Eyeworld

ASCRS NEWS Contact Thompson: vance.thompson @vancethompsonvision.com 36 | EYEWORLD | SPRING 2025 ophthalmologist and an implementor from par- ticipating practices to attend the BRiCS Summit, and Dr. Thompson said he was amazed at the resources shared by the faculty to help patients and practices in this space. The interest in the next BRiCS Summit, which will take place October 3–5 in Chicago, Illinois, has been wonderful, he said. "The response has been amazing and has led to ASCRS wanting to do the same thing in the glaucoma space," he said. His vision for the BRiCS Summit laid the foundation for the Business of Interventional Glaucoma, which will take place ahead of the ASCRS Annual Meeting on April 24 in Los Angeles, California. As president, Dr. Thompson has also en- joyed having a front-row seat working with the ASCRS Clinical Committees in their efforts to bring various forms of education to members, including programming at the ASCRS Annual Meeting, wet labs, white papers, and webinars. He also highlighted the work of ASCRS Government Relations and the ASCRS Foun- dation, which both address key pillars of the organization. Being able to work with the Government Relations team, going to the Fly-In, and seeing the influence of ASCRS in Washington, D.C., was impactful, Dr. Thompson said, noting that these efforts help fight for key issues that are important to ASCRS members, like MIGS reim- bursement and prior authorization, which were two big wins for the profession that ASCRS played a central role in. He said it's amazing to see what the ASCRS Foundation is doing and the support from physi- cians. Through Operation Sight and internation- al collaboration, there is the ability to help those who can't help themselves. Finally, Dr. Thompson mentioned the AS- CRS Annual Meeting, adding that ASCRS is such a well-respected source of education around the world, and he's enjoyed the opportunity to represent the Society as a whole. Dr. Thompson is looking forward to the 2025 ASCRS Annual Meeting April 25–28. He noted his leadership role in addressing current events, referencing ASCRS' response to the fires in Los Angeles, the host city for this year's Annual Meeting. Dr. Thompson issued a vid- eo response on behalf of the Society, sharing continued from page 34 support for the greater Los Angeles community, including ASCRS members practicing in that area. He also encouraged members to attend the Annual Meeting as a show of support in the city's economic recovery effort. Dr. Thompson expressed his excitement for this year's programming at the meeting, including the inaugural SightLine at ASCRS on April 24. SightLine at ASCRS will be a gathering of commercial stakeholders working within the ophthalmology space who will come together to discuss and debate the state of ophthalmology, as well as the direction the market is headed, and explore disruptive approaches to financial viability. Dr. Thompson concluded that being ASCRS President has been one of the true highlights of his career, and he thanked ASCRS Executive Director Steve Speares, the ASCRS staff, and all of his ASCRS colleagues and industry who have so graciously helped him along the way. Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, EyeWorld Cataract Editorial Board member, shared what he is excited for at the ASCRS Annual Meeting: "We are all fortunate to be ophthalmologists. Ophthalmology is an exciting and constantly advancing field of medicine that is driven by innovation and new technology. Every year, we find new and better ways to treat our patients. The ASCRS Annual Meeting gives the ophthalmologist a chance to not only see the newest technological advancements from industry but also a chance to learn about new treatment modalities and paradigms from experts around the world. As an academic-based anterior segment and cornea specialist, I never miss this meeting." ASCRS ANNUAL MEETING P R E V I E W

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