Eyeworld

Cornea Society News – published quarterly by the Cornea Society 10 beside his likeness, looking out toward the Jefferson Memorial. Standing there, I thought of all that was in store for me over the next couple of days and remembered a paraphrased quote from MLK Jr.: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." This sentiment embodies the essence of advocacy: fighting for the causes we believe in, the people we care about, and the future that we want for our profession and our country. Physi- cians advocate everyday. We advocate for our patients and their families, for our employees, and for our colleagues. I first became interested in polit- ical advocacy working with my local legislators. During that time, I saw the powerful way in which advocacy could shape policy. Advocates speaking with conviction and passion on topics in which they were familiar had a pro- found impact on the decisions legisla- tors made. By helping guide legislation, physicians are able to ensure that the needs of patients are being addressed while protecting and safeguarding our profession. In Washington, we advocated in order to protect access to valuable medi- cations for patients through compound- ing and competitive pricing, to ease regulatory burdens on providers, and to ensure continued financial support for the National Eye Institute through the NIH. The legislators and staffers were attentive and genuinely interested in our concerns, recognizing our exper- tise when it comes to patient care. Our efforts were rewarded with some early returns including the recent Omnibus budget from Congress, which expands funding for the NIH. In addition, several legislators signed on to letters ensuring access to compounded medications and urging CMS to remove penalties from PQRS during the transition to MACRA. Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of being an Advocacy Ambassador is the mentorship from leaders in my state and in our profession. As a young ophthal- mologist, the advice and guidance on how to develop one's career is invalu- able. Advocating with legislators drew many parallels to first surgeries in resi- dency. We watched leaders in our field interact with legislators, focusing on intricacies such as word choice and body language. In the next meeting we took the lead in the discussion, with mentor- ing ophthalmologists jumping in when we got in trouble. In both early surgery and early advocacy, a little timolol under the tongue does wonders. The second day of the Mid-Year Forum consists of a program called L.E.A.P., which functions to give young ophthalmologist the tools they need to become a leader and advocate in their community. There were many incredible talks and teaching points from leading ophthalmologists on topics ranging from Twitter to mission work, and everything in between. The talk that struck me as most profound came from Keith Carter, MD. In his comments he described how ophthalmology had left the house of medicine and that this was the root of the biggest challenges facing our profession. Through his talk, I real- ized ophthalmologists need to take an active role in state and national medical societies. We need to focus on educat- ing medical students and other medical providers on the value we provide and our shared common interests. We need to continue to support local and rural hospitals and emergency rooms with expert opinion and service when asked. We need to integrate with other prima- ry care doctors as the primary eyecare providers in this country. We need to work with other surgical specialties to promote patient safety by ensuring that surgery is performed safely. In short, we need to reenter the house of medicine. I am so grateful and honored that the Cornea Society gave me the opportunity to attend the Mid-Year Forum. Through the experience, I learned many valuable skills to share with my co-residents and will continue to advocate for our profes- sion in my community and state. CN continued from page 8 University of Iowa ophthalmology residents Lindsay McConnell, MD, Daniel Terveen, MD, Tyler Risma, MD, and Steven Christiansen, MD, with Cynthia Bradford, MD (center), president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, advocate on Capitol Hill. Business meeting announcement T he Cornea Society business meeting will take place on Friday, November 10, during the Cornea and Eye Banking Forum at the Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans. All members are invited to attend. Check the Society website for updates: www.CorneaSociety.org. CN

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)