Eyeworld

EW NEWS & OPINION 10 and attests that an optician has demonstrated knowledge of dispens- ing, which is why ASOA recom- mends that all opticians who work in ophthalmology practices become certified. A special feature of this year's track is that 12 of the courses have been approved by the ABO. That ap- proval means that ABO certified op- ticians, and those hoping to be become certified, can obtain at one time and one place all the education and CE they need to maintain their certification. "This is much more convenient then obtaining the CE on a piecemeal basis throughout the year," said Arthur De Gennaro of Arthur De Gennaro & Associates, LLC, Practice Management Consult- ants, Chair of the Optical Dispen- sary Forum. "It also means that administrators, their opticians and doctors can attend the courses and visit the exhibit hall together, giving them a unified starting place when doing strategic planning for a dis- pensary." "I strongly urge administrators to consider sending your opticians to the ASOA Congress and having them attend the ABO approved courses. In addition to the approved January 2011 Glaucoma Surgery: Advances You & Your Patients Will Appreciate Friday, March 25, 2011 6:30 – 7:00 am Registration & Breakfast Buffet 7:00 – 8:00 am Symposium New Innovations in Laser Refractive Technology: A Paradigm Shift in Techniques and Technologies Friday, March 25, 2011 3:30 – 4:00 pm Registration 4:00 – 5:00 pm Symposium with Reception to Follow Live Surgery in High Definition Saturday, March 26, 2011 6:30 – 7:00 am Registration & Breakfast Buffet 7:00 – 9:30 am Live Telecast from The Eye Institute of Utah in Salt Lake City The Next Era in Cataract Surgery: A Private Showing of the Alcon LenSx® Laser Saturday, March 26, 2011 5:30 – 6:00 pm Registration 6:00 – 7:00 pm Symposium with Reception to Follow The stage has been set for the next era in cataract surgery… get on the VIP list for a private showing of the Alcon LenSx® Laser. Paving the Way for the Future: Advanced Technology IOLs & Laser Refractive Cataract Surgery Sunday, March 27, 2011 11:30 am – 12:00 pm Registration & Lunch 12:00 – 1:00 pm Symposium CME credit is not available for these programs. ASOA continued from P. 9 courses there will be 6 additional hours of courses that will be pre- sented by leading industry consult- ants and vendors including BSM Consulting, the Corcoran Consult- ing Group, Fashion Optical Displays, Santinelli International, Donna Suter Consulting and others," said Syler. ASCRS Produces LASIK: The Right Stuff Documentary A 30-minute documentary of the rig- orous review that LASIK underwent by the U.S. Navy and other branches of the armed forces before its adop- tion by those services and the Na- tional Aeronautics and Space Administration is to be released in time for the ASCRS ASOA annual Symposium and Congress in late march 2011. The film features interviews for- mer U.S. Navy Captain Steve Schall- horn, M.D., senior officers and physicians as well as sailors, Marines, flyers, and infantry person- nel. Schallhorn's work and that of Navy Captain David Tanzer, M.D.,were central to the develop- ment and adoption of LASIK by the US and allied armed services. LASIK has its skeptics, said Schallhorn, in private practice in Southern California, and our pur- pose in this film is to show the ex- traordinary rigor of the scientific review that it was subjected to by the services. It also shows how LASIK has improved the quality of life for service personnel, and made them safer and more effective in their jobs than they otherwise would have been. The film will be offered for air- ing by satellite and cable outlets this year and then be offered to practices of ASCRS members. EW EyeWorld Factoid In California, bill SB 1406 would have allowed op- tometrists to perform cer- tain surgical procedures; however, the bill was amended and stripped of surgical mentions before being signed into law Source: California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, 2009

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