Volume 6, Issue 29│July 22, 2022
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Register for the IOA Annual Meeting!
September 29-October 2
Some meeting highlights you don't want to miss:
- 18 hours of CE, all except the workshop are offered tested
- 8 hours of CE for paraoptometrics
- Illinois Optometry’s Celebration on Saturday night where we will present the OD & Young OD of the Year Awards
- Howl at the Moon dueling pianos performing at IL Optometry’s Celebration
- Annual Golf Classic & Gray Cup presented by Midland Optical at the Panther Creek Country Club
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Summer 2022 Journal Out Now!
The Summer 2022 Journal is now available online! Click the link below to read the newest IOA Journal.
JOURNAL HIGHLIGHTS:
- The President Speaks: IOA President & Chair Tim Cundiff, OD
- Annual Meeting 2022
- Updates from CCO & ICO
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2022 Optometrist and Young Optometrist of the Year Awards -
Less than One Month to Submit Your Nomination
Do you know an outstanding optometrist who should be recognized for their efforts in the field of optometry? Consider nominating them for the 2022 Optometrist of the Year or Young Optometrist of the Year awards. The Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an individual for performance of outstanding services on behalf of the profession and to the visual welfare of the public. The Young Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an optometrist who, within their first decade of practice, has shown leadership skills when serving their profession, their patients, and their community.
A nomination may be made by a member in good standing or by a society. Nominees must be current members of the IOA. Nominations for each award should be submitted online via the links below. A typed statement, not to exceed 2,000 words, should accompany the nomination explaining the primary reason the nominee should be named as the award recipient. A head and shoulders photograph must be included with the nomination. Nominations must be submitted by August 15, 2022.
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THE AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SCREEN TIME ALLIANCE WITH GAMING INDUSTRY AS PART OF NATIONWIDE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, EYE DESERVE MORE
The Screen Time Alliance and partnership with Actor and Gamer Jordan Fisher aim to bring awareness to healthy screen time practices and encourage patients to be seen in person by an AOA doctor of optometry for quality eye care
Eye Deserve More is a multi-faceted national campaign to take a stand that every American deserves in-person comprehensive care from an AOA doctor of optometry as part of their eye health and overall health and wellbeing. The Screen Time Alliance, a first-of-its-kind alliance between the American Optometric Association and gaming industry partners, is a call to action to prioritize eye health across screens, devices, and platforms. The Alliance aims to educate Americans about healthy screen time, especially the 227 million who play video games.
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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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Labor Law Poster - 2022 Updates
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A Type of ‘Step Therapy’ is an Effective Strategy for Diabetic Eye Disease
NIH-funded clinical trial finds that starting with a cheaper drug and switching to a more expensive drug as needed leads to good vision outcomes in diabetic macular edema.
Clinical trial results from the DRCR Retina Network suggest that a specific step strategy, in which patients with diabetic macular edema start with a less expensive medicine and switch to a more expensive medicine if vision does not improve sufficiently, gives results similar to starting off with the higher-priced drug. The main complication of diabetic macular edema, fluid build-up in the retina that causes vision loss, is commonly treated with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs.
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Congratulations to IOA Member, Millicent Knight, O.D.
Dr. Knight was presented with The Living Legend Award at The National Optometric Association's 2022 Annual Convention in Anaheim, CA.
Dr. Knight was also honored by having the NOA Trailblazer Award renamed The Dr. Millicent Knight Trailblazer Award. She was the award's first recipient last year.
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Newsweek Names Best Eye Doctors of 2022
Newsweek published their list of the top eye doctors in the U.S. and two IOA members were named to the list. Michael Zost, OD, who practices in Northfield, IL, and Stephanie Lyons, OD, who practices in Chicago, IL, were named among the top 175 optometrists in the nation. Congratulations to both doctors on this outstanding recognition.
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Remembering Dr. Charles Bedford
The IOA was saddened to hear of the passing of a longtime member and colleague, Charles Bedford, OD. Dr. Bedford passed away on June 24, 2022, at the age of 69. After graduating from Illinois College of Optometry in 1978, Dr. Bedford served as director and owner of Decatur Eyecare Associates in Decatur, IL for over 40 years. During that time, he volunteered with the IOA as the Central Illinois Optometric Society President. Dr. Bedford retired to Florida where he continued to practice. Services were held on Friday, July 15 in Venice, FL.
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Get to Know an IOA Board Member: Sam Forzley, O.D.
What Dr. Forzley loves most about his job:
"The ability to make a difference in someone’s life"
Advice for new optometrists?
"Trust your intuition and make the best of whatever comes your way”
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Looking for a permanent 2-3 day OD to work out of a Walmart Health center in Chicago. (Read more)
I am looking for an optometrist to work at the Target in Rosemont (Read more)
Private Practice in Dekalb, IL looking for fill-in OD to cover medical leave ASAP. (Read more)
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Illinois Launches 988 Number for Mental Health Crises
Illinois officials said they are ready to roll out 988, the new number for those experiencing mental health crises to get connected with help.
The lifeline, which can also accept chats and texts, launched Saturday.
“This will bolster the crisis care continuum in Illinois, better connecting people in crisis with call takers trained in suicide prevention, crisis de-escalation and stabilization,” said David Albert, director of the Department of Human Services’ division of mental health, which will oversee the new calling code in coordination with the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The current state budget includes $70 million to implement the 988 call center and increase staffing at six call centers across Illinois.
That boost in staffing comes as a report earlier this year from Vibrant Emotional Health, the administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, found just one in five calls to Illinois’ call centers were answered in the first three months of 2022.
Grace Hou, DHS secretary, told reporters last week they have built the capacity where over 85 percent of in-state calls will be answered in Illinois.
“The launch of 988 will help people across the state prevent mental health crises from escalating into emergencies,” she said in a statement.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Illinoisans between the ages of 15 and 34, according to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, and the fourth leading cause of death for those 35 to 44.
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Illinois Expands Health Care Coverage for Immigrant Adults
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services is expanding the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program to now provide health care coverage to undocumented immigrant adults and certain legal permanent residents aged 42 and older.
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HHS Announces Historic Investment of Over $49 Million to Increase Health Care Coverage for Children, Parents, and Families
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), today awarded $49 million to organizations on the frontlines of reducing uninsured rates and connecting more children, parents, and families to health care coverage. In support of President Biden’s Executive Orders on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s priority of expanding access to affordable, quality health care, these awards represent the largest investment CMS has ever made in outreach and enrollment through the Connecting Kids to Coverage program.
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS!
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