Volume 6, Issue 32│August 12, 2022
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THE NOMINATION DEADLINE IS THIS MONDAY!
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2022 Optometrist and Young Optometrist of the Year Awards -
Submit Your Nominations by August 15
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 the 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 by following the link below. A head and shoulders photograph must be included with the nomination. Nominations must be submitted by August 15, 2022.
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Earn up to 18 Hours of CE IOA Annual Meeting! Bring Your Support Staff for 10 Hours of CE
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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Submit a Story to Recognize Your Paraoptometrics
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Looking Ahead--Paraoptometric Appreciation Month is in September
Paraoptometrics are critical to the success of our work, as they assist us in providing outstanding vision care for our patients. These professionals set the tone from the minute a patient walks in the door.
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.
Did you know that as members of the American Optometric Association your membership includes enrollment for your staff as associate members?
Outstanding staff efforts drive quality care; when patients are satisfied, they continue to come back. The AOA philosophy behind Paraoptometric Month is Recognize. Reward. Retain.
Please help us tell your story by sending your stories about paraoptometrics at the link below.
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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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Dr. Vince Brandys, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-5th District), and Dr. Connor Robbs enjoy themselves at a fundraiser.
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IOA members participated in Senator Mattie Hunter's golf outing this week in Northbrook, IL.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Vince Brandys, Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago), Dr. Connor Robbs, Dr. Brandon Lernor, & Dr. Mark Skowron
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Get to Know IOA Board Member: Brigette Colley, O.D.
What Dr. Colley loves most about her job:
"I love taking care of multiple generations of the same family. The community connections and interactions strengthen my relationship with my patients. I love really getting to know them and what approach I can take to best help them."
Advice for new optometrists?
"You never know the circumstances of a patient’s life when they walk into your building and sit in your examination chair. Try to be the person that makes their day better because they got to spend a small portion of it with you."
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Five Signs It’s Not Just Dry Eye
Be careful not to dismiss these other reasons your patient may be experiencing ocular surface discomfort.
Emily L. Hutchins, OD- Modern Optometry
Dry eye disease (DED) may be one of the biggest ocular diagnostic scapegoats of all time. DED is a unique, multifactorial condition that can not only lead eye care providers to overdiagnose patients, but also to underdiagnose them. Red eyes, foreign body sensation, excessive tearing, and blurry vision are all symptoms of DED, but they can also indicate other conditions, and it’s important to be able to tell the difference.
Mistaking symptoms of other conditions for those of DED can be frustrating for both the patient and the managing clinician—especially if there is no symptomatic improvement with maximum dry eye therapy. In this article, I’ll review five important findings that tell you there may be more going on than DED.
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Optometrist - Full Time - Private Practice - Yorkville, IL - Brenart Eye Clinic, the largest private optometry practice in Illinois (Read more)
Associate Optometrist opening at In Focus Eyecare @ Target Optical.
Full-time and/or Part-time openings. Location Algonquin and/or Mundelein (Read more)
Bright Eyes Family Vision is looking for a part-time optometrist who shares our focus on providing personalized, compassionate care ( Read more)
Naper Grove Vision Care has openings for full-time Optometric Technicians in our Naperville, IL and Downers Grove, IL locations (Read more)
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Dr. Sameer Vohra Officially Begins Role as New Director of Illinois' Health Department
Vohra will replace Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who stepped down from her role in the spring
Dr. Sameer Vohra, the new leader of the Illinois Department of Public Health, was introduced publicly by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday.
Vohra, a pediatrician and healthcare policy expert who holds degrees in both law and public policy, officially took over the role, which was formerly held by Dr. Ngozi Ezike, on Aug. 1.
“I am humbled that the governor has entrusted me to serve the people of our state as the 20th director of the Illinois Department of Public Health,” Vohra said in a statement. “Governor Pritzker, along with the dedicated staff of IDPH, have served our state admirably during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am honored to lead this agency into the future, continuing to keep us safe from emerging illnesses, supporting our public health workers, and promoting wellness in every community across Illinois.”
Ezike, who led the IDPH during the COVID pandemic, stepped down from her role earlier this year to take over as the CEO of Sinai Chicago.
Pritzker has praised Vohra as a “visionary leader” that will use his expertise in health care policy to serve the state of Illinois.
“Dr. Vohra is accomplished in every sense of the word,” Pritzker said. “His experience and education transcend sectors and fields, bringing a well-rounded perspective to this agency. As a leader in state and national health policy, I have absolute confidence in Dr. Vohra’s ability to continue shaping a stronger IDPH for the 21st Century.”
Vohra comes to IDPH from Southern Illinois University, where he served as the School of Medicine’s department chair. He received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in public policy and received his medical doctorate at SIU. He also received a law degree after graduating from SIU’s law school.
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Tell Congress to Stop Medicare Pay Cuts Targeting ODs and Other Physicians
After lawmakers approved AOA-backed legislation late last year averting a series of Medicare pay cuts totaling nearly 10 percent, the AOA and other physician organizations are again working to prevent significant reimbursement cuts scheduled to take effect this year.
The AOA-backed measure signed into law in December prevented a 4% "pay-as-you-go (PAYGO)" cut until 2023, added a 3% pay increase to offset a 3.75 percent cut called for under the physician fee schedule, and delayed a 2% Medicare sequester cut for the first few months of 2022.
Now, without corrective legislative action to avert the cuts, ODs and other physicians face the potential for an additional double-digit reduction starting Jan. 1, 2023.
The AOA is urging lawmakers to take action now and making clear to lawmakers that simply preventing the cuts is not enough, with Medicare payments failing to keep up with medical inflation.
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Eye Problems Started or Worsened During Remote School for Some Children, Review Says
A systematic review found that children who engaged in remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had induced or exacerbated visual disturbances.
A review published in BMJ Open found that children using remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had induced or exacerbated visual disturbances.
The review, conducted in January 2022, found rapid progression of myopia, dry eye and visual fatigue symptoms, and vergence and accommodation disturbances.
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS!
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