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Making a Difference, One In-Home Visit at a Time
Meet Seth Graham, one of our remarkable Field Technologists who brings Retina Labs preventive healthcare screening programs straight to the doorsteps of those individuals who need it most. Seth’s passion and dedication to preventive care allow him to make a direct impact on the lives of others –one in-home member visit at a time.
Take a closer look at Seth’s story, starting with his familial roots in ophthalmology and the driving factors that have motivated him to help thousands of members over the course of his career here at Retina Labs.
From Passion to Purpose
Growing up, Seth realized firsthand the importance of encouraging proactive eye health through his grandfather while working at his private optometry practice. It was here that Seth began helping with the day-to-day administrative tasks that ultimately led to becoming an ophthalmic technician, realizing the importance of protecting your vision meant to those on both sides of the eye exam room. Seth’s drive to prioritize eye health and keeping it in check stemmed from his grandfather’s optometry practice where he discovered innovative ways to educate and inform patients of common eye diseases.
"I’m a firm believer in taking a proactive approach to eye care given my personal opinion that it is the most important of our five senses. When I learned about the opportunity to provide in-home screenings that primarily focused on diabetic eye disease, I knew this was where I was meant to be," Seth explained.
Now working as our Lead Field Technologist, Seth travels from home to home, ensuring that each member receives the preventive care screenings they need – helping Retina Labs health plan clients close critical care gaps while improving overall health outcomes.
A Day in the Life of a Field Technologist
Each day brings new opportunities to help a variety of members and that is the exciting part of his role here at Retina Labs. Seth enjoys the daily interactions with new people while providing them with the various health services they require.
"One day I may be helping a diabetic patient who hasn’t completed an annual eye exam in years. The next, I’m educating someone on how simple lifestyle changes can drastically improve their health and wellbeing. Every visit with a member presents another opportunity to make a difference –no matter how big or small it may seem."
From conducting routine screenings to offering reassurance and providing education, Seth’s duties go beyond performing diagnostic tests. By maintaining his commitment to building trust, he ensures that every member interaction is personal, just as it should be.
One Defining Moment That Still Stands Out Today
While every member interaction is meaningful, one particular in-home visit continues to stay top of mind for Seth to this day.
"I was scheduled to complete an in-home visit for a member located in rural Tennessee, where I was unable to confirm my appointment in advance – something we always try to do. Although I remained hesitant about making the trip, I decided to show up at his front door right on our scheduled appointment time anyways. When this male health plan member answered the door, it was immediately clear that he needed assistance well beyond what our in-home programs typically offer.
Once he invited me inside his home to sit down and talk about the screening program process, I had come to find out that he had been unable to contact anyone within his health plan’s care team for quite some time, largely due to his inability to read and/or write. After completing the in-home retinal exam, I stuck around to coordinate with the appropriate care management department that could help address many of the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) factors troubling him. By connecting him with the right team at his health plan, I was able to help get him on the right path to overcoming his recent struggles with food insecurity as well as his social living situation concerns.
It was at this exact moment that solidified what I already knew to be true – that our face-to-face interactions with members are much more than just preventive care screenings and at-home lab tests. My ability to personally impact his social wellbeing by escalating his concerns to the proper health plan teams makes me proud of the work I do every single day.”
How Retina Labs Goes Above & Beyond the “Company Culture” Basics
It is not just the health plan members we serve who benefit from our work – it is the entire team.
"I love working for Retina Labs because of the opportunities I’ve been provided with to be part of a growing organization that truly cares about us. Unlike other in-home preventive healthcare service vendors that contract with their workforce, every Field Technologist here is a W-2 employee. This unique differentiator continually reminds us how integral we are to our company’s mission of ending preventable blindness caused by diabetic eye disease. Retina Labs has an amazing support system with ongoing training and certification processes that allow us to gain valuable experiences across multiple areas of the in-home healthcare business.”
When asked what advice he would give to someone considering a role as a Field Technologist, Seth did not hesitate to answer:
"Don’t be afraid to make every member interaction one that is not only personal but also memorable. Healthcare isn’t meant to be transactional by nature and you’ll never know how great an impact that one extra minute you spend with a member may have on them, health-related or otherwise. If you have true compassion and want to make a legitimate difference outside of any hospital or clinic setting, this is definitely the job for you."
Join Retina Labs in Making Preventive Healthcare More Accessible
We are proud to have dedicated and passionate professionals like Seth on our team who help make preventive healthcare more accessible and convenient by bringing critical services directly to members – all within the comfort of their own homes.
Want to learn more about how our team supports health plans and their members? Visit our Careers page below and our member-specific site for more information:
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