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EW NEWS & OPINION 24 Incoming and outgoing president speeches from the 2014 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress in Boston E ric Donnenfeld, MD: ASCRS members and guests, what an exciting and rewarding year it has been for all of us. On a personal note, this has been a year I will treasure forever. There are no finer people than the ophthalmolo- gists, administrators, and industry partners I have had the privilege to work with this year who have do- nated their time to build a better profession for all of us, and our own ASCRS staff, who bring passion and support to our profession every single day. In many instances, they have become role models and life- long friends. My son, Robert, said it best last year, "There is no I in eye." We are a team. The Executive Board of ASCRS is led by two past presi- dents, Ed Holland, MD, and David Chang, MD, who are both world- class ophthalmic surgeons and hu- manitarians. Rick Lewis, MD, will serve our organization as our next president with a commitment to excellence and hard work, and will help cement the important role the practice of glaucoma treatment plays in our organization. Rick is one of the finest, most ethical and honest individuals I know. The future of ASCRS is also in the very capable hands of vice president Bob Cionni, MD, treasurer Kerry Solomon, MD, and secretary Bonnie Henderson, MD. The hard work is done by our Clinical Committees, and I thank every one of you for your service. Presidents of ASCRS come and go, but one constant remains that exemplifies the very fiber of our mission—ASCRS Executive Director David Karcher. For 33 years, David has been an extraordinary friend to ophthalmology, ASCRS, and to me personally. Thank you, David. I would especially like to acknowledge the support and guidance of my wife, Marleen, and family. One year ago this city endured the Boston Marathon bombings, a terrible tragedy at the hands of evil terror- ists. We honor those victims and heroes by being here at this meeting. As a New Yorker and on behalf of the worldwide ASCRS membership, I proclaim that today we are all Boston fans and we are all "Boston strong." This year has been a busy year for ASCRS. We launched the ASCRS Clinical Survey, targeting the opin- ions of 2,000 of our members so we can respond to your needs. In addi- tion we have completely redesigned our website for rapid access to im- portant information. We have iden- tified the daunting challenges we face: agency regulations, declining reimbursement, and a government bureaucracy that all too often acts as a barrier against our patients' needs. At ASCRS our resolve is that we can- not allow patient care "to go quietly into the night." ASCRS is, and will continue to be, on the front lines, making certain your voices are heard on the issues that matter most. We have worked hard to in- clude, advance, and promote resi- dent education. This year, ASCRS launched the Resident Advanced Cataract Training program, or ReACT, an unprecedented resident training day held in partnership with New York University and New York Eye and Ear. A special thanks goes to my mentor and past ASCRS president Jack Dodick, MD, who co-chaired this program. More than 30 prestigious university programs participated. With this overwhelm- ing success, ASCRS is expanding the ReACT program. As ASCRS president, I have ob- served your compassion in volun- teering your expertise to help those less fortunate. The demands on our time are immense but there is more work to be done. This year, the ASCRS Foundation, chaired bril- liantly by Dick Lindstrom, MD, has made major changes. There are now three extraordinary co-chairs: David Chang, MD, who will lead us in our international efforts; Steve Lane, MD, who will expand our presence here in the United States, and Jim Mazzo, who will guide industry rela- tions. Today, the ASCRS Foundation is energized to create a national model of service, providing free LASIK to our nation's heroes, first responders, and our military injured in the line of duty, and free cataract surgery to the less fortunate right here in our country. We ask all of you to contribute your time, energy, and skills to embrace this spirit of community. I remember hearing during my training that I had just missed the golden age of ophthalmology. Today I know better. The golden age of ophthalmology is right now, and with courage and leadership we can make tomorrow even better. There is extraordinary greatness in our pro- fession. For 40 years, the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery has been fulfilling its May 2014 ASCRS presidents highlight past accomplishments, future goals of Society Dr. Donnenfeld speaks about the accomplishments of the Society in the past year at the Opening General Session of the 2014 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress. Dr. Donnenfeld transfers the leadership to Richard Lewis, MD, who was unable to attend the meeting. A video of Dr. Lewis was shown to attendees. Source (all): EyeWorld

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