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Senator Moore awarded by Prevent Blindness Massachusetts |
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Alan Cregg, Executive Director of Prevent Blindness Massachusetts presents Senator Moore with the “2006 Person of Vision” award at the Harvard Club of Boston. |
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December 13, 2006...The Prevent Blindness Massachusetts presented Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) with the 2006 “Person of Vision” award for his commitment to improving eye health in the Commonwealth; for drafting and passing legislation that brings health care insurance to all residents in the state and for welcoming Prevent Blindness to conduct Free Vision Screening and Education Day in his district. “I thank Prevent Blindness for recognizing my work in the state and am honored to receive this award,” said Moore. “Early detection, public education and regular eye screening is very critical in preventing vision loss. Last Spring, partnering up with the organization to provide free screenings to my constituents was very important since most of them were not aware they had eye problems.” The screenings found that over 80% of those individuals vision screened at senior centers in Senator Moore’s district had an eye problem that needed professional attention. “Without Senator Moore’s concern for eye health of his constituents, these people found to have eye problems would not have known the full urgency of the situation,” said Alan Cregg, Executive Director of Prevent Blindness Massachusetts. “Not only did Senator Moore meet with us, but he invited us into his district to conduct four vision screening and education events. Senator Moore also took the time to be present at each screening.” Prevent Blindness America estimates that: (1) 44,363 individuals in Massachusetts age 50 and older have age- related macular Degeneration, (2) 509,781 individuals in Massachusetts age 40 and older have cataracts, (3) 122,919 individuals in Massachusetts age 18 and older have Diabetic Retinopathy, and (4) 50,900 individuals in Massachusetts age 40 and older have glaucoma. According to a study done by Prevent Blindness America titled “Vision Problems in the U.S., Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in America”, these figures will double over the next three decades. Cregg continued to laud the Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing by saying “Senator Moore is a caring man that will listen to anyone, consider any ideas and will walk down any path if it might improve the health of his constituents. Senator Moore is a great man.” Prevent Blindness Massachusetts is an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America and is the only nonprofit organization in the state solely dedicated to saving sight through early detection vision screening, eye health and safety education, vision screening training and certification programs, and research. For more information on Senator Moore’s work in the Senate, please visit his website at www.senatormoore.com |
