Eyeworld

UPDATE 14 tals, Cleveland. He has two master's degrees in biomedical sciences and healthcare and management admin- istration. As a senior resident he was elected as the Residency Wellness Representative and was decorated with awards and scholarships. He is an active member of ASCRS and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Dr. Moarefi was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has a passion for volunteering domestically and internationally. He enjoys traveling and has worked at various medical clinics around the world. Interested in becoming a vol- unteer with ASCRS? Visit ascrs.org/ volunteer. Not a member? Joining is easy. Visit ascrs.org/join for full information. EW Contact information Monasterio: dmonasterio@ascrs.org how ASCRS has stretched its reach in so many directions for the betterment of ophthalmology," he said. "Through education, service, and volunteering, ASCRS provides opportunities and access for oph- thalmologists seeking more." Dr. Moarefi became interested in ophthalmology in medical school during his first rotation. "I got chills after the surgery was done," he said. "I fell in love with the surgical preci- sion and depth of knowledge needed to take care of vision." Dr. Moarefi will soon be join- ing fellow ASCRS member Donald Serafano, MD, at the Eye Physi- cians of Long Beach in Long Beach, California. The two met during the 2016 Legislative Fly-In. Dr. Moarefi most recently completed a fellow- ship at the Cleveland Eye Clinic. He received his medical degree from Chicago Medical School. He com- pleted his residency at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospi- This month's spotlight member is Majid "Amir" Moarefi, MD. In 2016, Dr. Moarefi was awarded a Young Eye Surgeons (YES) Legislative Fly-In scholarship and traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the annual event. He joined 24 other ASCRS members in visiting Capitol Hill to meet with their local senators and representatives. That experience spurred Dr. Moarefi's continued and active involvement in ASCRS. Dr. Moarefi is now an eyeContact and eyePAC donor. He is also an active member of the ASCRS Government Relations Committee. Outside of government rela- tions, Dr. Moarefi has presented papers and posters at several ASCRS• ASOA Annual Meetings. He has been involved in educational seminars, attended meetings, and participated in wet labs. Dr. Moarefi first heard about ASCRS through his residency program. "Over the years, I learned T he American Society of Cat- aract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) is a member-led organization. Much of the education, information, and other offerings are developed by anterior segment specialists for ante- rior segment specialists. The success of the organization is highly impact- ed by the continued dedication and volunteerism from the individuals who serve as educators. Every month, we feature one of these member volunteers. We will introduce you to individuals who have contributed to the society's outstanding education, helping members strengthen their skills and sharpen their expertise, and provide better care to patients. by Denise Monasterio ASCRS Marketing and Communications Manager ASCRS educator spotlight: Majid "Amir" Moarefi, MD Majid "Amir" Moarefi, MD eyeContacts in action by Tami O'Brien ASCRS manager of PAC and grassroots A SCRS•ASOA eyeCon- tacts are engaged with elected officials in their communities. Whether it be discussing issues with their senator while hand-delivering an eyePAC check on behalf of the society, inviting their repre- sentative to visit their practice, hosting a fundraiser for a key candidate, or simply responding to an ASCRS grassroots action alert, eyeContacts are active to the extent that suits their avail- ability and comfort level. Rep. Peter Roskam visits practice of ASCRS member Brian Smith, MD In August, ASCRS member Brian Smith, MD, met with Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL), chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, to deliver a cam- paign contribution on behalf of eyePAC. The meeting was a fol- low-up to ASCRS' participation in a fundraising event for Rep. Roskam in Washington, D.C., during July's Alliance of Specialty Medicine Legislative Fly-In. ASCRS and the Alliance have been working closely with Rep. Roskam on ways to reduce the regulatory burden on physicians. Rep. Roskam visited Dr. Smith at his practice, the Smith-Perry Eye Center, in Hinsdale, Illinois. During their meeting, they discussed the importance of preserving a viable Medicare fee-for-service payment option, since there are no oph- thalmology-specific Alternative Payment Models (APMs) available at this time, as well as maintaining the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for quality reporting. In addition, they talked about other issues, such as the need for Congress to address various barriers to special- ty care, including prior authoriza- tion and step therapy. Congressman Jim Banks meets with ASCRS and ASOA members at Indiana practice In August, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) visited the Grossnickle Eye Center in Warsaw, Indiana, where he met with ASCRS member Christopher Knight, MD, and ASOA members Janie Whitehead, Diana Ostrom, and Josh Gordon. Rep. Banks spent nearly an hour at the newly remodeled practice and was able to tour the ambulatory surgery cen- ter, which performs more than 400 surgical cases per month. Ms. Whitehead, who is the patient accounts manager at Grossnickle, and her colleagues took the opportunity to discuss key issues affecting ophthalmology, includ- ing the importance of preserving a Medicare Part B fee-for-service op- tion and improving the prior au- thorization process. "Insurance companies are always adjusting the way they are paying claims," Ms. Whitehead said. "Unfortu- nately, these changes do impact our patients. What might be prescribed by the doctor may not be covered by the insurance company. So we work with pa- tients to make sure they receive the best care." If you would like to become an eyeContact, contact Tami O'Brien, ASCRS manager of PAC and grassroots, at tobrien@ascrs. org. EW Rep. Roskam, center, visits with Dr. Smith and practice administrator Nanci Labracio at the Smith-Perry Eye Center in Hinsdale, Illinois.

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