Volume 6, Issue 35│September 2, 2022
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Less Than One Month Until the
2022 Annual Meeting in Springfield
We hope you will be able to join us for the 2022 Annual Meeting in Springfield, IL, taking place September 29 - October 2, 2022.
Optometrists can earn up to 18 hours of CE at the Annual Meeting. All courses except the workshops are available tested, so attendees can complete all tested hours in one weekend. Paraoptometrics can earn ten hours of AOA & ABO CE over two days.
Attendees can browse the Exhibit Hall on Saturday and Sunday to explore all the latest in the ophthalmic world. On Saturday night, IOA will host Illinois Optometry's Celebration where attendees can meet and network with colleagues, the 2022 award winners will be recognized, and Howl at the Moon dueling pianos will play into the night.
You will not want to miss this year's Annual Meeting!
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Keyperson Training at Annual Meeting
This year, the IOA Legislative Committee will be hosting a Keyperson Training event open to all IOA member ODs. If you already volunteer as a Keyperson or are interested in becoming involved, this 1-hour session is a great way to learn how to build or grow a relationship with legislators.
The Keyperson Training session will be held on Friday, September 30 at 4:45pm and will take no more than an hour. Please note: this course will not count for CE credit.
What is a Keyperson?
A Keyperson is an individual OD who serves as a contact to their local senator and/or representative. The relationship with a legislator can be made and maintained by attending their political fundraisers, calling their office, writing letters to the legislator, and/or inviting the legislator for an optometry office tour.
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Students attending the Illinois College of Optometry and Chicago College of Optometry returned to school in August, and they have been very busy. We wish them good luck in the coming school year. Follow their journeys on Facebook and Instagram. |
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On August 10, 2022, Illinois College of Optometry students arrived ready to move in and start the 2022-2023 school year. |
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Chicago College of Optometry celebrated the first day of classes on August 26, 2022 |
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Illinois College of Optometry Celebrated Their Annual White Coat Ceremony
On August 27, second-year students at the Illinois College of Optometry received their white coats at the ICO Annual White Coat Ceremony. Multiple generations participated in the ceremonial rite of passage. They are "gearing up for many hours in the clinic" Congratulations! (Photos from ICO Facebook Page)
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Chicago College of Optometry students volunteered at the Community Goods: Right Back at Ya! Back to school event in mid-August where they examined approximately 200 school-aged children |
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IOA Industry Partner VSP is hosting a special webinar for Illinois ODs on SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. CDT
Topic: Maximizing the VSP Vision Premier Program
Are you taking full advantage of the Premier Program? Identify gaps and new opportunities in this session as you’ll see from Dr. Winnick’s personal experience key, easy-to-implement, ways to maximize revenue, savings and patient benefits. Learn how to use VSP’s extensive state-of-the-art product portfolio to meet individual patient needs while also creating opportunities to receive more when you choose preferred products. (Hint: Premier Pays More).
VSP is an Industry Partner with the IOA. IOA does not specifically endorse this single product but encourages you to consider if it has a place in your practice.
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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2022 Medicare Fee Schedules
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The negative effects of digital media on pediatric development
Optometry Times® editor Kassi Jackson speaks with Valerie Kattouf, OD, FAAO, chief of Lewenson Pediatric and Binocular Vision Service and associate professor at the Illinois College of Optometry, on the effects of digital media on the pediatric population.
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Submit a Story to Recognize Your Paraoptometrics
In September, for Paraoptometric Awareness Month, we want to share your stories about your outstanding paraoptometric staff, and why they are shining stars in your office.
Please help us recognize your paraoptometrics in the link below:
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California Passes Historic Bill Allowing Optometric Surgery
The state’s nearly 7,000 ODs will soon have the opportunity to pursue laser procedures, lesion removal, several types of injections and corneal crosslinking.
It’s a watershed moment for optometrists in California—and their colleagues across the country, too. On August 31, the state Assembly gave its final approval to bill AB 2236, which would expand the profession’s scope of practice in California to include several advanced procedures, including lasers and some incisional surgeries. The victory came at 11:50pm Pacific time on the last day of the legislative calendar, after strident opposition nearly sunk the bill earlier in the session.
AB 2236, introduced in February by Assemblymember Evan Low, needed 41 votes to achieve final passage, following a successful vote in the California Senate earlier this week that sent it back to the Assembly for that body’s concurrence with several amendments. The governor’s signature, expected in the next 30 days, will be the final step to California becoming the 11th state to include lasers in optometry’s scope of practice.
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Federal Student Loan Forgiveness:
What to Know
AUGUST 31, 2022
Optometry’s advocates continue to emphasize that eligibility for debt relief programs should not exclude optometry and greater options should be available for debt forgiveness programs.
Federal student loan borrowers could see tens of thousands of dollars in debt eliminated under a new relief plan announced as advocates work to ensure optometry isn’t excluded from broader debt forgiveness efforts.
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Perez Eye Care is looking for an Illinois licensed Optometrist to work 2-3 days a week at both locations (Pilsen and Loop) starting in late November 2022. (Read more)
Looking for an Optometrist 3-4 days a week in St. Charles/Elgin. Helpful staff does all the pre-testing. (Read more)
Hey guys! LensCrafters independent optometrist owned sublease is looking for weekday coverage 1, 2, or 3 days per week starting in October. (Read more)
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Market your business on social media to attract new patients and engage existing ones.
Create a business Facebook page and a business Instagram page. Link the pages in Meta Business Suite. This will allow you to schedule posts far in advance.
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Pritzker Announces Measure to Address Workforce Shortage in State's Social Service, Healthcare Agencies
WAND reports that on Wednesday, Governor Pritzker announced new measures to fill vacancies and hire frontline workers in the Departments of Human Services, Corrections, and Veteran's Affairs. The recruitment and retention strategy aims to address the staffing shortages that the departments have faced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Government Is Ending Free Access to COVID-19 Tests: What You Need to Know
The U.S. government is ending its program of offering free COVID-19 tests to Americans. The government quietly made the announcement on the website covid.gov/tests.
“Ordering through this program will be suspended on Friday, September 2 because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests,” a message at the top of the website reads.
The government first started offering free COVID-19 tests to Americans in January. More than 70 million households have used the website to order at-home tests and 350 million tests were delivered, according to a fact sheet from the White House released in May.
A White House official told NBC News that there is a chance the program will resume—it just needs funding. “If Congress provides funding, we will expeditiously resume distribution of free tests through covidtests.gov," the source said. “Until then, we believe reserving the remaining tests for distribution later this year is the best course.”
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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