Dean McGee Eye Institute

PROJECT PURPOSE

The Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI) is the only nonprofit eye institute in Oklahoma and serves as the community safety net for medical and surgical eye care for the entire state. Many of the services, treatments, diagnostic tests, and surgical procedures performed at DMEI cannot be obtained elsewhere in the region. Over 20 years ago, DMEI created the Patient Financial Assistance Program (PFAP) as the conduit through which financial support could be directed to help those in need. All patients without health care coverage or who have limited financial resources are offered an opportunity for assistance and are qualified along a sliding scale. Beneficiaries of PFAP are members of the same groups that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic -- the poor, Blacks/African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and American Indians. The annual cost of care provided through PFAP was more than $1.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. DMEI seeks ARPA funds to help underwrite the care provided to PFAP patients over the next four years to ensure that this population is not further marginalized with regard to their eye health and vision as they struggle to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

EVIDENCE

The need for ophthalmic services is growing in Oklahoma, especially among vulnerable populations. Two of the primary PFAP constituent groups, those of ages 55-64 and Hispanics, are at increased risk for eye disease and are growing fast. Oklahoma?s Hispanic population grew by 42% between 2010 and 2020, and those of ages 60+ will grow from 16% to 24% of the population by 2030 (U.S. Census Bureau). This growing need is evident in the PFAP experience at DMEI. Between June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, the cost of care provided by DMEI through PFAP surged 48% due to increased demand.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), those over the age of 50 experience higher rates of COVID-19 related hospitalization and death compared to those under 50, as do Black, Hispanic, and American Indian persons compared to Whites. In addition, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that over half of the poor experienced a loss of income during the pandemic, which affected their food, shelter, and health status. Support for PFAP will enable DMEI to address one of the primary social determinants of health for these vulnerable populations, which is access to appropriate medical care. Not only will the project support those in need among the growing non-Medicare-eligible older (ages 55-64) and Hispanic populations (who have increased risk of eye disease), it will also enable DMEI to care for uninsured and economically disadvantaged members of the state?s Black and American Indian communities. This is important because, according to the National Eye Institute, Blacks have some of the highest rates of vison loss and blindness, and Americans Indians, who are twice as likely as Whites to have diabetes, are at much higher risk of developing diabetic eye disease. Funding will enable DMEI to serve the most vulnerable within these populations.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Performance for this project will be measured by the number of patients who receive care per year along with the cost of providing that care. In addition, clinical and surgical outcomes will be monitored to ensure that they align with DMEI expectations to meet or exceed national standards.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma