Eyeworld

38 | EYEWORLD | JULY 2021 ASCRS NEWS About the physician Terry Kim, MD Professor of Ophthalmology Duke University School of Medicine Chief, Cornea and Refractive Surgery Division Duke University Eye Center Durham, North Carolina from being a part of something that's going to help not only their day-to-day clinical practice but also their profession as a whole. Members can also get involved in philanthropic efforts with the ASCRS Foundation, which is working to improve access to care in underprivileged communities in the U.S. and abroad. I also planned to strengthen our relations with other national and international ophthal- mic societies and broaden our collaborative efforts. That's hard to do when you're not able to go to meetings and network with others. I do think there are positives that came out of this year. We've worked more closely with AAO than ever before, with a lot of dialogue about tackling this pandemic in terms of gov- ernmental relations and initiatives, as well as communicating timely updates of protocols and safety measures for reopening practices and ORs. We're learning we don't have to duplicate everything we're doing but instead can work together in a more efficient and collaborative fashion, which we've done with the Eyecelerator program. EyeWorld: What important ASCRS initiatives stand out to you over the past year? Dr. Kim: The 2020 Annual Meeting was a huge transition for us, as we were the first major domestic ophthalmology meeting to go virtual. I think it was a very effective initiative with CME credits, hundreds of hours of excellent educa- tional content, and sessions highlighting the COVID-19 crisis and how to help our members through the recovery process. Our next major initiative was investing in virtual CME programs, like "20/Happy in 2020" and "Glaucoma Building Blocks," which were extremely successful and involved a host of prominent faculty. Both programs were re- corded so they could be available on demand in their entirety for registrants. "20/Happy in 2020" was especially timely as members were looking to implement new technology into their practices, and ASCRS could serve as a helpful educational conduit while industry access was limited as a result of the pandemic. Outgoing ASCRS president reflects on unprecedented year continued on page 41 T erry Kim, MD, served as ASCRS president for the past year, a year full of unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He reflected on his year as president, the challenges and how ASCRS addressed them, important initiatives, and more. EyeWorld: What was it like coming on as ASCRS president at the beginning of the pandemic? Dr. Kim: It was somewhat of a surreal envi- ronment, especially after losing my father to COVID-19 a month before my term started. As I was taking on my role as president, I never imagined I'd face the immediate challenges that our organization had to face, but I was prepared to take on that challenge. I was extremely thankful to have a strong and supportive organization in terms of the ASCRS staff, executive director, Executive Com- mittee, and Governing Board to help navigate through all these difficulties. For everyone deal- ing with this crisis, it was a dynamic, ever-evolv- ing situation; it was never just one thing. There were adjustments that were constantly being made in terms of our clinical care protocols, educational offerings, governmental relief initia- tives, and communication with members. EyeWorld: What were the goals you set out to accomplish as president? Dr. Kim: My major goal was to expand our membership, both on a domestic and interna- tional level, but it's hard to do that when you're not able to be in front of your colleagues in person. I think one of my strengths is working and interacting face to face, and I think a lot of us are realizing that there are elements of this per- sonal interaction that are missing on Zoom and other virtual platforms. My goal was to show everyone the im- portance of an organization like ASCRS, why every cataract and refractive surgeon in the U.S. should be a member, and how they can benefit ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW

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