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Announcing the 2004 Academy Awards
It is with great pleasure and pride that the board of trustees and the awards committee announce this year’s award recipients.

Special Award Program
Recipients of the following awards will attend the 2004 Joint Meeting in New Orleans as guests of Academy president Allan D. Jensen, MD. The awards will formally be presented to them at the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 24.

Guest of Honor Award
Individuals are selected for this award in recognition of their significant contribution to ophthalmology and to the Academy.
Elliot M. Finkelstein, MD
George S. Malouf Sr., MD
Hunter R. Stokes Sr., MD

Distinguished Service Award
This award honors an individual or organization for ongoing notable service to ophthalmology and to the Academy.
Stephen J. Ryan, MD

Special Recognition Award
This award recognizes individuals (ophthalmologists and nonophthalmologists) for their lifetime commitment to and support of ophthalmology; it may also be presented to an organization for outstanding service in a specific effort or cause that has improved the quality of eye care.

This year it is presented to the executive directors of ophthalmology’s state and subspecialty societies.

Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award
This award recognizes Academy members for their outstanding contribution to humanitarian efforts, such as participation in charitable activities, care of the indigent, involvement in community service and other forms of ophthalmological care performed above and beyond the typical duties of an ophthalmologist.
Peter R. Egbert, MD
Marilyn J. Scudder, MD

International Blindness Prevention Award
This award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the prevention of blindness or the restoration of sight around the world.
Hannah Faal, MBBS

Achievement Award Program
The Achievement Award program recognizes individuals (members and nonmembers) for their time and contribution to the scientific programs of the Annual Meeting and those who serve as Academy committee members, representatives, trustees, councilors, authors, coauthors and reviewers of educational material.

Life Achievement Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 60 points and have made significant contributions to ophthalmology as determined by the awards committee are nominated for receipt of the Life Achievement Honor Award.
D. Jackson Coleman, MD
Byron H. Demorest, MD
Michael A. Kass, MD
George O. Waring III, MD

Senior Achievement Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 30 points are nominated to receive the Senior Achievement Award.

Dimitri T. Azar, MD
Rubens Belfort Jr., MD, PhD
Benjamin F. Boyd, MD
Rosario Brancato, MD
James D. Brandt, MD
Neil M. Bressler, MD
Susan B. Bressler, MD
Carl B. Camras, MD
Louis B. Cantor, MD
Emily Y. Chew, MD
Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD
Janet L. Davis, MD
Randy J. Epstein, MD
Elliot M. Finkelstein, MD
Jill A. Foster, MD, FACS
Michael L. Gilbert, MD
Robert A. Goldberg, MD
Ronald L. Gross, MD
Andrew G. Iwach, MD
Edward A. Jaeger, MD
John B. Jeffers, MD
Jane D. Kivlin, MD

Ernest W. Kornmehl, MD
Ferenc P. Kuhn, MD, PhD
Mark J. Kupersmith, MD
Jonathan H. Lass, MD
Norman B. Medow, MD, FACS
Dale R. Meyer, MD, FACS
Terrence P. O’Brien, MD
Earl A. Palmer, MD
Jay S. Pepose, MD, PhD
Michael R. Redmond, MD
Edward J. Rockwood, MD
Stuart R. Seiff, MD
John W. Simon, MD
Jason S. Slakter, MD
Mark G. Speaker, MD, PhD
Thomas C. Spoor, MD
James B. Sprague, MD
Scheffer C. G. Tseng, MD, PhD
Kazuo Tsubota, MD
Michael D. Wagoner, MD
Steven E. Wilson, MD

Achievement Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 10 points are nominated to receive the Achievement Award.

Esen K. Akpek, MD
Darren L. Albert, MD
R. Rand Allingham, MD
Andrew N. Antoszyk, MD
James D. Auran, MD
Laurie G. Barber, MD
Gaetano R. Barile, MD
Caroline R. Baumal, MD
Bruce B. Becker, MD
Norbert M. Becker, MD
Brian S. Biesman, MD
Francesco Boscia, MD
Michael D. Brown
Donald L. Budenz, MD
Jonathan D. Christenbury,MD
William S. Clifford, MD
Daniel L. Dale, MD
Jose Dalma, MD
Stuart R. Dankner, MD
Jonathan M. Davidorf, MD
Elizabeth A. Davis, MD
Deepinder K. Dhaliwal, MD
Cathy DiBernardo, RN
John F. Doane, MD
Lindreth G. DuBois, MMSc, COMT
Jeffrey P. Edelstein, MD
Deepak P. Edward, MD
Dean Eliott, MD
Bita Esmaeli, MD, FACS
Richard M. Feist, MD
Sharon Fekrat, MD
David J. Forster, MD
Suzanne K. Freitag, MD
Lawrence Frieman, MD, FACS
James Fujimoto, PhD
Steven L. Galetta, MD
Prashant Garg, MD
Johnny L. Gayton, MD
Karen M. Gehrs, MD
James W. Gigantelli, MD
Lealis L. Hale, MD
Jonathan M. Holmes, MD
Wen-Ming Hsu, MD
David Huang, MD, PhD
Susan M. Hughes, MD, FACS
David G. Hunter, MD, PhD
Amy K. Hutchinson, MD
Jeffrey L. Jacobs, MD
Douglas H. Johnson, MD
Karen M. Joos, MD, PhD
Carol L. Karp, MD
Natalie C. Kerr, MD
Moshe Lazar, MD
Phuc Lehoang, MD
Leonard A. Levin, MD, PhD

Robert P. Liss, MD
Jay M. Lustbader, MD
Michael J. Lynn
Mathew W. MacCumber, MD, PhD
Maureen G. Maguire, PhD
Parag A. Majmudar, MD
Glenville A. March Jr., MD
Todd P. Margolis, MD, PhD
Alfred C. Marrone, MD
Jeffrey L. Marx, MD
Eugenio J. Maul, MD
Janice Meltzer
Andre Mermoud, MD
Edoardo Midena, MD
Clive S. Migdal, MD
Ramana S. Moorthy, MD
Sayoko E. Moroi, MD, PhD
Jonathan S. Myers, MD
Ann G. Neff, MD
Michael J. Parshall
Andrew M. Prince, MD
Louis E. Probst, MD
David A. Quillen, MD
James J. Reidy, MD
Shimon Rumelt, MD
Ronald A. Schachar, MD, PhD
Steven C. Schallhorn, MD
William M. Schiff, MD
Susan Schneider, MD
Daniel M. Schwartz, MD
Gary S. Schwartz, MD
Barry S. Seibel, MD
Sanjay Sharma, MD
Scott C. Sigler, MD
Ronald H. Silverman, PhD
Masoud Soheilian, MD
Samuel Solish, MD
Rosalind A. Stevens, MD
Timothy J. Sullivan, MBBS
Remo Susanna Jr., MD
Kristin J. Tarbet, MD
Celso Tello, MD
Robert E. Tibolt, MD
John T. Tong, MD
Martin Uram, MD
Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD
Michael S. Vaphiades, DO
David T. Vroman, MD
John A. Vukich, MD
Paul Weber, JD
David A. Weinberg, MD
Avery H. Weiss, MD
David T. Wheeler, MD
Jess T. Whitson, MD, FACS
R. Patrick Yeatts, MD

Secretariat Award Program
The Secretariat Award recognizes ophthalmologists for contributions outside the scope of the Achievement Award program. Each of the Academy’s secretaries and senior secretaries can submit nominees to the Academy’s awards committee.

Nominated by the secretaries for
Clinical Education, Ophthalmic Information
and Ophthalmic Knowledge and Quality of Care:
Sandra M. Brown, MD
Joseph Caprioli, MD
Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD
Larry P. Frohman, MD
Karen M. Joos, MD
Samuel Masket, MD
Travis A. Meredith, MD
Jeffrey A. Nerad, M
Steven A. Newman, MD
Narsing A. Rao, MD
Stephen R. Russell, MD
Steven C. Schallhorn, MD
R. Michael Siatkowski, MD
Kirk R. Wilhemus, MD
Harry A. Zink, MD
Nominated by the secretary for the Annual
Meeting:
Stanley Chang, MD
Nominated by the secretary for State Affairs
and the senior secretary for Advocacy:
Carlos Buznego, MD
Zelia Correa, MD
Sharon Fekrat, MD
Wonsuck Kim, DO
Carl Rosen, MD

Nominated by the secretary for Communications:
Abdhish Bhavsar, MD
M. Bowes Hamill, MD
Samuel Masket, MD
Roy S. Rubinfeld, MD
David J. Tanzer, MD
Nominated by the secretary for Federal Affairs:
Michael W. Brennan, MD
David Glasser, MD
Stephen A. Kamenetzky, MD
Mary G. Lawrence, MD, MPH
Nominated by the senior secretary for Ophthalmic Practice:
Charles M. Zacks, MD
Nominated by the editor of Ophthalmology:
Douglas R. Anderson, MD
James D. Brandt, MD
Arthur J. Mueller, MD
Steven A. Newman, MD
Richard A. Stone, MD
Nominated by the secretary for Member Services:
Philip C. Hessburg, MD
David G. Shulman, MD

Survey Results

The rise and fall of managed care has been one of the major forces affecting ophthalmic practices over the last 10 years.

According to the Academy’s membership surveys, the number of ophthalmologists who participate in any managed care contracts increased to a peak of 87 percent in 1998 and has dropped by 14 percent since then. Capitated contracts, which involve sharing the risk of health care cost by the provider, have had a significant decrease, dropping by almost half from 28 percent in 1998 to a level of only 15 percent in 2003. Whether new attempts by the federal government to encourage more managed care in the Medicare system as part of a subsidized business model will once again increase the managed care presence is of some concern.

There is a close correlation between the rise and fall of managed care over the last 10 years and the number of members experiencing a decline in their practice access. At its peak in 1998, 41 percent of survey respondents were having difficulty with patient access to their practices; this has declined to 20 percent in 2003. While rising overhead and decreasing reimbursement continue to be major problems for practicing ophthalmologists, decreased patient access due to restrictive managed care contracts appears to be less of a problem.

Survey results: Surveys of U.S. members and fellows document the fluctuating fortunest of managed care.

Politicians Honored

In April, the Academy presented its second annual series of Visionary Awards to Rep. Michael Bilirakis (R–Fla.), Rep. Nancy Johnson (R–Conn.) and Sen. John Sununu (R–N.H.) in recognition of their legislative contributions to ophthalmology.

Reps Bilirakis and Johnson were recognized for their key roles in stopping the 4.5 percent cut in the 2004 Medicare physician reimbursements and replacing it with a 1.5 percent update through 2005.

Sen. Sununu was recognized for championing Medicare coverage of vision rehabilitation services, which resulted in the implementation of a five-year national demonstration project.

Eye M.D. Vies for Seat in U.S. Congress

Come January, ophthalmologists may have one of their own in the U.S. House of Representatives. After winning a hard-fought primary, Melissa M. Brown, MD, is once again the GOP candidate for Pennsylvania’s 13th District, which includes northeast Philadelphia and some outlying suburbs. In the 2002 elections, Dr. Brown came within 7,653 votes of unseating incumbent Democrat Rep. Joe Hoeffel, who is standing down this year.

She now squares off against Democrat Allyson Schwartz in what promises to be one of this year’s most competitive congressional elections.

For more information on Dr. Brown’s candidacy, visit www.melissabrownforcongress.com.

For the Record

Notice of 2004 ABM
Notice is hereby given that the annual business meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology will be held Sunday, Oct. 24, in the Auditorium at the Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, from 10 to 10:30 a.m.

Officer Nominees
In accordance with Academy bylaws, notice is hereby given of the following nominations for officers to the Academy, made by the Academy board of trustees in June. Please note that senior secretary for Ophthalmic Practice and secretary for Annual Meeting are three-year terms and that one trustee-at-large position is available in 2005.
President-Elect
Harry A. Zink, MD
Senior secretary for Ophthalmic Practice
David W. Parke II, MD
Secretary for Annual Meeting
Edward J. Holland, MD
Trustee-at-Large
Tamara R. Fountain, MD

Nomination Procedures
On Jan. 1, 2005, four board of trustee positions will become vacant. Elections to fill those positions will take place by mail ballot after the Oct. 24, 2004 annual business meeting.

To nominate a candidate by petition for the 2005 board, submit a written petition to the Academy’s executive vice president no later than Aug. 24. The petition must be signed by at least 50 voting Academy members and fellows. To suggest a nominee for the 2006 board, look out for the call for nominations that will be published in January’s EyeNet Magazine.

To read the rules in full, see Article V of the Academy’s bylaws at www.aao.org/bylaws

FYI

The Ethics of Expert Witness Testimony
During the Academy’s 2004 Mid-Year Forum, members asked for increased publicity about Rule 16 of the Academy’s Code of Ethics.

Rule 16, regarding appropriate expert testimony, went into effect on Jan. 1, 2004. Challenges submitted to the Ethics Committee regarding potentially false, deceptive or misleading testimony must relate to testimony given after that date. The Ethics Committee will screen all submissions carefully to assure appropriate use of resources, as it is not feasible to hold a hearing in every close case.

The rule is as follows: “Rule 16. Expert Testimony. Expert testimony should be provided in an objective manner using medical knowledge to form expert medical opinions. Nonmedical factors (such as solicitation of business from attorneys, competition with other physicians, and personal bias unrelated to professional expertise) should not bias testimony. It is unethical for a physician to accept compensation that is contingent upon the outcome of litigation.

“False, deceptive or misleading expert testimony is unethical.”

To read the Code of Ethics in full, visit www.aao.org/bylaws.

Go Online to Share Clinical Images
Use the Academy Image Gallery to share your clinical images with colleagues and download, rate and comment on those of other Academy members.

Because of the special conditions regarding the uploading of images online, first-time users must register with the gallery. After this initial registration, when you log in to the Academy Web site you will automatically be logged in to the Image Gallery.

To access the Image Gallery, visit www.aao.org and click on “Image Gallery.”

Accounts Receivable: Improve Collections
The upcoming AAOE-sponsored audioconference, The Check Is NOT in the Mail: Effective Accounts Receivable Collection Techniques, will offer practical advice on how to improve accounts receivable processes.

Specifically, the course will address how you can increase cash flow, reduce accounts receivable lag time, improve your collection ratio and decrease billing expenses.

The audioconference will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 10, from 11 a.m. to noon PDT. The cost is $110 for AAOE members and $145 for nonmembers. If you are unable to attend at that time, you can purchase the handouts and a recording of the course for the same prices.

For more information, visit www.aao.org/aaoe

Washington Report

Government to Help You Get Wired

President Bush recently announced the goal of personal electronic medical records for most Americans by 2014. More immediately, in 2004 the government will set standards that allow medical records, such as x-rays and laboratory tests, to be stored and sent electronically. With CMS talking about paying doctors for performance (or quality), e-medicine is a likely way to differentiate doctors.

Plan calls for new technology department. Also as part of this plan, a new “senior department” was established. It will be led by National Health Information Technology Coordinator David Brailer, MD, PhD, who reports to secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. Dr. Brailer is charged with developing a strategic plan to guide implementation of the nationwide health information technology infrastructure and coordinate it with hospitals and medical groups.

President Bush envisions a system that guides medical decisions at the time of care, improves health care quality, reduces errors, advances the delivery of appropriate, evidence-based care and reduces inefficiency. Academy member Jonathan C. Javitt, MD, MPH, chairs the Health Care Delivery Subcommittee of the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee and presented recommendations on steps needed to achieve much of the plan.

Not the first attempt at e-medicine. This is not the first attempt at the federal level to jump-start e-technology in medicine. Last year the Academy helped derail a proposed mandate on physicians requiring them to adopt e-prescribing —a costly proposition for providers in the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act. Instead, the bill calls for voluntary, rather than mandatory, e-prescribing with financial incentives for physicians in targeted sectors and the mandated establishment of standards.

Academy Store

Get the Latest Cataract Surgery Reference Text
Cataract Surgery: Techniques, Complications and Management, Second Edition (Product #0240580) covers the most current cataract surgery advances.

Edited by Roger F. Steinert, MD, with a team of highly respected contributors, it includes sections on preop considerations, advances in the techniques for ECCE and phacoemulsification, future trends for cataract extraction, management of pediatric cataracts, IOLs, operative complications, the management of postop complications and more.

It is published by Elsevier and costs $195.

To order the book, visit www.aao.org/store or phone at 415-561-8540.

No Grace Period for New ICD-9 Codes: Beat the DeadlineOn
Oct. 1, Medicare will publish its annual update of the ICD-9 codes.

Traditionally, physicians were allowed a 90-day grace period and could continue to use the old codes until Dec. 31. But HIPAA rules now require that the codes you use are valid at the time you provide the service; consequently, any services you provide on or after Oct. 1 must be billed with the new ICD-9 codes.

To help you prepare for the Oct. 1 updates, the Academy is taking orders for 2005 ICD-9 for Ophthalmology.

To buy this book, visit www.aao.org/store or phone the Academy Service Center
at 415-561-8540.

Enjoy a Sneak Peek at New BCSC Section 14
The 2004–2005 BCSC has a new look that adds extra color and readability. Review this new format by downloading sample pages from Section 14: Refractive Surgery (#0280144), which is a brand-new addition to the BCSC.

Section 14 offers a current look at the vital issues in refractive surgery. It is eligible for up to 30 category 1 CME credits.

The 2004–2005 BCSC is available for shipping now. Individual volumes cost $69 for members and $99 for nonmembers; the complete 14-volume set (#0280954) costs $685 for members and $982 for nonmembers.

To view sample pages from Section 14, visit www.aao.org/bcsc14.To place an order, visit www.aao.org/store or phone the Academy Service Center at 415-561-8540.

New LASIK OTA
The latest Ophthalmic Technology Assessment, due to be published in the August issue of Ophthalmology, reviews the available evidence for LASIK for the correction of hyperopia and astigmatism.

Reprints of LASIK for Hyperopia, Hyperopic Astigmatism and Mixed Astigmtism (#112051) are $11 for members and $16 for nonmembers.

To place an order, visit www.aao.org/store or phone 415-561-8540.

The Big Easy Awaits
Visit www.aao.org/meetings/annual_meeting to register for the 2004 Joint Meeting, buy course tickets, review hotel descriptions, check room availability and make room reservations.

Book your travel. For air and car reservations, contact ATC, the Academy’s official travel service. Attendees receive special discounts on United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as the lowest available fares on other carriers. Car rental discounts have also been arranged with Avis and Budget Rent a Car. Reservations can be made by going online at www.aao.org, by e-mailing reservations@atcmeetings.com, by faxing 858-362-3153 or by phoning 800-458-9383 (toll-free within the United States).

ATC is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Bring guests. They may have to put their diet on hold, but there are plenty of walking tours and other activities to burn those calories off: Visit www.aao.org/ annual_meeting and click “Spouse & Guest Program.”

Bring the kids. If they’re between 6 months and 12 years old, you can register them at Camp AAO. Visit www.aao.org/meetings/annual_meeting and click “Child Care” for a list of activities, which includes Mardi Gras Mambo, Gumbo Good Time, Zoo Cruise and a trip to Six Flags New Orleans.

Free Help for Young Ophthalmologists
Recognizing that a successful career in ophthalmology isn’t dependent on clinical expertise alone, the Academy will offer extensive Joint Meeting programming geared toward young ophthalmologists.

Sunday, Oct. 24, is YO Day at the Joint Meeting. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., learn about key business issues at the YO Half-Day Program. From 2:15 to 5 p.m., attend the Professional Choices Job Fair to meet with representatives from practices who are hiring. From 5 to 7 p.m., attend the YO Reception.

Welcome to the Real World of Ophthalmology: Reality 101 is a free interactive session that draws on the experience of established Eye M.D.s. The session is on Monday, Oct. 25 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Visit the Professional Choices Business Center to use free interview booths or to add your name to the applicant database. Open from Saturday, Oct. 23 through Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Save 50 percent off the ticket price for all standard Instruction Courses and Breakfasts with the Experts if you are a member-in-training.

For more information, visit www.aao.org/yo

Attend the Refractive Surgery Symposium and Reception
Don’t miss the evening Spotlight Session, Refractive Surgery: Where Have We Been and Where Are We Now? A Symposium Honoring the Memory of Jose Barraquer, MD, and the Contributions of Steve Trokel, MD, and Jan Worst, MD, to the Development of Refractive Surgery.

The free symposium takes place on Monday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m. and is followed by a reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

It is presented by the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (ISRS/AAO) and the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) and is sponsored in part by an educational grant from Alcon.

Chaired by James J. Salz, MD, and Bo T. Philipson, MD, the session provides an opportunity to hear refractive surgery pioneers and visionaries from around the world, and to honor those who were instrumental in the subspecialty’s development.

For the full program, go to the Online Program and search for Spotlight Session “SPO2.”

Cancellations
Cancellations for registration fees, courses and tours will be accepted only if a written notification is received by Sept. 1. A $50 processing fee will be assessed per meeting. If your total was less than $50, there will be no refund. No refunds will be honored for cancellations received after Sept. 1.

Send your cancellation requests by mail, to American Academy of Ophthalmology, 655 Beach Street, San Francisco, CA 94109-1336; by fax, to 415-561-8576; or by e-mail, to meetings@aao.org

Members at Large
State-to-State: Societies Sponsor Residents at Mid-Year Forum
This year’s Mid-Year Forum (April 21 to 24) was a hit with residents. “Democracy is a wonderful thing,” said Dmitry Pyatetsky, MD. “Residents need to be more aware of political issues affecting physicians and patient care.”

This was the first year that residents were invited to attend the program. Jennifer H. Smith, MD, and Beth K. Bruening, MD—both participants in the Academy’s 2003– 2004 Leadership Development Program—arranged for state societies to sponsor the residents’ attendance. “We wanted residents to learn about the political process and the role of the Academy and state ophthalmological societies in shaping health care policy,” said Dr. Bruening.

As part of Mid-Year Forum’s Advocacy Day, residents visited Capitol Hill to discuss important bills, such as the Veterans Eye Treatment Safety (VETS) Act, HR 3473. Andrew P. Doan, MD, PhD, spoke to Rep. James Leach (R–Iowa), a cosponsor of the VETS Act. “This opportunity allowed me to thank him for his support of ophthalmology and patient care,” said Dr. Doan. “Physicians need to be more involved with their state medical societies and political action committees. I am going back to my program to share this information with the residents.”

Robert Melendez, MS, MD—who was admitted to optometry school and then switched direction to complete medical school—explained the differences between ophthalmology training and optometry training to the staff of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R–Texas).

Drs. Pyatetsky, Doan and Melendez were sponsored by the Illinois, Iowa and Texas state societies, respectively. Other residents (and their sponsoring societies) included: Joel Bezek, MD (D.C.); B. Christian Carter, MD (Virginia); Johanna Jensen, MD (Washington); Andrew Lam, MD (Pennsylvania); Stacy A. Sjoberg, MD (Maryland); Silvia L. Speidel, MD (Oklahoma); Phillip J. Suffridge, MD (Arkansas); Tony Tsai, MD (Maryland) and Alyssa N. Wenger, MD (Arkansas).

The Academy thanks those societies that sponsored residents’ participation in the 2004 Mid-Year Forum and encourages more state societies to do so next year.

States Help to Promote Healthy Vision Month
EyeCare America would like to thank the state ophthalmological societies of Michigan, Missouri and South Carolina for leading the effort of participation in this year’s Healthy Vision Month campaign. The campaign received prominent coverage from media outlets across the United States.

If you would like to participate in future campaigns, or if you would like to become an EyeCare America volunteer, phone 877-887-6327.

Who’s in the News
A contributor to The New York Times praised an anonymous ophthalmologist, May 3: “While I was sitting in my ophthalmologist’s examining room, my cell phone suddenly rang. It has a distinctive ring, part of an aria from the opera ‘Carmen.’ My eye doctor, a pretty cultural kind of guy, took note of the sound and said, ‘Oh, that must be your Bizet signal.’”

On March 1, HealthScout.com quoted Richard E. Bensiger, MD, on steroids and cataracts. William A. Boothe, MD, was featured in the Feb. 22 issue of The Dallas Morning News on his choice of ophthalmology as a career and on his use of LASIK.

Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD, was quoted in the Jan. 24 USA Today on successfully performing his customized LASIK procedure for eyes with large pupils on actress Mimi Rogers.

The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) interviewed William A. Branner III, MD, and Jonathan D. Christenbury, MD, for a Jan. 18 article on wavefront-guided LASIK.

A Feb. 9 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch quoted Harry C. Eggleston, MD, on the development of an IOL that can be adjusted with an external magnet after implantation.

Eugene M. Helveston, MD, was featured in the Jan. 26 issue of The Indianapolis Star in an article on his development of Cyber Sight, a telemedicine program that trains eye care professionals to treat children in medically underdeveloped countries, and on his receiving the Academy’s 2003 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award.

Igor Kaiserman, MD, was quoted in the March 1 issue of HealthScout.com on his study of wavefront LASIK and contrast sensitivity that appeared in the March Ophthalmology.

In its April issue, Big Apple Parent magazine quoted Norman B. Medow, MD, FACS, on the topic of vision therapy for children with learning disabilities.

Alpa S. Patel, MD, was quoted in the Feb. 9 issue of the Daily Breeze (Torrance, Calif.) on cataracts.

Thomas L. Steinemann, MD, was quoted in the March 2 issue of PersonalMD.com on orthokeratology.

Keith A. Skolnick, MD, William W. Culbertson, MD, Raananah S. Katz, MD, and Philip J. Rosenfeld, MD, PhD, were quoted in the Jan. 6 issue of The Miami Herald on IOLs, glaucoma and contact lenses.

People
On May 1, at the annual meeting of the Michigan State Medical Society House of Delegates, Alan M. Mindlin, MD, was elected MSMS president-elect and Busharat Ahmad, MD, was re-elected as a Michigan delegate to the AMA. He will serve a two-year term.

At an April 2 awards ceremony, the University of Missouri Medical Alumni Association recognized Robert W. Enzenauer, MD, for his community service by presenting him with its Distinguished Service Award.

The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus has announced that Christie L. Morse, MD—a graduate of the Academy’s leadership development program—will be 2005 president-designate and president-elect in 2006.

In elections that took place on May 26, Ioannis G. Pallikaris, MD, was elected the next rector at the University of Crete.

Two ophthalmology residents were honored at the AMA’s Excellence in Medicine awards banquet. Melinda A. Hakim, MD, and Sherman W. Reeves, MD, MPH, were both presented with the AMA Leadership Award. Nalin H. Tolia, MD, received an AMA scholarship to participate in leadership development training.

The Prevention of Blindness Society of the Metropolitan Area awarded Arthur L. Schwartz, MD, with its Professional Service Award. The presentation took place at the society’s annual Night of Vision Gala in Washington.

The Publishers Marketing Association shortlisted Steven E. Wilson, MD—author of Winter in Kandahar—for its 2004 Benjamin Franklin Award in the Best New Voice in Fiction category. To buy the book, visit www.winterinkandahar.com

The American Glaucoma Society announced the recipients of the 2004 Clinician-Scientist Fellowships in Glaucoma. Christopher A. Girkin, MD, Richard K. Lee, MD, PhD, Shan Lin, MD, Steven L. Mansberger, MD, MPH, and Douglas J. Rhee, MD, will receive one-year sponsored grants.