Joanne Angle Public Health Award

Angela Elam, M.D., Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Kellogg Eye Center, received the 2020 Joanne Angle Public Health Award from Prevent Blindness, a national eye health organization, and Fight for Sight, the first nonprofit organization in the U.S. to promote eye research. The $25,000 grant was awarded for her study entitled “Engagement in Telemedicine-based Glaucoma Screening in the Community Clinics.”

“Many Americans are at risk for blindness or vision loss due to glaucoma, some because they have limited access to appropriate treatment for the disease,” says Dr. Elam. In light of this, her study focuses on identifying strategies to better engage populations of people most at risk of vision loss from glaucoma and who are least likely to have access to eye care.

“Studies show that racial and ethnic minorities, people with lower incomes, older individuals and those living in rural areas may not have the same access to virtual care as others,” says Dr. Elam, citing such issues as lack of access to technology and insufficient broadband access. “With many of these individuals already at higher risk for eye disease, the health disparities gap may widen if telemedicine becomes their only option. That’s why we need to bring services such as telemedicine to trusted community sites. We need to meet patients where they are.”

Michael Brogioli, executive director of Fight for Sight, praised Dr. Elam and her team, saying, “Their work to engage underserved communities is especially critical during this extraordinary time.”