interior June 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL banner image

June 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Cataract Awareness Month

ISPB and Prevent Blindness Illinois (PBIL) have declared June as Cataract Awareness Month to provide patients and professionals with free educational resources on cataract, a clouding of the eye’s lens. According to the CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC), cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide and the leading cause of vision loss in the United States. Additionally, an estimated 20.5 million Americans aged 40 years and older have cataract in one or both eyes.

ISPB and PBIL offer a variety of free informational resources in English and Spanish including fact sheets, social media graphics, and a listing of vision care financial assistance programs. The group also offers a dedicated web resource at PREVENTBLINDNESS.ORG/CATARACT, and the “UNDERSTANDING CATARACT” episode in the “Focus on Eye Health Expert Series,” featuring Albert Cheung, MD, Cataract, Cornea, Anterior Segment Specialist with Virginia Eye Consultants and Assistant Professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology.

For more information visit HERE

Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award

Nominees for the Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award may be an individual or group comprised of diverse stakeholders, including family/caregiver and community leaders, public health, healthcare, education, etc., who are implementing changes to improve children’s vision in the United States and reduce disparities in children’s vision and eye health. Nominations are being sought of individuals or groups who seek out new and innovative solutions to barriers to healthy vision in children and have successfully implemented solutions that are replicable and sustainable.

The award recognizes significant efforts by an individual or group of individuals to improve public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health. The deadline for submission is July 1, 2024.

For more information, visit HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

July 9, 2024
1:30pm – Carillon Clubhouse Presentation: Plainfield, IL

July 19, 2024
3:00pm – Chicago Commons Community Health Fair: Chicago, IL

July 30 – August 1, 2024
9:00am – VSP Eyes of Hope: Chicago, IL

August 3, 2024
10:00am – State Senator Mattie Hunter’s 20th Annual Family Health & Fitness Fair: Chicago, IL

August 3, 2024
12:00pm – Hope Fest: Chicago, IL

August 10, 2024
tbd – Annual Back to School Health Fair: Chicago, IL

August 10, 2024
10:00am – West40 Backpack GiveBack: Chicago, IL

October 4, 2024
9:00am – Senior Health & Resource Fair: Chicago, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

BEING SEEN AND HEARD: July 10-11, 2024

2024 Focus on Eye Health Summit, a virtual interactive event

This year’s event emphasizes the importance of a person-centered approach to vision health interventions, research, communications, and care. Being seen and heard by providers, policy makers, researchers, public health experts and other stakeholders allows an individual’s complex health issues to be addressed while taking into consideration their preferences, cultural background, and social context. And ultimately, it leads to the most ideal outcomes for all involved in the interaction.

The free event attracts a global audience of patient advocates, community-based organizations, vision and eye health organizations, researchers, public health experts, health-care providers, educators, early childhood education professionals, senior- and child-care professionals, government agency staff, corporate partners, health program professionals, legislative staff, and other stakeholders.

Register HERE

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

May 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Eyes on Capitol Hill

Prevent Blindness will be hosting the ASPECT Patient Engagement and Advocacy Summit, May 14-16, 2024, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. The Summit will bring together ASPECT (Advocacy, Support, Perspective, Empowerment, Communication, and Training) Patient Engagement Program graduates (eye health patients and their allies), and program sponsors.

As part of the event, Prevent Blindness will also hold its 19th Annual Eyes on Capitol Hill legislative day, providing participants with the opportunity to meet elected officials and their staff to discuss important public policy and federal funding requests.

For more information visit HERE

Prevent Blindness and ISPB have designated May as “Inherited Retinal Disease (IRD) Genetic Testing Awareness Month,” expanding its previous IRD and Genetic Testing Awareness Week initiative. We are providing a variety of tools to promote awareness and education for IRDs and the importance of genetic testing, including a free webinar, expert and patient videos, shareable social media graphics, and fact sheets in English and Spanish. IRD Genetic Testing Awareness Month is supported by funding from Johnson & Johnson, and Spark® Therapeutics.

For more information visit HERE

Pathway to Diagnosis: Genetic Testing for Inherited Retinal Diseases
May 29, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm ET.

In this 90-minute webinar, you will gain a deeper understanding of genetic testing as it contributes to diagnosis for an IRD. Topics include when and how children may receive genetic testing; benefits of receiving results for diagnosis, registries, clinical trials, and treatments; strategies for providing information and support to families and children; and patient testimonials about their IRD journeys.

This webinar is tailored for families of children with inherited retinal diseases and visual impairment, patient support organizations, school nurses, early childhood program staff including Head Start, Early Intervention and special education professionals, teachers of students with visual impairments, and healthcare providers.

Register HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

July 9, 2024
1:30pm – Carillon Clubhouse: Plainfield, IL

August 9, 2024
11:00am – RUSH’s 9th Annual Community Health Fair:      Chicago, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

BEING SEEN AND HEARD: July 10-11, 2024

2024 Focus on Eye Health Summit, a virtual interactive event

This year’s event emphasizes the importance of a person-centered approach to vision health interventions, research, communications, and care. Being seen and heard by providers, policy makers, researchers, public health experts and other stakeholders allows an individual’s complex health issues to be addressed while taking into consideration their preferences, cultural background, and social context. And ultimately, it leads to the most ideal outcomes for all involved in the interaction.

The free event attracts a global audience of patient advocates, community-based organizations, vision and eye health organizations, researchers, public health experts, health-care providers, educators, early childhood education professionals, senior- and child-care professionals, government agency staff, corporate partners, health program professionals, legislative staff, and other stakeholders.

Register HERE

Be a Voice for Vision: Sign Up for Advocacy Alerts from Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness regularly issues email alerts when there is an opportunity for advocates to contact legislators in Congress with sight-saving policy and legislative updates. Advocates who are interested in making their voices heard can register with their email address at the Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center. Advocates who register will also receive bi-monthly advocacy news and policy updates from Prevent Blindness.

If you have any questions, please email advocacy@preventblindness.org. Thank you for your commitment to preventing blindness and preserving sight!

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

April 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Women’s Eye Health & Safety Month

Prevent Blindness and ISPB have declared April as Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. According to Orbis International, globally there are 112 million more women than men living with vision loss, including blindness. Prevent Blindness is offering free resources, including fact sheets, shareable social media graphics, educational videos, and web pages, on a range of eye health issues that predominantly affect women.

Women have a higher prevalence of age-related macular degeneration, cataract, dry eye, glaucoma, refractive error and thyroid eye disease. According to The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020 report, the gender imbalance can be attributed to demographic factors (women living longer than men) and social factors (women having reduced access to care).

For more information visit HERE

Be a Voice for Vision: Sign Up for Advocacy Alerts from Prevent Blindness

Prevent Blindness regularly issues email alerts when there is an opportunity for advocates to contact legislators in Congress with sight-saving policy and legislative updates. Advocates who are interested in making their voices heard can register with their email address at the Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center. Advocates who register will also receive bi-monthly advocacy news and policy updates from Prevent Blindness.

If you have any questions, please email advocacy@preventblindness.org. Thank you for your commitment to preventing blindness and preserving sight!

The Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness (ISPB) offers unique grant opportunities supporting mentored pre-clinical or clinical research programs designed to foster junior investigator development while advancing clinical care in ophthalmology and optometry

The primary mission of ISPB is to reduce preventable causes of blindness by educating the public on the necessity for and the methods of preventing blindness. ISPB annually awards grants to support research in eye and vision health, with priority granted to areas of inquiry with direct clinical relevance (translation research). Please keep this in mind when filling out your application.

Grant applications are due by Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at midnight. Reviews will take place in June, 2024.
For more information visit HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

April 18, 2024
2:00pm – Bickford of Champaign: Champaign, IL

April 30, 2024
1:00pm – Centennial Activity Center Presentation: Park Ridge, IL

July 9, 2024
1:30pm – Carillon Clubhouse: Plainfield, IL

August 9, 2024
11:00am – RUSH’s 9th Annual Community Health Fair: Chicago, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

Yoan Moncada in his Prevent Blindness Eclipse glasses               
Image curtesy of @WhiteSox Instagram
Prevent Blindness Eclipse Watch Party 

Total Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse was this past Monday. Prevent Blindness hosted a viewing party at 225 W. Wacker Drive in Chicago. Hundreds gathered to view the Eclipse! We hope everyone had a safe viewing! For more information on the eclipse visit HERE

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

March 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Workplace Eye Wellness Month

ISPB and Prevent Blindness Illinois (PBIL) have declared March as Workplace Eye Wellness Month to encourage employers and employees to make eye safety and eye protection a priority on the job. We offer a variety of free resources including WORKPLACE EYE SAFETY FACT SHEETS, SHAREABLE SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS, and, to help employers educate workers on eye protection and safety, Prevent Blindness also offers the Workplace Safety module in the HEALTHY EYES EDUCATIONAL SERIES. 

According to a recent report from the U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, workers suffered 18,510 eye-related injuries and illnesses in 2020. Contact with objects or equipment led to the majority of eye injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2020. Of these cases, close to 60 percent resulted from the worker rubbing or being abraded by foreign matter in the eye. Another 35 percent resulted from the eye being struck by an object or equipment. The AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY recommends eye safety gear that protects eyes from hazards such as:

  • Flying shards of metal or glass
  • Tools that slip or malfunction
  • Particles such as wood splinters, metal shavings or crystalline silica
  • Spattered chemicals
  • Any combination of these or other hazards

For more information visit HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

March 06, 2024
3:30pm – Bridle Brook Assisted Living: Mahomet, IL

March 10, 2024
2:00pm – Prairie Winds of Urbana: Urbana, IL

March 17, 2024
1:00pm – Pop Up Farmer’s Market: Chicago, IL

March 19, 2024
2:00pm – Evergreen Place: Champaign, IL

March 25, 2024
1:00pm – Waukegan Township Presentation: Waukegan, IL

April 04, 2024
1:30pm – Carriage Crossing Senior Living: Champaign, IL

April 09, 2024
1:30pm – Skokie Low Vision Support Group Presentation: Skokie, IL

April 30, 2024
1:00pm – Centennial Activity Center Presentation: Park Ridge, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

The Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness (ISPB) offers unique grant opportunities supporting mentored pre-clinical or clinical research programs designed to foster junior investigator development while advancing clinical care in ophthalmology and optometry

The primary mission of ISPB is to reduce preventable causes of blindness by educating the public on the necessity for and the methods of preventing blindness. ISPB annually awards grants to support research in eye and vision health, with priority granted to areas of inquiry with direct clinical relevance (translation research). Please keep this in mind when filling out your application.

Grant applications are due by Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at midnight. Reviews will take place in June, 2024.
For more information visit HERE

Total Eclipse is April 8, 2024

The next total solar eclipse in North America will occur across most of the United States on April 8, 2024, including a small band of total solar eclipse stretching from southwest to northeast across much of the continent. Prevent Blindness hopes you enjoy taking part in this important astronomical and cultural event. Before you do, please take the time to learn about the dangers to your vision and how to protect your eyes from injury during the eclipse.

 To learn more visit HERE

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

February 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

CONGRATULATIONS to the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) as they celebrate their 15th year of service! Please visit them for more information and to stay up to date.

AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

ISPB and PBIL have once again declared February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Awareness Month. We offer a variety of free educational resources to the public and professionals, including fact sheets and social media graphics in English and Spanish, as well as dedicated online resources and informative videos.

AMD is a retinal disease that affects part of the back of the eye called the macula. When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. According to the National Eye Institute, 11 million people in the United States have AMD.Low vision is defined as vision loss that cannot be corrected by medical or surgical treatments or conventional eyeglasses, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. More than 7 million Americans have low vision.

For more information visit HERE

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

February 24, 2024
10:00am – Boys + Girls Club Health Fair: Freeport, IL

March 17, 2024
1:00pm – Pop Up Farmer’s Market: Chicago, IL`

March 25, 2024
1:00pm – Waukegan Township Presentation: Waukegan, IL

April 30, 2024
1:00pm – Centennial Activity Center Presentation: Park Ridge, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

Total Eclipse is April 8, 2024

The next total solar eclipse in North America will occur across most of the United States on April 8, 2024, including a small band of total solar eclipse stretching from southwest to northeast across much of the continent. Prevent Blindness hopes you enjoy taking part in this important astronomical and cultural event. Before you do, please take the time to learn about the dangers to your vision and how to protect your eyes from injury during the eclipse.

 To learn more visit HERE

Welcome Jessica Babu!

Jessica Babu is joining the PBIL/ISPB team this Spring as our Community Outreach Intern for Urbana-Champaign! Jessica is graduating this May with a Bachelor’s of Science in Community Health with a minor in Business and Health Administration. Welcome to the team, Jess!

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

January 2024 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Glaucoma Awareness Month

ISPB and PBIL are once again participating in January’s National Glaucoma Awareness Month to provide patients, care partners, and professionals with a variety of helpful resources to educate on glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. In addition to a dedicated webpage at PREVENTBLINDNESS.ORG/GLAUCOMA, we offer a variety of downloadable FACT SHEETS, including a listing of glaucoma financial assistance resources, shareable SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS in English and Spanish, and EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS. These awareness month efforts are supported by funding from GLAUKOS.

Call for applications/nominations: 2024 Jenny Pomeroy and Rising Visionary Award

Prevent Blindness is requesting nominations and applications for the 2024 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health and the 2024 Rising Visionary Award. Please share with your colleagues and partners. The deadline is Monday, February 5th at noon ET. Contact Nita Sinha with any questions.

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

January 18, 2024
1:00pm – Embrace Living Community Presentation: Chicago, IL

February 24, 2024
10:00am – Boys + Girls Club Health Fair: Chicago, IL

March 25, 2024
1:00pm -Waukegan Township Presentation: Waukegan, IL

April 30, 2024
1:00pm – Centennial Activity Center Presentation: Park Ridge, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

NASEM Study on Myopia

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) are conducting a consensus study (“Focus on Myopia – Pathogenesis and Rising Incidence”) that will consider various aspects related to the global increase in myopia. The goals of the study are to assess the current mechanistic understanding of myopia pathogenesis and causes of its increased prevalence, to identify knowledge gaps and barriers to progress, and to develop a research agenda aimed at better understanding the biological and environmental factors that could explain its increasing incidence. 

Last month, Donna Fishman, Director of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health, joined the Center’s Co-Chair, Dr. Megan Collins of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in testifying before a workshop on the rise of myopia that will contribute to this study. You can view a recording of their testimony and the full workshop here.

Congratulations to Dr. Andrea Arteaga for her published study, Metalloproteinase-9 on the Ocular Aruface of Patients with Implanted Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis. Andrea is a former ISPB Grant Recipient. Great job!

The study can be found HERE

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

December 2023 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

Give the gift of sight!

December is give the gift of sight month here at ISPB/PBIL. Become a sight-saver by donating today! 

To make a donation visit eyehealthillinois.org/donate

Geographic Atrophy (GA) Awareness Week (December 4-10, 2023)

GA is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The symptoms are listed above. If you experience any of these symptoms, see an eye doctor as soon as possible. Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free, educational resources such as a dedicated webpage, expert videos, and fact sheets

For more information visit preventblindness.org/2023-geographic-atrophy-ga-week/

NEIU Student Health Fair held on November 14, 2023

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

January 18, 2024
1:00pm – Embrace Living Community Presentation: Chicago, IL

April 30, 2024
1:00pm -Senior Eye Health Presentation: Park Ridge, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

November 2023 Newsletter From ISPB & PBIL

Make a Donation

ISPB and PBIL have once again declared November as Diabetes-related Eye Disease Awareness Month, providing the public with a variety of helpful tools to prevent unnecessary vision loss from diabetes. 

DIABETES + THE EYES EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT is available in English and Spanish. This resource includes Power Point presentations, shareable social media graphics and A DEDICATED WEBPAGE. The Diabetes + The Eyes program is supported by funding from REGENERON.

DIABETES + THE EYES: VISION HEALTH IN YOUTH FACT SHEET
This new resource provides detailed information on what parents and care partners need to know to help youth with diabetes protect their eye health.

2023 Chicago Lighthouse 5k

Community Happenings

Our staff, team of interns, and volunteers provide eye health education and outreach at all types of community events – including health fairs, presentations and screenings!

We will be continuing our efforts during these dates:

January 18, 2024
1:00pm – Embrace Living Community Presentation: Chicago, IL

For more information, please contact rbarraza@preventblindness.org

Prevent Blindness is collaborating with Regeneron on the Gr8 eEye Movement! Use the 8th of every month, to check on your vision health. 

To find out more, visit HERE

Copyright © 2017 Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness

Contact Us
Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness | https://eyehealthillinois.org/
Prevent Blindness Illinois | https://preventblindness.org/contact-us/

Subscribe to Newsletter
Make a donation to ISPB

July is Dry Eye Awareness Month

ISPB and Prevent Blindness Illinois (PBIL) are joining in support of July as Dry Eye Awareness Month to help educate the public and healthcare professionals on the eye disease that affects nearly 16 million Americans, according to the National Eye Institute. Dry eye occurs when there is not enough tear film produced, the tear film is not draining properly from the eye, or the tear film is not the quality needed to maintain the health of the eye and clear vision.

We offer a variety of free resources, including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics available in English and Spanish, and a dedicated web page: preventblindness.org/understanding-dry-eye. For the fourth consecutive year, OCuSOFT ® Inc., a privately held eye and skin care company dedicated to innovation in eyelid hygiene and ocular health, is partnering with Prevent Blindness in support of Dry Eye Awareness Month.

Types of dry eye include “evaporative dry eye” which occurs when there is an inadequate amount of oil in tears, and “meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD),” a condition where the eyelid glands do not produce enough oil or it is of poor quality. MGD is the most common cause of evaporative dry eye.

Symptoms of dry eye may include:

  • Fluctuating blurry vision
  • Burning or stinging
  • Particles in the eye
  • Gritty, sandy feeling
  • Itchiness
  • Redness and inflammation
  • Stringy mucus
  • Extreme sensitivity, especially to cigarette smoke
  • Increased sensitivity to light

Once a diagnosis of dry eye has been made, an eyecare professional may recommend the use of eye drops. We have created new materials on the proper way to take eye drops, including a printable one-sheet, a new informative video, “How to Use Eye Drops,” featuring Dr. Yara Catoira-Boyle, Visionary Eye Specialists, and a dedicated webpage at PreventBlindness.org/taking-eye-drop-medications.

Prevent Blindness also offers two Focus on Eye Health Expert Series episodes including, “Dry Eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD),” featuring April Jasper, OD, FAAO, Advanced Eyecare Specialists. And, “Dry Eye,” with Stephanie Jones Marioneaux, MD.

For more information on dry eye, please visit the Prevent Blindness resource page at PreventBlindness.org/understanding-dry-eye. 

My Retina Tracker Genetic Testing Program

Do you have a clinical diagnosis of inherited retinal degeneration (IRD) and live in the United States and/or the US territories? The Foundation Fighting Blindness, in partnership with Blueprint Genetics and InformedDNA®, offers an open access, no-cost genetic testing program. Please visit their site to find out if you are eligible.

The program offers people with an IRD access to the highest quality genetic testing and genetic counseling. Although it is not required for participation, this program offers an easy opportunity to join the My Retina Tracker Registry. This gives individuals the opportunity to contribute to research and development, and the opportunity of being contacted about relevant clinical trials.

The program provides patients with a 322-gene panel targeting relevant genes associated with IRD. Unique features of the panel include the entire mitochondrial genome, full RPGR coverage, high-resolution copy number variant detection and comprehensive coverage of IRD related non-coding variants. The program offers no-charge genetic counseling.

Ordering is easy through Blueprint’s online portal, Nucleus. Results can be viewed in Nucleus approximately 4 weeks after Blueprint Genetics receives the sample.