice President, North American Operations of Digital Healthcare. "They are an organization that prides itself on providing comprehensive services to their patients. Our Retasure solution addresses an unmet need for their patients and is an excellent compliment to their patient-focused mission."



"Our focus is to provide our patients the tools needed to self-manage their diabetes and become healthier and more independent," said Wendy Hawkins, MD, Director of Clinical Affairs for DiabetesAmerica. "Diabetics have a high risk for diabetic retinopathy and blindness and the Retasure solution will increase our ability to assess our patients' total health."



The FDA-approved and HEDIS compliant Retasure program provides a simple, affordable, and non-invasive solution that allows physicians to capture their patients' retinal images during a three to five minute procedure without eye dilation. Images are transmitted over a secure, HIPAA compliant network to an accredited reading center. A state-licensed and board certified ophthalmologist reviews the images and results are returned to the original physician within 72 hours. The simplicity of the assessment process is unique in the market and addresses a previously un-met need for one of the nation's largest public health issues.



There are an estimated 21 million diabetic patients in the US, but only about half have any retinal assessments, despite a high risk of diabetic retinopathy. The National Eye Institute indicates diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working age American adults. More than a million patients worldwide have received a retinal risk assessment using Digital Healthcare software.



About Digital Healthcare

Digital Healthcare is the global leader in retinal risk assessment. They are the world's leading provider of care management programs for diabetic retinopathy. Their award-winning MS-HUG technology is used by leading hospitals and research centers including University Hospitals Case Medical Center at Case Western Reserve University, The Wilmer Eye Institute at The Johns Hopkins University and the United States Military. Digital Healthcare's Retasure solution offers several advantages for primary care and endocrinologist physicians and their patients: It can be operated by non-clinicians; it is non-invasive and requires no dilation; it obtains exceptionally high-quality digital images of the retina using a simple-to-operate fundus camera; it returns results quickly to the ordering physicians; and it encourages patient compliance for retinal evaluation and comprehensive eye examinations. For more information, visit www. retasure. com.



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