NEW YORK - VSP Vision Care is teaming up with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Regeneron to discuss COVID-19’s impact on people living with diabetes, especially as it pertains to their vision. The roundtable, set for May 5, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET, will feature medical professionals and two patient ‘Champions’ who will share their insights and experiences from the past 14 months. The effort is part of the ongoing Focus on Diabetes initiative with the ADA, which was previously announced.

As part of Healthy Vision Month, the panel will explore how the pandemic delayed appointments among many patients and what this means for those with diabetes and what patients and family members of those with diabetes can do to help.

The roundtable is being held to educate and spark conversations amongst those living with diabetes and pre-diabetes, and their loved ones, bringing awareness to the importance of attending regular appointments to prevent vision loss and other life-harming delayed care reactions. ECPs, media and others are invited to attend, at no charge.

The panelists include:

• Robert A. Gabbay, MD, Ph.D., the chief scientific and medical officer for the ADA, former associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
• Rishi Singh, MD, retina specialist and staff surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland.
• Sherrol A. Reynolds, OD, associate professor and chief of advanced ophthalmic care at the Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry; president, National Optometric Association (NOA); and fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and the Optometric Retinal Society.
• Chris Ruden, Focus on Diabetes patient Champion, Elite Powerlifter and “Titan Games” star who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 19 while living with a congenital birth defect that left him with two fingers on his left hand and a short arm.
• Natalie Karabel, Focus on Diabetes patient Champion and blogger who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since she was 6 years old. She uses her platform and writes for the ADA’s blog to share her personal experience of living with diabetes and navigating her eyecare as a patient with diabetic retinopathy.

The Zoom link for the roundtable is here.