EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/511377
EW NEWS & OPINION 26 May 2015 3. Bolstering our charitable efforts through the ASCRS Foundation 4. Strengthening our alignment with ASOA 5. Encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation 6. Supporting and increasing our advocacy involvement First, we want to better under- stand our members. Over the past year, you may have participated in one of our member surveys. These surveys help us to identify where our members' strengths and weak- nesses are. This knowledge helps us create a member experience that helps fill educational and skill gaps. For example, of the more than 1,500 members who participated in the 2014 ASCRS Clinical Survey, we dis- covered that "83.7% of U.S. respon- dents are very or extremely con- cerned about the future of Medicare in their practice." Please continue to participate in these surveys because they allow you to tell us how we can best serve your membership needs. Second is that we want to continue to collaborate with other like organizations and societies. Currently, ASCRS works closely with similar societies around the globe, which allows us to strengthen our educational opportunities together. With U.S. government barriers, new technologies are frequently seen first in other countries, thus our involve- ment with similar societies across the globe is imperative in keeping our members on the cutting edge. Recently, Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Dr. Crandall, and I participated in the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) annual meeting in Jaipur, India. This allowed us to discover new technol- ogies that could only be seen there, such as visco chop and laser-assisted cataract surgery with cylindrical fragmentation for posterior polar cataracts. This year's ASCRS meeting is a great example of our existing collaborative efforts. It is being host- ed jointly with the Latin America Society of Cataract & Refractive Sur- Robert Cionni, MD, incoming ASCRS president, highlights goals It was with the influence of ASCRS that I began moving from borderline surgical competence to where I am today. Through the annual meetings, the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, and the many interactions with fellow ASCRS members, I developed an in- depth understanding of the anterior segment. I learned the clinical and surgical expertise that could not have evolved without my involve- ment in this society. For that, I thank ASCRS and I thank all of you. How do I plan to keep this organization, which has been so influential to me, moving fo ward in the coming year? How do I plan to continue our mission of promot- ing the delivery and advancement of high-quality eyecare? I see this happening through: 1. Gaining a better understanding of our members' needs 2. Collaborating with other like organizations and societies Dr. Cionni addressed attendees of the 2015 ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Congress at the Opening General Session on April 18 W elcome to the 41st annual ASCRS•ASOA Symposium & Con- gress in sunny San Diego. Rick has led this organization with intense vigor and wisdom. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for his service. Let's take a moment to honor and applaud Rick. Despite suffering a terrible accident just weeks before becoming ASCRS' 29th president, he led this organization with intense vigor and wisdom. I don't plan on anything quite so dramatic during my tenure as ASCRS' 30th president, but I do plan to continue steering us in the solid direction that was set by Rick and the other great ASCRS leaders that came before him. What does ASCRS mean to me? In 1989, I was finishing residency and wondering if I was really ready to practice ophthalmology. Those of you who are residents can easily re- late … Those of you who are already in practice need only look back a few years to remember the uncer- tainty you faced at that time. In fact, I was considering a non-surgical subspecialty because I believed that I lacked the surgical abilities required to take good care of my patients. That is when my friend and mentor, Robert Osher, MD, encouraged me to join and participate in ASCRS. It was as both a resident and a member of this great organization that I had the opportunity to be influenced by amazing teachers—Dr. Osher, Alan Crandall, MD, Sam Masket, MD, Douglas Koch, MD, Howard Fine, MD, and so many more that I con- tinue to learn from. Dr. Cionni, the new ASCRS president, speaks at the ASCRS Opening General Session. successfully started a membership campaign with ophthalmology at Kaiser Permanente. With the help of Kent Stiverson, MD, and Neal Shorstein, MD, we have enlisted more than 50 new members from Kaiser Colorado. Understanding and sharing what makes Kaiser and other MCOs successful with their eye pro- grams will be valuable for all of our members in the years to come. In summary, all of us are remarkably fortunate to practice a most unique and enjoyable specialty. Last year, my inaugural speech referred to the joy of being an ophthalmologist. Giving back the gift of sight never gets old. The satisfaction we derive from what we do is truly unsurpassed. It has been a tremendous honor for me to serve ASCRS and ophthalmology. To work with the incredibly talented Execu- tive Committee and the ASCRS staff has been the true highlight of my professional career. Thank you for this privilege. EW Contact information Lewis: rlewiseyemd@icloud.com Richard Lewis, MD continued from page 24