Volume 6, Issue 22 │June 3, 2022
|
|
|
Congratulations Graduates!
The Chicago College of Optometry celebrated 55 graduates in the Class of 2022,
11 of whom will be moving on to do a residency next year. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 25th at 12pm at Cardinal Hall on the Downers Grove campus.
The Illinois Optometric Association welcomes you to our profession. We wish you a long and rewarding career!
(photo taken on campus during senior day)
|
FREE MEMBER BENEFIT: Earn Your 6 Hours of Required CE Courses Online
ODs can now complete their 6 hours of required CE courses for the 2022-2024 renewal online through the IOA's On-Demand CE Series. Best of all, these courses are FREE for IOA members.
Required courses for the 2022-2024 licensing cycle include:
- 1 hour of sexual harassment training
- 1 hour of implicit bias training
- 1 hour of Alzheimer's and dementia training for all ODs who see patients age 26+
- 3 hours of safe opioid prescribing CE for ODs who hold a controlled substance license
|
|
Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
|
2022 Medicare Fee Schedules
|
Labor Law Poster - 2022 Updates |
|
Volunteers Needed: 2022 Special Olympics Opening Eyes Program
The Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program is back for the first time since 2019 and is looking for volunteer optometrists, students, and opticians. The goal of the Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program is to bring quality vision care to children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The assessment consists of visual acuity testing, cover test, extraocular motility testing, pupils, color vision, stereopsis, non-contact tonometry, slit lamp evaluation, and ophthalmoscopy. If the athlete is determined to need glasses, they are given a full refraction with subjective testing.
Opening Eyes Program details:
When: Saturday, June 18 from 9 am- 4 pm
Where: Illinois State University in Normal, IL.
If you have any questions, please contact Christine Allison, O.D. at 312-949-7336 or callison@ico.edu. Follow the link below to register to volunteer.
|
|
Get to Know an IOA Board Member: Clint Taylor, O.D.
What Dr. Taylor loves most about his job:
“I love being able to constantly refine and improve what I do. There are always new things out there – products, equipment, techniques – that help us improve patient care or business processes. We’ll never reach a level of perfection at our practice, but we’ll keep trying and that’s what keeps it fun and interesting.“
Advice for new optometrists?
“Keep improving in all aspects of your life, professionally and personally. Plateaus, mediocrity, and ‘coasting’ are the enemy. Instead, become comfortable with the discomfort of constantly pushing yourself to grow.”
|
|
This week, Vince Brandys, O.D. attended a political fundraiser for Rep. Natalie Manley and Senators Omar Aquino and Bill Cunningham. Thank you for representing optometry!
Pictured left: Dr. Vince Brandys & Sen. Bill Cunningham; Top right: Dr. Vince Brandys & Rep. Natalie Manley; Bottom right: Sen. Omar Aquino & Dr. Vince Brandys
|
|
Optometry Cares ®—
The AOA Foundation Run/Walk
Saturday, June 18, at 6 a.m.
The AOA Foundation is bringing its annual run/walk to Chicago! This year, we have added a 1-mile option if you want to participate but don’t want to commit to a full 5K. We hope you will join us for either a 3.1-mile or 1-mile run/walk on Saturday, June 18, at 6 a.m. An entry fee of $30 guarantees you a performance-blend T-shirt and medal. Awards will be presented to top age-division finishers and overall winners.
Check-in at the packet pickup on Friday, June 17, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for your swag.
Sign up for the run/walk when you register to attend Optometry’s Meeting.
You also can sign up to “count sheep instead of steps” if you want to make a $30 donation to Optometry Cares, get a T-shirt with the race packet swag but sleep in on race day.
|
|
Are you on the updated report of providers missing digital contact information?
The CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Public Reporting of Missing Digital Contact Information has been updated. The report includes the names and National Provider Identifiers of providers who did not update their digital contact information (endpoints) in NPPES as of March 31, 2022. Are you on the list?
|
|
ANNUAL MEETING SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
Christopher Borgman, OD, FAAO
Dr. Chris Borgman is an assistant professor at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. He earned his O.D. degree from Illinois College of Optometry then completed a one-year residency in Primary Care and Ocular Disease at the Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is a course instructor for the Systemic Pathology and Integrative Analysis courses at SCO. He has authored many articles published on various topics of ocular disease conditions and ocular pharmacology, and has lectured in numerous continuing education venues on the topics of: primary care ocular diseases, ocular manifestations of systemic diseases, and neuro-optometric diseases.
|
|
|
7/13/2022: South Suburban Meeting & CE (details coming soon!)
|
|
Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Looking for coverage in my Bloomingdale office. The dates are June 16, 17, 18, 20, 23, 25, or 27. (Read more)
|
|
Pritzker Approves Medicaid Omnibus
Gov. JB Pritzker late last week signed a wide-sweeping Medicaid omnibus that extends continuous eligibility, eases access for long-term care members, expands coverage for undocumented adults and more.
“This legislation takes significant steps to improve access and equity, maintain coverage for existing Medicaid customers and cover new services,” Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson said in a statement.
The omnibus directs HFS to seek federal approval to implement 12 months of continuous eligibility for adults who are enrolled in Medicaid, which would allow adults to stay enrolled regardless of changes in income or household size.
The agency will also seek federal approval to allow individuals without a source of income at the time of their redetermination to be considered for ex-parte renewal, as well as report monthly the percentage of individuals whose eligibility was renewed through the ex-parte redetermination process.
"Implementing 12 months of continuous eligibility for adults will mean more consistency in access to healthcare services for Illinois residents enrolled in the Medicaid program," House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, said in a statement. "This is another important way we can remove barriers that stand between Illinois families and the healthcare services they need."
The new law also directs the state to waive estate recovery where it would not be cost-effective or any other “just reason” and make it easier for families of Medicaid recipients in long-term care to receive an undue hardship waiver to protect against the recapture of income-producing assets or homes.
HFS is also tasked with studying how to align Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy and Medicare Savings Program eligibility criteria.
And the law expands Medicaid-like coverage to undocumented adults ages 42 through 54. The provision drew scrutiny from Republicans this spring, leading to the bill being approved along party lines by the General Assembly.
Rep. Delia Ramirez, a Chicago Democrat and sponsor of the expansion, said it will ensure Illinois is a leader in care, regardless of immigration status.
“Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare services, and the (program) expanding coverage to a larger population is another significant step toward more equity in healthcare," she said.
Along with increased rates for psychiatric and perinatal services, the law also requires Medicaid coverage for certified professional midwives and acupuncture services.
And it tasks the Department of Public Health with approving a certified nursing assistant intern program to create a pathway for individuals to enter the workforce. Upon completion of the program, which includes classroom education and on-the-job training requirements, an individual may provide patient and resident care services at facilities.
Other provisions include:
- Rate increases for medi-car, service car and attendant services.
- Creation of a wellness check program for school districts to help identify students in grades 7 through 12 who are at risk of mental health conditions, including depression or other mental health issues.
- A $10 million increase in rates for dental services.
- The state must seek federal approval to cover new peer support recovery specialists as a part of substance use disorder treatment.
|
|
Weekly COVID-19 Testing Program
Offices utilizing Arctic Dx's weekly in-office COVD testing program recently received a notice that the program would be discontinued. After several offices reached out, Arctic Dx has chosen to continue the program into at least early June, when they will re-evaluate the need for the program.
As a reminder, the Executive Order mandating that all health care workers must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly (at minimum) testing for COVID-19 is still in effect. Employers must either maintain proof of vaccination status or proof of weekly negative COVID-19 tests in their personnel files.
-
Click here for a Q&A put together by the IOA
-
Click here for a Q&A issued by the Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
-
Click here for information about a COVID-19 saliva testing program through ArcticDX
|
|
Call for Nominations Issued for the 2022 Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award from the NCCVEH at Prevent Blindness
Annual Award from the National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness Recognizes Outstanding Public Health Efforts to Improve the Vision Health of Children in the United States
|
|
White House Says COVID-19 Vaccinations For Children Under Five Could Begin June 21
The AP (6/2, Miller) reports the White House “said Thursday that children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group, as expected.” White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha “said the Food and Drug Administration’s outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger” children and said distribution to providers would begin shortly after FDA authorization.
|
|
THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
