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P r o f i l e s i n e x c e l l e n c e M a i n e — A P h oto P o rt r A i t o f t h e P i n e t r ee S tAt e 123 had special training in treating retinal conditions and diseases. They take great care to diagnose and treat problems and diseases of the retina, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and reti- nal detachment. The team of cataract physicians and surgeons of the Cataract Center is comprised of Dr. Cady, Dr. Hedstrom, Dr. Libby, Dr. Read, and Dr. Zacks. Until recently, most lenses implanted after the removal of the cataract were monofocal implants that generally provided good distance vision, but glasses were still necessary for optimum near vision. Now with advanc- es in lens technology, many patients can expect to see well at near, far or intermediate distances with less de- pendence on glasses after their cataract surgery. Dr. Zacks, a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in medical and surgical management of corneal and external diseases of the eye, serves as the head of MEC's Cornea Center. Keeping the cornea healthy is a vital part in protecting your vision and the health of your eyes. Whether you need contact lenses for keratoconus, treatment for acute corneal problems or cornea transplant surgery, Dr. Zacks and his team can help. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of vision loss. Dr. Cady and Dr. Libby in the Glaucoma Cen- ter help manage and attempt to slow the progression of glaucoma. While there is no cure, early detection, careful monitoring, the use of certain medications and procedures can slow progression of the disease and reduce the risk of vision loss. MEC's four optometrists, Dr. Aggarwal, Dr. Amundson, Dr. Thees, and Dr. Walters, provide rou- tine eye care for all ages. For those with stable vi- sion and without known eye disease, having routine eye exams every two years is important to maintain health vision. For many years Maine Eye Center has been offer- ing the services of an optical shop to its patients and to the public. MEC has two optical shops staffed by opti- cians certified by the American Board of Opticianry carrying a wide variety of economy and designer eye- glasses, sunglasses, and accessories. The staff at MEC is actively involved in the commu- nities it serves. For example, MEC has been a sponsor of the Portland Based Iris Network's White Cane Walk to help sustain services for people who are blind or visually impaired. MEC employees raise donations and partici- pate as a team known as "Eyes on a Cure" in Portland's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program. The practice holds a monthly Jeans Day, where em- ployees donate $2.00 or more to wear jeans to work. Each month's donations support a different charity, such as the Preble Street Resource Center, the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, and the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Additionally, many of the doctors and staff participate in international relief organizations such as Project Guatemala and cureblindness.org. Most of all, the Maine Eye Center staff enjoys help- ing the people of Maine and Northern New England to see the world around them and to better enjoy all of life's little details. "When you do a cataract operation on a grandmother, and she comes back the next day and tells you she just saw her grandchild for the first time in five years, that's when you know why you do it," says Frank Read, M.D. Medicare Certified Ambulatory Surgical Center