For Immediate Release

KOCH EYE ASSOCIATES TO PROVIDE FREE CATARACT SURGERY
FOR 20 UNINSURED CANDIDATES

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND, October 13, 2005:  Cataract disease can cause cloudy vision, dulled colors or problems with night vision.  More than 1.5 million people in the United States – mostly the elderly -- will be diagnosed with the disease this year, yet many can’t afford to have surgery to correct the condition because they aren’t covered by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.  Local residents who don’t qualify for insurance coverage can take heart, however, because Koch Eye Associates will be selecting 20 needy candidates to receive the necessary corrective surgery at no cost in December to commemorate the opening of St. James Surgery Center on Route 2 in Warwick.

“This is a family business, and our family and our business were both founded here in Rhode Island,” said CEO Peter Koch.  “We have a great allegiance to the people in the communities where we have a presence, and collectively my family members felt that this was another great way to do so.”  [Koch Eye Associates also closes its doors one workday each July and pays its employees to help non-profit organizations across the state with painting, cleaning, planting and clerical tasks that would otherwise go undone.  Koch Eye Cares Day is now in its fourth year.]

Interested candidates should call their local Koch Eye Associates office in Johnston, North Kingstown, Warwick, Woonsocket, or Providence to schedule a free screening.  All screenings will take place on Thursday, December 1st and candidates should bring proof of income to their appointments.  A medical committee will select 20 candidates among the pool of potential patients, based on income eligibility and medical condition.  The surgeries will be performed later in the month by Koch Eye physicians, Drs. Paul Koch, Roxanne Woel and Michael Negrey.

Symptoms of cataract disease may include cloudy or blurred vision, sensitivity to light, poor night vision, dulled colors, double vision or difficulty reading.  Left untreated, the disease can impair vision or even cause blindness. While the cause of cataracts is unknown, there have been studies that link high lead levels, and a high carbohydrate-rich diet to the disease.   More than 50 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with cataracts this year, and the disease incidence is anticipated to triple in the next 50 years as the American population ages.

For more information about this program, visit www.kocheye.com or call at 401.738.4800.

Koch Eye Associates is the area’s largest and most comprehensive eye care center that provides patients with a full range of preventative, maintenance, and restorative eye care procedures.  Founded in 1981, Koch Eye Associates is located in eight Rhode Island communities and in East Lyme, Connecticut.

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