Eyeworld

FOCUSING ON THE THREE PILLARS OF THE SOCIETY 38 | SUPPLEMENT TO EYEWORLD Having members meet directly with their represen- tatives, either at the fly-in or in their hometowns, helps raise awareness and increases education about ophthal- mic procedures, especially cataract surgery, and how rules and regulations enacted by Congress and CMS can have an impact on physicians, their practices, and most importantly, their patients. Many ASCRS members have developed relationships with members of Congress over the years, which helps keep open lines of communi- cation when there are key issues the specialty is facing. Many ASCRS members may not realize the scope of ASCRS advocacy efforts, Dr. Arnold said. "We were very fortunate to have had Nancey as the Director of Gov- ernment Relations for 28 years. Her constant activity in Washington, D.C., helped keep us focused on the most important of many issues facing our profession. ASCRS leadership has been committed to our Government Sen. Rand Paul, MD (R-Ky.), an ophthalmologist in the U.S. Senate, is an ally for ASCRS on healthcare-related issues. Dr. Paul spoke at the Government Relations session at the ASCRS Annual Meeting in 2014, and ASCRS held a fundrais- er for him in 2018. Source: ASCRS Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, MD (center), with Parag Parekh, MD, James Bryan III, MD, Hayley Boling, MBA, COE, and Nancey McCann. Dr. Miller-Meeks is an ophthalmologist in Congress from Iowa who spoke at the Government Relations session at the 2021 ASCRS Annual Meeting. Source: ASCRS Priscilla Arnold, MD (center), and Paul Arnold, MD (right), with ASCRS Government Relations keynote speaker, political commentator Juan Williams (le). Source: Priscilla Arnold, MD ASCRS and ASOA members who attended the 2023 Fly-In in Washington, D.C. Source: Aaishwariya Gulani, MD Relations Committee involvement, recognizing the impact of the numerous legislative and regulatory de- cisions," she said, adding that the "signature feature" of ASCRS Government Relations activity is collaboration with other medical professional organizations, like the Alliance of Specialty Medicine, of which ASCRS was a founding member. Many ASCRS physicians also don't recognize the importance of this advocacy activity, Dr. Arnold said. ese efforts "require the time and expertise of surgeon members of ASCRS, the Government Relations Com- mittee, and the director of the [department]," she said. e advocacy of this group has made a huge impact on practices and patient care on a daily basis. Currently, Parag Parekh, MD, serves as Chair of the Government Relations Committee, with Mark Cribben as Director of Government Relations.

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