Eyeworld

APRIL 2022 | EYEWORLD | 39 fellow ASCRS members in Washington, D.C. There is really no substitute for an in-person meeting. I think the meeting this year will be a great success. The city, Washington, D.C., offers a lot of activities for all to enjoy, including land- marks, museums, and great restaurants. I think many of us enjoy getting to see our colleagues face to face, interacting with lecturers, and hav- ing the ability to move from Exhibit Hall to lec- ture hall to symposium. The Tap Room has been improved and should be a great central location for conferencing and meeting with friends. It has been a great honor to serve as the president of ASCRS this last year. I appreciate the Executive Committee and leadership having the confidence to allow me this privilege. I want to encourage all of our members to attend the ASCRS Annual Meeting and contribute in any way they can. The thing that separates ASCRS from other organizations is the ease with which young ophthalmologists can contribute to the education of their colleagues and participate in improving the practice of ophthalmology for themselves and the rest of the community. Whether it is presenting a paper, submitting a film, or serving on one of the various commit- tees, help us continue to grow one of the best ophthalmic societies in the world. education, political advocacy, and domestic and international philanthropy. EyeWorld: How will you continue to be in- volved with the society after you pass on the presidency? Dr. Hoffman: I will stay on the Executive Com- mittee functioning as the past president and helping the incoming president with the transi- tion. After this, I will do whatever the organiza- tion requests of me. I have enjoyed contributing to the functionality of ASCRS, including lectur- ing, contributing films, and participating on the Cataract Clinical Committee, Governing Board, and Executive Committee. It is a wonderful organization to be a part of, and I recommend ophthalmologists at any career stage, especially the younger ophthalmologists, look for ways that they can participate. EyeWorld: ASCRS was able to have an in-per- son Annual Meeting last year, and this year, we'll be in Washington, D.C. What are you most looking forward to at the meeting this year? Dr. Hoffman: Last year we were able to bring back the first major in-person ophthalmology meeting since the pandemic began. I look for- ward to seeing even more of my colleagues and continued from page 37 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: When Identifying the Problem Is Not Enough, Leadership Must Take Action A program on social justice will be featured on Monday at the ASCRS Annual Meeting. The session, an ASCRS Satellite CME program, will take place from 7:45–9:30 a.m. with moderators Ann Caroline Fisher, MD, and Leon Herndon, MD. It will focus on leading social justice issues, seeking to increase awareness, foster open communication, and highlight research and resources to empower mem- bers to take action to improve patient care, staff retention and satisfaction, and practice partner- ship recruitment. Dr. Fisher stressed the importance of having this session on the program again at the ASCRS Annual Meeting and how it can aid in strengthening different aspects of ophthalmologists' areas of interest. "These conversations speak to positive change in academic missions, large organizations' missions, office staff growth potential and wellness, patient care, and partnerships with industry to diversi- fy our clinical trial participation," she said. "A lot of work is going on to make this a major topic of discussion at ASCRS and other national organizations." ASCRS is always on the cutting edge of the latest advances, she said, adding that it's a great opportunity to be able to highlight these topics at the Annual Meeting. An article with more details on the program will be featured on www.EyeWorld.org. Stay tuned for more information.

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