Eyeworld

12 | EYEWORLD | APRIL 2019 ASCRS NEWS by Steve Speares ASCRS Executive Director Contact information Speares: sspeares@ascrs.org Our new mission statement, crafted and approved by the Executive Committee in 2018, is: "ASCRS empowers Anterior Segment Surgeons to improve the vision, outcomes, and quality of life for their patients through innovative approaches to Education, Advocacy, and Philanthropy." We are crystallizing our mission into three pillars of activity that show clearly how ASCRS commits to the mission and now guides our activities. We educate Education is at the core of our mission. The com- prehensive nature in which we tackle a topic from every imaginable angle makes ASCRS unique and stand out. From patient selection, expectation, and education, to the array of diagnostic options and their applications, to meeting the challenges presented by unexpected complications, every discussion presents multiple opportunities for experiences, insights, and opinions that can be shared, vetted, and debated. The blend of didactic, pragmatic, Socratic, and hands-on skills transfer, infused with indus- try insight, innovation, and expertise, gives our members the most comprehensive assessment to achieving their optimal outcomes. We seek to learn as much as possible about new technologies and collaborate with other organizations around the world that get earlier regulatory access to these technologies and bring that information to our members. The interpersonal nature of how we collab- orate, teach, and support our fellow members makes ASCRS particularly unique. At our 2019 meeting, you will hear numerous surgeons from varied backgrounds and demographics talk about the impact ASCRS education has had on their career. We advocate We advocate on behalf of our members by identi- fying, evaluating, and addressing potential legis- lative and regulatory issues and threats, as well as their impact on ophthalmic practices, patients, and physician reimbursement. We accomplish this by leveraging our relationships with Congress, A bout 45 years ago in Los Angeles, a group of cataract surgeons decided to pool their collective interests to create an organization focused solely on the study of cataract surgery and intra- ocular lenses. They set out to explore every possible attribute, characteristic, and outcome about this expansive new frontier. From that first gathering, the core elements that have made ASCRS an essential element of the cataract surgery landscape were laid. As we prepare for this year's Annual Meeting in San Diego, we will do our best to tap into that original DNA as we begin a new chapter in our organiza- tion's history. In starting this new chapter, we have re- freshed the society's mission statement. Every organization's mission statement is meant to communicate the essence of why the organiza- tion exists and succinctly describe its purpose. The exercise of pulling together such a message is a journey of exploration, self-reflection, and self-critique. Introducing the pillars of ASCRS: Educate, advocate, donate From left: Frank Burns, MD, Nancey McCann, Mr. Speares, and Nicki Greenwell, COA, at the 2018 Legislative Fly-In Source: ASCRS

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