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BOROUGH PRESIDENT WELCOMES BROOKLYNITES TO BOROUGH HALL FOR FREE GLAUCOMA SCREENINGS

On November 14th, Borough President Marty Markowitz (smiling) welcomed hundreds of Brooklynites to Borough Hall for free Glaucoma screenings. The Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation organized the screenings.

“Approximately 3 million Americans who are 40 years or older suffer from glaucoma and as many as 120,000 Americans are blind as a result of the disease,” said Borough President Markowitz. “Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of preventable blindness and that is why it is so important for Brooklynites to get tested. I want to thank the Friends of the Congressional Glaucoma Caucus Foundation for providing this invaluable service.”

The Foundation partnered with the New York City Department for the Aging to provide bus transportation from Brooklyn senior centers to allow more than 200 seniors the opportunity for vision screening. The Foundation has worked with Borough President Markwoitz and the other borough presidents, the Congressional delegation, the New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden and NYC Department of the Aging Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago to undertake a campaign of glaucoma screenings at senior centers across New York City.

The Foundation has received an unrestricted educational grant from the Pfizer Corporation and a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to conduct screenings in senior centers, shopping malls, office buildings and houses of worship across the nation. It has conducted more than 160 glaucoma screenings in more than a dozen states during the past eighteen months.