2021 Year in Review - American Academy of Ophthalmology

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2021 Year in Review:
Reconnecting Our Community

For many of us, 2021 was about learning how to conquer coronavirus obstacles and envisioning a new future. Even a global pandemic couldn't break our spirit or stop us from innovating new products and resources, reconnecting our community, or positively impacting our patients and members — current and future. Read on to learn about our key achievements of the past year.

We Re-created, Reconvened and Reconnected

After COVID canceled our in-person meeting in Las Vegas and we pivoted to an all-virtual AAO 2020, we were thrilled to reconvene for AAO 2021 both in New Orleans and online.

It was a prime opportunity to re-create the event, revising meeting dates to minimize time away from practices, reducing the number of simultaneous programs to allow more networking time, eliminating the instruction course pass to allow more flexibility, and continuing the virtual option for those unable to join us in person.

The Opening Session was moved to Friday evening. We said goodbye to our current CEO, David W. Parke II, MD; honored our 2020 and 2021 Laureate and other Academy award winners; and concluded the session with the Jackson Memorial Lecture by Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD.

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We had a first-ever Closing Session on Monday. 2021 Academy President Tamara R. Fountain, MD, passed the gavel to 2022 President Robert E. Wiggins Jr., MD, who gave an acceptance speech focused on past, present, future and how to get involved. We welcomed incoming CEO Stephen D. McLeod, MD; and we listened to a discussion between Michael F. Chiang, MD, director of the National Eye Institute, and Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

David F. Chang, MD's Cataract Spotlight, now in its 20th year, proved once again the value of audience interaction with expert panels discussing specific cases. That was the most-watched session both live and online, with the Opening Session, Infectious Disease in Neuro-Ophthalmology: It's Not Just COVID-19, Hot Topics 2021, and Retina Subspecialty Day Section IV: Medical Retina and Chorioretinal Vascular Disease rounding out the top 5 most-watched sessions in the virtual meeting platform.

More than 10,000 came to New Orleans to reconnect with friends and colleagues in sessions and events, and to visit the 305 companies in the exhibit hall. More than 4,600 attendees (and counting) joined virtually. All professional attendees have access to AAO 2021 content on the virtual meeting platform until Feb. 14, 2022, then in Your Virtual Products from Feb. 15 to Aug. 1, 2022.

Meeting Diverse Learning Needs With Podcasts and Webinars

"People are consuming information from many different mediums today. Podcasts are an effective modality to learn about new concepts in a convenient manner. We are delighted that the dynamic Jay Sridhar is moderating Experts InSight to highlight practical updates from subspecialists across ophthalmology."
– Rahul Khurana, MD; Secretary for Online Education
The Academy launched the Experts InSight podcast in October 2021. The biweekly show, hosted by Jay Sridhar, MD, provides a way for comprehensive ophthalmologists to stay current with major trends across each subspecialty. In each episode, Dr. Sridhar brings two experts along to share their practice pearls over the course of 30 minutes. Each episode covers major research from the ophthalmic literature, surgical and medical updates, diagnostic pearls and pitfalls, and issues impacting the practice of medicine. CME credit is available for each episode. Dr. Sridhar's other podcast series, Straight from the Cutter's Mouth, is also available online from the Academy.

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To meet the needs of those who enjoy a more visual learning experience, the Academy continues to offer monthly clinical webinars as a member benefit. Webinar programming includes Diagnose This Live!, sessions focused on subspecialty topics, virtual journal clubs and more. Many webinars are eligible for CME credit, and all are recorded and published online following the event. Recent popular titles include:

The 2021 Update on Cataract

The 2021 Update on Glaucoma for Non-specialists

The 2021 Update on Oculoplastics: What Every Ophthalmologist Should Know About State-of-the-Art Oculoplastic Therapies

We Welcomed a New Member to the Family

In March 2021, the Academy welcomed a new publication to our family of “blue” journals: Ophthalmology^® Science. Joining Ophthalmology^®, Ophthalmology^® Retina and Ophthalmology^® Glaucoma, it's our first gold, open-access, online journal. This quarterly journal focuses on publishing pre-clinical development, phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, laboratory-based work, ophthalmology informatics and clinical science.

Ophthalmology Science offers broad distribution through open access of research that will inform the next great breakthroughs in ophthalmology. As an open access journal, it is available to all and supported by article processing charges, making the journal accessible to everyone without a subscription fee.

Medical Students and Residents: Cultivating the Future Ophthalmology Pipeline

Building a stronger, more innovative profession means educating those who will someday protect our sight and empower our lives. In 2021, we expanded resources for residents and medical students and extended membership categories.

The Academy launched the Resident Knowledge Exchange in May 2021. This resource — a free member benefit — provides residents with study materials and learning tools as they advance through their ophthalmic residency training. They can view and share study materials and engage in discussions with peers. Content is organized by BCSC^® topics and includes flashcards, mnemonics and picmonics, lectures and review presentations, videos, and links to external resources such as Ophthalmology Mind Maps. The Academy hopes residents will find the exchange useful for digesting what is often seen as an insurmountable amount of information during their residency.

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In 2021, the Academy officially opened new membership categories for U.S. medical students and PGY-1s matched into ophthalmology. As of December, we welcomed 462 medical students, 169 of whom are Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program participants; and 100% (504) of matched PGY-1s. These youngest members now have access to most Academy benefits and can get a head start as they work their way up to residency.

The Academy spent considerable time in 2021 advocating for entering the profession and building out more ophthalmology resources for medical students. This content supports medical students interested in ophthalmology and provides clinical education.

New Track, New Community, New Recovery Resources

“New” was the 2021 theme for AAOE^® – the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives^®. This year, the AAOE team created a suite of essential resources for practices to educate the whole team and navigate shifting pandemic challenges.

Recognizing that a formally trained practice team is more valuable than ever, AAOE introduced resources for support staff and deepened the reach of our offerings. Three technician training courses were added to the new Staff Development and Training track at the Academy's annual meeting, with a sharp focus on life in the exam lane, expectations for techs and coding compliance. AAOE's newest product, Ultimate Documentation Compliance Training for Scribes and Technicians, is the only ophthalmic training program focused on the critical documentation compliance components. Scribes, orthoptists and technicians who complete the course provide an invaluable compliance shield for their practice.

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AAOE members can now enjoy the benefits of a live, online community platform through the upgraded AAOE-Talk experience. This valuable member benefit transitioned in 2021 from a simple Listserv to a best-in-class network of 1,100 subscribers connected in real time.

Thousands of viewers have depended on pandemic resources. To complement the Academy’s clinical and regulatory webinars, we created the AAOE Roadmap to Recovery Series of webinars. These webinars cover topics such as HIPAA and OSHA considerations, managing finances, returning to work and more. Additionally, the five-module The Resilient Practice: Positioning the Practice for Success Post-COVID-19 series highlights on-the-ground recovery strategies, leadership pearls and lessons learned from Academy and AAOE colleagues.

Continuing the Fight in DC for Ophthalmology's Interests

The Academy took strong federal and state actions in 2021 to protect our profession and patient care.

Medicare Physician Cuts: We worked with our partners in the Surgical Care Coalition and our champions in Congress, who are supported by Academy members' OPHTHPAC contributions, to derail CMS' scheduled Medicare physician cuts for ophthalmology in 2022, averting a nearly 10% cut in Medicare reimbursement reductions.

Prior Authorization: Academy-led efforts to gain congressional support for prior authorization reform in Medicare Advantage plans resulted in over 251 House co-sponsors signing the House bill (HR 3173); a companion bill in the Senate (S 3018) being introduced; and nearly 30 U.S. senators pressing CMS for relief.

Drug Shortages: The Academy proactively addressed and mitigated the effect of drug shortages by working with the Food and Drug Administration and the medical industry to achieve solutions for Phospholine Iodide and Visudyne. We also endorsed new legislation in June that would address drug shortages and ensure important compounded drugs could be obtained.

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Step Therapy: The Academy built a coalition with 58 physicians and patient groups to end step therapy in Medicare Advantage plans. We wrote to CMS in April, asking to reinstate the ban; met with CMS in September; and shared patient harm examples. At the urging of the Academy and the American Society of Retina Specialists, CMS informed Medicare Advantage organizations in November that off-label biosimilars Zirabev and Mvasi may not be used as substitutes for Avastin in treating eye conditions in step therapy programs.

Scope of Practice: Thanks to the Academy's Surgical Scope Fund, we protected patient safety by derailing optometric surgery legislation and regulatory proposals in Alabama, California, Florida, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

Mid-Year Forum 2021: With this annual event going all-virtual for the first time, a record 800 people attended.

Showcasing the Future of Ophthalmology

Eyecelerator^®, the ground-breaking partnership between the American Academy of Ophthalmology and ASCRS formed to accelerate innovation in eye care, brought the future of ophthalmology into vivid focus during its first in-person events in 2021.

The two next-generation business conferences at ASCRS 2021 and AAO 2021 were wildly successful. Combined, they drew more than 1,000 physicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, investors and Fortune 500 health care executives. Each conference featured timely panel discussions with industry thought leaders, keynote addresses from renowned speakers, and dozens of companies showcasing advanced clinical treatments and cutting-edge digital health technologies.

Eyecelerator 2022 events are scheduled for April 21 in Washington, D.C., and September 29 in Chicago. Learn more.

Happy 7th Birthday, IRIS Registry

On March 24, the IRIS^® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) celebrated its seventh birthday. The IRIS Registry represents an amazing accomplishment both for the Academy and for the ophthalmologists who actively use and support it. All ophthalmologists and their patients benefit from it.

As of May, the IRIS Registry had participation from over 14,000 ophthalmologists and their 3,300 employed optometrists, and included approximately 400 million patient encounters from about 70 million unique patients. It supports 62 electronic health record systems.

If you reported data in 2018 for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System through the IRIS Registry, you likely saw a bonus of 1.68% in 2020 because most ophthalmologists achieved a perfect score. Overall, ophthalmology received $78 million in MIPS bonuses in 2020, and nearly 60% of the 17,026 practitioners who filed 2018 MIPS data received a perfect score. CMS estimates that group received an average bonus of $6,749. Total savings in avoided penalties from 2017 to 2020 were nearly $103,000 per ophthalmologist.

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The benefits of the IRIS Registry's use go beyond dollars. Over 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published using IRIS Registry data — and over 100 presentations and posters (including two Jackson Lectures). It has sparked novel observations in areas as diverse as diabetic retinopathy, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and endophthalmitis. It has informed discussions on health equity and disparities in care in glaucoma and in amblyopia. The American Board of Ophthalmology has accepted it as a tool for continuing certification.

What about COVID-19 trends? IRIS Registry studies discovered that total patient visits dropped 62% from March to April 2020, visits to retina specialists dropped less than to other ophthalmologists, and most patients still received anti-VEGF injections during the pandemic.

Orbital Gala: Putting the "Fun" in Fundraising

Never before has the Academy Foundation faced the unique challenges of fundraising against the backdrop of a pandemic, yet in true “glass half full” mode, those challenges forced us to think innovatively. Thanks to the support of our many generous donors, we had another wildly successful year.

The 2021 Orbital Gala Masquerade was reinvented after an all-virtual gala in 2020. Under the leadership of Chairs Ron W. Pelton, MD, PhD, and Wendy Pelton, the gala emerged as a spectacularly fun cocktail party at the iconic New Orleans House of Blues. The sold-out event honored David J. Noonan for his years of leadership, accomplishments and dedication to the Academy. Over 375 people supported the silent auction, which featured Conversations With Legends, including award-winning actor Meryl Streep. All funds raised from the auction and fund-a-need benefited the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program. Net proceeds totaled $240,000, the third-largest fundraising event in Orbital Gala history.

Recognizing Giants in Ophthalmology

Launched in summer 2021, the Foundation's Honor A Mentor program offers Academy members an exciting opportunity to give back to ophthalmology while honoring a professor, colleague or advisor who has helped them or made a positive impact on their careers.

All gifts made in honor of mentors are recognized with a letter to the mentor and on our website, annual report and more. Mentees who give $5,000 or more receive special recognition, including a published message. Members have made 35 Honor a Mentor gifts so far, totaling over $75,000. Donations support Academy programs such as education, EyeCare America^®, the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program and more.

It's not too late — join your colleagues and honor your mentor with a gift for the new year. You'll be supporting the Academy's mission to protect sight and empower lives — and making your special person's day.

Dan B. Jones, MD, mentor, and Jane C. Edmonds, MD, mentee

Museum of the Eye^™: Now Open With Innovative Science and Intriguing Stories

Delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrilled to finally open the doors to The Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye^® in July 2021. Since then, we've welcomed hundreds of visitors and expanded our hours and offerings.

Guests of all ages have explored the four galleries — The Amazing Eye, Power of the Retina, Discoveries and Innovating for Sight; as well as the changing exhibit, Spectacular Spectacles — and experienced captivating interactive displays. A special showcase changes often to highlight holiday- or theme-related artifacts such as January's Science Fiction Day display, featuring X-Ray Spex and Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge.

The museum's digital offerings have expanded as well, with educational programming and the Eye Museum app (App Store | Google Play). Even if you can't visit in person, you can still take a tour, read the blog, search the collection, and find resources for families with children, educators or anyone learning from home.

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The Museum of the Eye has become a reality thanks to the generosity of Stanley M. Truhlsen, MD, Michael F. Marmor, MD, and other visionary donors. More than 70% of donors were Academy members. The museum and Academy Foundation thank them and the corporate partners who helped meet the $12 million fundraising goal.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Academy is committed to nurturing a diverse ophthalmologist community that optimally meets the complex eye care needs of a diverse patient population and of our communities. To that end, we created The Academy Task Force on Disparities in Eye Care to aggregate current evidence on disparities in care, outline areas that need more data and to make recommendations to reduce disparities in access, care and outcomes. A second Task Force on Organizational Diversity and Inclusion examined our own organization to ensure that we are inclusive, welcoming and diverse within our leadership, committees, awardees and on the podium.

Additionally, the Academy's Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program helps students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants through mentorship, career planning and networking. (See next story.)

Our Diversity and Inclusion Education for Residents webpage is a toolkit that includes hundreds of resources for the journal club, book club, recruitment, retention, webinars and talks, ACGME requirements and more.

Visit the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion webpage to learn more about the task forces and programs, read news and blog posts, read a new BCSC chapter on Social Determinants of Health, watch videos and listen to podcasts.

We Doubled Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring — Again!

A partnership between the Academy and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program aims to increase diversity in ophthalmology by helping qualified students who are underrepresented in medicine become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants.

Why is this important? Because public health evidence reveals that access to care improves when the physician community reflects the population at large. Although underrepresented minority groups comprise 30.7% of the U.S. population, they only make up 6% of practicing ophthalmologists. This program aims to increase concordance between ophthalmologists and patients.

In 2020, we welcomed 50 students — twice as many as 2019 — with the move to an online format. In 2021, the program’s fourth year, we doubled that, accepting 101 students. 91 of them came to AAO 2021 in New Orleans for Student Engagement Weekend, where they met with mentors, learned about our profession, participated in a Skills Transfer lab and explored the expo. At the end of the weekend, 100% of students indicated they benefited from participating in the two-day program and 97% indicated a strong or very strong interest in ophthalmology.

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64 physicians assisted with programming during the annual meeting as speakers, moderators, lab assistants and exhibit hall guides. 183 mentors currently support our Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring students. Students consistently receive one-on-one mentorship, guidance in medical career planning, networking opportunities and access to a variety of educational resources including monthly virtual sessions.

And the Academy Award Goes To...

The American Academy of Ophthalmology boasts some of the brightest minds, most diligent caregivers and most compassionate practitioners in all of medicine. Many of these physicians are recognized with annual awards.

In 2021, the Academy transitioned to a digital awards recognition “book.” In doing so, we're able to recognize our remarkable awardees beyond the typical one-year term. The platform also allows users to filter by year and award type.

Due to COVID-19 and AAO 2020 being all virtual, we celebrated both 2020 and 2021 awardees at AAO 2021 in New Orleans:

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Laureate: George B. Bartley, MD, and Michael T. Trese, MD

Guest of Honor: M. Roy Wilson, MD, MS; Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD; Bartly J. Mondino, MD; Terri L. Young, MD; Paul P. Lee, MD; and Don Liu, MD

Distinguished Service: Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, and Jane A. Aguirre

Special Recognition: American College of Surgeons; the Academy's Young Ophthalmologist Committee

Outstanding Humanitarian Service: Steve A. Arshinoff, MD; John E. Kempen, MD; Hunter Cherwek, MD; and Bradley K. Farris, MD

International Blindness Prevention: Larry Schwab, MD

Outstanding Advocate: Thomas L. Steinemann, MD, and Dorothy M. Moore, MD

Straatsma: R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, and Evan “Jake” Waxman, MD, PhD

Artemis: Jessica Shantha, MD, and Thomas V. Johnson III, MD

EnergEYES: Mildred M. G. Olivier, MD, and George L. Spaeth, MD

Commitment to Advocacy, Achievement, Senior Achievement, Life Achievement, Secretariat, International Education and International Scholar: View all awards and filter by specific award.

George B. Bartley, MD, and Michael T. Trese, MD

From Acorn to Oak: Celebrating 125 Years of Innovation

When Hal Lovelace Foster called a few hundred eye, ear, nose and throat physicians together in a Kansas City hotel in 1896, he could not have imagined the gathering growing to 32,000 strong, with a fifth of our membership located internationally — let alone all of the stunning technological innovations that have drastically changed the way ophthalmologists work.

That acorn he planted has flourished into a giant oak. We've grown from paper books to eBooks; from cocaine as anesthetic to lidocaine and bupivacaine; from rudimentary devices to million-dollar, computerized ones; and from scarce data to millions of data points and advanced clinical trials.

In this commemorative video, recent Academy CEOs Bruce E. Spivey, MD; H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD; and David W. Parke II, MD; and incoming CEO Stephen D. McLeod, MD, discuss the progress the Academy has made and how we continue to protect sight and empower lives every day.

To a Successful 2022

In 2021, the American Academy of Ophthalmology board of trustees conducted an extensive search for a new Academy chief executive officer. In October, they announced the unanimous selection of Stephen D. McLeod, MD, 57, as the Academy’s next CEO. Dr. McLeod currently is the Theresa M. and Wayne M. Caygill, MD Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Francisco (UCSF). He will succeed David W. Parke II, MD, effective Feb. 1, 2022. We're looking forward to what we'll accomplish under Dr. McLeod's leadership.

We appreciate each and every one of our members and wish you a happy, healthy 2022.

Here's to another 125 years of innovation!

2021 Year in Review:
Reconnecting Our Community

We Re-created, Reconvened and Reconnected

Meeting Diverse Learning Needs With Podcasts and Webinars

We Welcomed a New Member to the Family

Medical Students and Residents: Cultivating the Future Ophthalmology Pipeline

New Track, New Community, New Recovery Resources

Continuing the Fight in DC for Ophthalmology's Interests

Showcasing the Future of Ophthalmology

Happy 7th Birthday, IRIS Registry

Orbital Gala: Putting the "Fun" in Fundraising

Recognizing Giants in Ophthalmology

Museum of the Eye^™: Now Open With Innovative Science and Intriguing Stories

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We Doubled Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring — Again!

And the Academy Award Goes To...

From Acorn to Oak: Celebrating 125 Years of Innovation

To a Successful 2022

We appreciate each and every one of our members and wish you a happy, healthy 2022.

Here's to another 125 years of innovation!

OUR SITES

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY

2021 Year in Review:Reconnecting Our Community

We Re-created, Reconvened and Reconnected

Meeting Diverse Learning Needs With Podcasts and Webinars

We Welcomed a New Member to the Family

Medical Students and Residents: Cultivating the Future Ophthalmology Pipeline

New Track, New Community, New Recovery Resources

Continuing the Fight in DC for Ophthalmology's Interests

Showcasing the Future of Ophthalmology

Happy 7th Birthday, IRIS Registry

Orbital Gala: Putting the "Fun" in Fundraising

Recognizing Giants in Ophthalmology

Museum of the Eye™: Now Open With Innovative Science and Intriguing Stories

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We Doubled Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring — Again!

And the Academy Award Goes To...

From Acorn to Oak: Celebrating 125 Years of Innovation

To a Successful 2022

We appreciate each and every one of our members and wish you a happy, healthy 2022.

Here's to another 125 years of innovation!

OUR SITES

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY

2021 Year in Review:
Reconnecting Our Community

Museum of the Eye^™: Now Open With Innovative Science and Intriguing Stories