Eyeworld

Reporting from the Women in Ophthalmology 2015 Summer Symposium, August 6–9, Scottsdale, Ariz. EW MEETING REPORTER 136 September 2015 example, for someone going into a local private practice, community involvement is also crucial, said panelist Lynn Anderson, PhD, leader of the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology, St. Paul, Minn. The Women in Ophthalmolo- gy Summer Symposium included a wide range of topics, such as work/ life balance, dry eye, glaucoma, complicated cases, the Bernice Z. Brown Memorial Lecture given by Marlene Moster, MD, Philadelphia; and the Women in Ophthalmology Honorary Award Lecture with Tamara Fountain, MD, Chicago. Staying lean with changing payment models As healthcare continues to consoli- date and Medicare payments remain under constant flux, ophthalmic practices should stay engaged with federal affairs and keep the business lean, recommended Daniel Briceland, MD, the Amer- ican Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) senior secretary for advocacy. Dr. Briceland was part of the panel discussion "AAO Panel: Easy Come/ Easy Go: How to Survive Changing Payment Models." Catherine Cohen, MHSA, leader of government affairs for AAO, dis- cussed how Medicare payments are increasingly tied to quality and data. She also discussed why ophthalmol- ogists should make sure to report value-based modifiers to avoid federal penalties. However, she was quick to point out that AAO does not think that value-based modifiers are fair to specialists. Ophthalmology may play a small part in the overall healthcare data reporting model that Medicare now requires, but that is why it's critical to communicate with legisla- tors regarding the specialty's unique circumstances, the panelists said. Delving into aesthetics to grow a practice A special session on aesthetics pre- sented some basics on why oph- thalmologists may want to venture into aesthetics and oculoplastics and what different treatment options are. The session included a demonstration with the use of some

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