Volume 7, Issue 8 │February 24, 2023
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What inspired you to become an optometrist?
I wish I had a profound story about my journey to become an Optometrist. But, like many of our colleagues, I stumbled upon this magnificent profession.
I spent most of my high school and early college years determined to become an MD. I’m unsure if I convinced the world or if the world convinced me that this was the only way to help people. But I couldn’t be more glad that my path detoured to the same destination.
Dr. John Bonsett-Veal owned a private practice in downtown Madison, WI. He knew I was triple majoring and hanging by a thread financially, and in my 3rd year, I could no longer shadow or volunteer for free. I needed a part-time job. After discussing with him why I was so interested in the medical profession, Dr. Bonsett-Veal offered me a paid internship to learn about Optometry.
This moment forever changed my life and allowed me to still engage in the fundamental values I cherished in healthcare. In my experience, Optometry has been an incredible career choice that allowed me to give back to those I care about, my community, and my patients. It has indeed brought me more happiness than I can measure.
As you pursued your education and your career, did you see yourself in your current role?
I did not see myself in my current role when pursuing my education and career. For starters, I was only interested in being the best clinician I could be, and I was unaware of all the other roles in our industry that make an incredible impact. But, I am incredibly thankful to have a wife, staff, patients, and company that felt I could and should do more to support our profession. Keplr Vision created the Director of School Engagement position because it should not just be the school’s responsibility to find and train the next generation of Optometrists. The students and schools need to be supported, especially by industry partners, and through collaborative partnership, we can continue pushing the industry forward for many years to come.
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What inspired you to become an optometrist?
I made a decision to become an optometrist at age eight while in vision therapy at the Illinois College of Optometry. I knew I wanted to help people see better, like these doctors were trying to help me.
As you pursued your education and your career, did you see yourself in your current role?
I expected to practice clinical optometry until I retired. I loved patient care. While in practice, I often consulted with the industry to assist them in bringing helpful products to market for our patients. I enjoyed it and noted that I had a gift for it. I also strongly believe that products, services, and solutions developed for patients should have the input of the doctors and eyecare providers prescribing them. When I left the practice I owned for 20 years in Evanston, IL, I promised my patients that I would continue to advocate for them for safe and effective technology, and I have.
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Winter 2023 Journal
The Winter 2023 edition of the IOA Journal is out now! Follow the link below to read highlights from the 2022 Annual Meeting, legislation we're following, and a message from IAO CEO Leigh Ann Vanausdoll.
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Time is Running Out!
Less than One Week Until On-Site Pricing Goes into Effect for March 5 CE
Register now open for 6-hour TQ courses on March 5, 2023, in Rosemont, IL, and March 19, 2023, in Alsip, IL.
Sunday, March 5, 2023 | Rosemont, IL
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm - 6 hrs TQ CE
Course: "New Technology Applications, Dry Eye Diagnosis & Management, and What’s New In Contact Lenses"
Speaker: Mile Brujic, OD
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Sunday, March 19, 2023 | Alsip, IL
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm - 6 hrs TQ CE
Course: "Maximizing Therapeutics and Imaging in the Management of Ocular Disease: What’s New and What’s Next?"
Speaker: Jessica Steen, OD
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September 28-October 1, 2023 - IOA Annual Meeting
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel | Schaumburg, IL
Up to 18 hours TQ CE
Registration opens mid-July
November 2023
Southern IL CE
6 Hrs TQ
Details coming soon!
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Young Professionals Event - VENUE CHANGE
The Young Professionals event on Saturday, March 18 is moving to a new location! The event will now be held at AceBounce Chicago. Join us for food, drinks, ping pong, shuffleboard, and networking. The event is open to members who graduated between 2013 and 2022.
If you have already RSVP'd for the event, please re-register at the link below!
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Dr. Johnson to Participate in Chicago Urban League Health and Wellness Fair
IOA member Dr. Ansel Johnson will be participating in the Chicago Urban League's 2nd Annual Black Wellness Fair in Chicago. The event will take place on February 25, from 10am-2pm at the Chicago Urban League. Dr. Johnson will be a panelist for a discussion titled "Why Black Optometrists are Essential to Health Equity". Attendees can receive free eye exams, screenings for hypertension and diabetes, vaccinations for flu and COVID, mental health resources, and can take kickboxing classes throughout the day. Follow the link below for additional information & registration.
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LEGISLATION WE ARE WATCHING |
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The spring legislative session is underway and the IOA is tracking several bills related to optometry as well as introducing legislation that would create the Vision Care Regulation Act. The legislation aims to put doctors and patients in control of healthcare decisions by prohibiting insurance companies from setting fees for non-covered services and allowing doctors to use the lab of their choice instead of one dictated by the insurance company. Read more about the bill here.
Please check back regularly to learn about other legislation the association is monitoring and for any action needed to support the bill.
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Consider also attending the 2023 Legislative Day in Springfield. Legislative Day will be held on Tuesday, May 2. IOA members will meet with legislators to discuss current IOA-proposed bills. Face-to-face interaction is a crucial way to build support for the proposed legislation. Meeting with your legislators helps to show elected officials why a proposed bill is important and what effect it may have on their community. |
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AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry Grants Available
Supported by EssilorLuxottica and managed by Optometry Cares®—The AOA Foundation, AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry grants are one-time stipends awarded to students from traditionally underrepresented minority groups within optometry to help defray the costs associated with applying to optometry school. Grants of $1,500 apiece will be awarded annually to students meeting certain eligibility criteria and chosen by a selection committee.
The AOA Diversity and Inclusion Task Force and the AOSA Diversity Project Team have made a commitment to pave a path toward a broader and more diverse profession. The AOA/AOSA Opportunities in Optometry Grant program is a sustained effort to encourage under-represented minorities to join the family of optometry and expand access to primary eye care across the nation.
If you would like to support this initiative, Optometry Cares—The AOA Foundation is accepting donations.
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Illinois College of Optometry Future Optometric Doctors Program to Partner with Local Chicago Schools
The program's goal is to teach students about the importance of medical optometry and how it plays an integral role in patients' health. So far, they have hosted four schools (Providence St. Mel, St. Laurence, Neuqua, Waubonsie.)
During their visit to ICO, the students will take retinal images of their eyes to take home, shadow in patient care, and participate in a discussion on how to be a competitive applicant.
They want to continue spreading the word about this great profession. If you know of a high school that might be interested in visiting ICO, please let them know.
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Dr. Emanuel "Manny" Scherer, OD, Age 96, Died on February 9, 2023 in Wellington FL.
He was born to Sadie Gottlieb and Max Scherer on May 8, 1926 in Brooklyn, NY. He attended PS 100 and Abraham Lincoln High School. Manny was proud of being a WWII Veteran and the past commander of Jewish War Veterans post 700. He first tried to enlist at age 17 but did not pass the vision test. A few months later, after turning 18, he borrowed his father's reading glasses, memorized the eye chart and was accepted into the service. He did his basic training at both Fort Bragg and Fort Sill. He traveled overseas on the retrofitted QE II to France and served with the 105th Field Artillery Battalion, the XXIII Corps Headquarters and 398th Military Police Battalion. After returning from the war, he met the love of his life, Florence Sautman. They were married on October 22, 1949 in Toronto, Canada. He attended the Illinois College of Optometry, in Chicago, on the GI bill and was a practicing optometrist until retiring. In 1999, they relocated from Hoffman Estates, IL to Delay Beach, FL. Florence predeceased him in 2008. He enjoyed fishing, stamp and coin collecting, chess, music, horse racing and playing cards. He was gentle and kind with a dark sense of humor. He is survived by his three children, Ravelle (Robert Schwab) of Algonquin, IL, James of Severn, MD and Leda (Peter Mares) of Fremont CA. He was a proud Zaydie to Brynn and Steven Schwab and Carley Mares.
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We want to hear your memories of the IOA! In celebration of our 125th anniversary in 2023, the IOA is collecting your stories about the organization.
Please share your thoughts on the importance of IOA membership, favorite memories from IOA, or your thoughts on the history of the IOA.
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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3/18/2023: Young Professionals Event - VENUE CHANGE
Where: AceBounce - Chicago, IL
When: 6 - 9pm
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Optometrists Needed in Forsyth, IL. Full Time with Sign on bonus and full benefits! ( Read more)
Optometrists Needed in Peoria, IL. Full Time with Sign on bonus and full benefit package! ( Read more)
Clarkson Eyecare is currently looking for an Optometrist to practice at our Edwardsville, Illinois office. ( Read more)
Clarkson Eyecare is currently looking for an Optometrist to practice at our Breese, Illinois office. ( Read more)
Quantum Vision Centers has a unique opportunity for an Experienced Medical Optometrist ( Read more)
Optometrists Needed! East Moline Correctional Center - 10 hours/week ( Read more)
Optometrists Needed in Rockford, IL. Full Time with Sign on bonus and full benefit package! ( Read more)
Optometrist - Dixon Correctional Center 16 hours/week ( Read more)
Optometrists Needed in Peru, IL. Full Time with Sign on bonus and full benefit package! ( Read more) |
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Run a Google Ad
For immediate exposure, you can run a Google ad. Google ads show up at the very top of search engine results pages, above all other organic and local listings. And while people use other search engines, Google is the most popular. They control the largest share of search engine traffic.
An optimized Google ad campaign is worth the investment. Advertising on Google can be done through text ads on the Search Network (which appear when someone is searching for your product or service type) or branded banner ads on the Display Network (which can appear anywhere on the web that a user may be navigating) You can find more information about google ads at www.ads.google.com
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Gov. Pritzker Announces Eight Appointments to Boards and Commissions
Building on a strong team of diverse experts in their fields, Governor JB Pritzker announced the following appointments in his administration
Illinois Racing Board
Alyssa Murphy will serve as a Member of the Illinois Racing Board.*
Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education
Bill Ladd-Cawthorne will serve as a Member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education.*
Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund
Liliana Scales will serve as a Member of the Clean Energy Jobs and Justice Fund.*
State Board of Health
Angela Oberreiter will continue to serve as a member of the State Board of Health.*
Dr. Angela Oberreiter has been an optometrist at the Gailey Eye Clinic since 2012 where she treats and manages patient care. Previously, she served as the managing optometrist at Pearle Vision. She is actively involved in various membership organizations including the Illinois Optometric Association. In 2011, she was named Young Optometrist of the Year from the American Optometric Association. Oberreiter earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a Doctor of Optometry from the University of Missouri - St. Louis.
Labor Relation Board
Fran Hurley will serve as a Member of the Illinois Labor Relations Board.*
Labor Advisory Board
Steven Avalos will serve as a Member on the Labor Advisory Board.*
Illinois State Police Merit Board
Michelle Hoy-Watkins will serve as a Member of the Illinois State Police Merit Board.*
Human Rights Commission
Mona Noriega will continue to serve Chair of the Human Rights Commission.*
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HFS Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal Updates and Reminders 2023
This notice shares updates and reminders with providers about the HFS Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Service's (Department) Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal is used specifically for unresolved issues providers have with Illinois Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) participating in the Managed Care programs. Provider complaints regarding the resolution of Medicaid fee-for-service issues should continue to be directed to the Department at 877-782-5565.
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All providers are required to submit unresolved disputes with an MCO via the secure Provider Resolution Portal. Providers can access the portal, and view tutorials here.
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The Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal handles complaints relative to the Medicaid portion only, not Medicare. This also includes denials for a Medicare-covered service for a dually eligible client. Medicare only complaints submitted in the portal will be closed. In working with the MCO on Medicare issues, providers should refer to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare website for billing information, fee schedules, and appeals and grievances guidelines.
- Providers or designated billing staff must first register with the portal before a complaint can be submitted. If a provider is not registered to use the portal, the provider will not be able to enter a ticket.
- Registration requests that are complete (all required fields completed, including providing the Medicaid ID) will be processed within a minimum of 2 business days.
- Incomplete registration requests will be denied, and the provider will not be able to enter a ticket until the missing or incomplete information has been provided.
- If a provider or representative is registering multiple providers or facilities, they must use the multiple registration template provided on the portal homepage.
- A Registration Tutorial is also provided on the portal homepage to assist with the Multiple Registration request process.
- Registration requests for 10 or more individuals will result in extended processing timeframes – up to an additional 3 weeks.
- Portal registration materials and instructions for individual and multiple facility sites are available on the portal home page.
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The Department requires that providers first use the MCO internal dispute process to attempt to resolve a complaint. This means providers must follow and exhaust all processes provided by MCOs to resolve a dispute, including peer-to-peer disputes, before submitting a complaint through the portal. Communication between the provider and the MCO during the initial dispute resolution period is strongly encouraged. More information about each MCOs internal dispute process is provided here.
- Disputes submitted to the MCO internal dispute resolution process may be submitted to the portal:
- No sooner than 30 calendar days after submitting to the MCO's internal process; and,
- No later than 60 calendar days after submitting to the MCO's internal process. If the MCO has not provided a response within 30 calendar days of submitting the issue to the MCOs internal dispute process, the provider can proceed with entering the complaint into the Portal.
- Tickets that do not follow the 30/60 calendar day timeframes will be closed.
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All MCOs are required to assign the provider a tracking number for each complaint submitted through their internal dispute process. Providers must enter this MCO assigned tracking number in the Provider Resolution Portal when completing a complaint ticket. Providers must contact the MCO to receive a tracking number. Complaints submitted without the MCO assigned tracking number will be closed. More information about each MCOs dispute process and how to request a tracking number is provided here.
- An MCO can request additional information from a provider within five business days of receiving the ticket in the portal. The provider must provide (submit) the additional information requested in the portal within 5 business days or demonstrate that this information was previously shared with the MCO. If the provider does not respond within the 5 business days, the ticket will be closed. Providers are encouraged to read and respond to portal email notifications timely. An MCO and Provider may also have discussions about a complaint during the MCO 30 calendar day resolution period.
- Tickets that do not follow the portal guidelines, including incomplete submissions, will be closed. Closed tickets will not be re-opened or re-started. The provider will need to submit a new ticket with all information included.
- Any complaint that involves failure to obtain a prior authorization where required will be closed. If the provider received a prior authorization, that information must be provided to the MCO as part of the MCO's internal dispute process. Note: receipt of a prior authorization does not guarantee payment.
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The Department strongly encourage providers to review and apply the Comprehensive Billing Manual developed by the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans (IAMHP). The Department has approved these guidelines for posting, and they include MCO contacts, clearinghouse information, and more.
Questions regarding the portal, or provider portal registration, can be submitted to the Bureau of Managed Care and Portal team at HFS.PortalInquiries@Illinois.gov
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Keratoconus and Perfect Vision: Is It Possible?
Feb 20, 2023
William B. Trattler, MD
Elise Kramer, OD, FAAO, FSLS
Eye care providers need to look beyond visual acuity in screening for keratoconus.
Most people with keratoconus (KC) have myopic astigmatism. As the disease progresses, the myopia and/or astigmatism may increase over months and years and as it becomes even more advanced, the patient will lose best-corrected visual acuity. Often, it is worsening vision or the inability to correct the patient to 20/20 that leads to the initial referral to a cornea specialist or a contact lens specialist.
By contrast, the conventional wisdom is that we really don’t expect to see KC in an emmetrope or even in a low ametrope. However, there are patients with frank keratoconus who actually have reasonably good vision without correction or who can achieve 20/20 vision with a simple soft contact lens or spectacle correction. If these patients undergo topography/tomography imaging, the cone will be clearly visible even though there might otherwise not have been any other red flags.
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Which Type of Eye Doctor Do You Need? Optometrists and Ophthalmologists Face Off
Undark Magazine | By Esther Landhuis
Published February 20, 2023 at 4:01 AM CST
This past November, a patient asked optometrist Kaitlin Soracco to remove a bulge of skin on her eyelid. Such skin tags can be excised right there in the office using procedures Soracco studied and observed in optometry school almost a decade ago. Yet in California, where Soracco works, as well as in 32 other states, non-physician optometrists are not legally permitted to perform these treatments. So when Soracco saw this patient at Peach Tree Live Oak, a federally qualified health center north of Sacramento, she had to refer her to an ophthalmologist, a type of physician who specializes in treating the eyes.
But such referrals can be difficult. Some ophthalmologists have stopped accepting Medicaid, the low-income health insurance program that supports 30 percent of all Californians, said Peach Tree CEO Greg Stone. In California, Medicaid payments for some laser procedures run 16 to 55 percent lower than Medicare reimbursements, which are, in turn, well below commercial insurance fees. For ophthalmology practices already filled with commercially insured patients, Stone said, accepting someone new on Medicaid doesn't make sense financially. Consequently, for Medicaid patients, it can often take six months to be seen by a specialist, Soracco said.
A bill introduced in California last February sought to allow trained optometrists to remove small non-cancerous skin tags and perform several other procedures, including certain laser treatments, that are traditionally restricted to ophthalmologists. Supporters of the bill say that expanding optometrists' scope of practice could help address longstanding challenges with health care access. "There's a runaway demand for health care, and a declining population of providers," Stone said.
Yet in September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, citing insufficient optometry education and training for the surgical procedures. After undergraduate studies, ophthalmologists must complete eight or more years of medical school and specialized clinical training, compared with four years of specialized education and training for optometrists.
The California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons hailed the governor's decision as a "major victory for patient safety" — as did the American Medical Association, which called the bill "a radical measure." The American Academy of Ophthalmology had also opposed the legislation.
While the veto closed the book on this particular California bill, a similar bill is now under consideration in South Dakota and debate continues nationwide over whether optometrists should be allowed to perform procedures and make diagnoses that traditionally fall under the purview of ophthalmologists. At stake are questions of patient access and safety, and of financial competition between two overlapping professions.
Already, scientific progress and patient need have propelled the profession of optometry such that its practitioners now provide most primary eye care in the United States, routinely diagnosing and treating conditions that were outside of their scope of practice half a century ago. With continuing advances in a technology-driven field, turf wars in eye care will invariably continue, experts say, with lobbying money playing a key role in determining who is qualified to diagnose and treat a range of common eye conditions
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2022 Health Care Employment Law Year in Review
Health care employment law was once again a critical focus for many legislative bodies in 2022. While much of our 2021 Year in Review focused on how states addressed the COVID-19 pandemic itself, most notably with respect to vaccine mandates, the theme of 2022 appeared to be states reacting to corollary issues raised by the pandemic. Many states, in response to both the perceptions and realities of how the health care industry approached the workers within it, have enacted new laws policies governing the wages, working conditions, and rights of health care workers. The federal government has also issued guidance pertaining to certain topics. This alert provides an overview of many of these new legal standards and provides suggestions for navigating them.
Illinois
Effective 1 July 2022, Illinois amended its Nurse Agency Licensing Act (NALA Amendment) with the passing of House Bill 4666. The NALA Amendment requires nurse staffing agencies to fully disclose charges to health care facilities and agency compensation in new contracts with health care facilities. The law also requires agencies to submit quarterly reports that must include the average amounts of health care facility charges, employee compensation, and labor-related costs. In addition, the Illinois Department of Labor must publish an annual report by county of the average amounts paid to employees and charges to health care facilities.
The amendment also prohibits the following conduct by nurse staffing agencies:
- Recruitment of new or potential employees on the physical premises of a health care facility.
- Including liquidated damages clauses and clauses that provide for conversion fees, employment fees, buy-out fees, placement fees, and similar compensation in contracts when a health care facility hires an agency employee staffed at the facility as a permanent employee.
- Including non-compete covenants with nurses and certified nurse aides. Covenants not to compete are defined in the act as “an agreement between a nurse agency and an employee that restricts the employee from performing: (1) any work for another employer for a specified period of time; (2) any work in a specified geographic area; or (3) any work for another employer that is similar to the work the employee performs for the employer that is a party to the agreement.”
- Paying wages to agency employees that do not match the wages listed on their agency contracts (as submitted to the Illinois Department of Labor).
The amendment defines “employee” as a nurse or certified nurse aide. A “nurse agency” is defined as “any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, or other legal entity that employs, assigns[,] or refers nurses or certified nurse aides to a health care facility for a fee.”
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FDA Widens Advisory on Eye Products After Patients Blinded, Hospitalized
BY JULIA MUELLER - 02/22/23 11:52 AM ET
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday widened an advisory on artificial tear products to include additional ones manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare Private Limited over concerns of a potential bacterial contamination that could result in blindness or death.
The FDA warning now urges consumers and health care professionals not to use EzriCare Artificial Tears, Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment, which are intended to be sterile.
The manufacturer first recalled the artificial tears at the recommendation of the FDA due to what the agency says were violations of its current good manufacturing practice.
Among the issues noted by the FDA were drug formulation issues, concerns about packaging and lack of appropriate microbial testing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this month warned against using the EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products as it investigated what it says is a potentially related string of some 56 Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cases.
The cases span 12 states and include five reports of vision loss and one death, according to the CDC’s latest update.
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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