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WHAT’S HAPPENING

The Next Generation of Physician Advocates

During the Mid-Year Forum 2016, Academy Secretary for State Affairs Kurt F. Heitman, MD, gave the Plati­num Participation Award to the Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (ISEPS) and the Ohio Ophthalmologi­cal Society (OOS) for their outstanding support of the Academy’s Advocacy Ambassador Program. The Advocacy Ambassador Program is a collaborative effort between the Academy and state, subspecialty, and specialized interest societies and training programs to sponsor members in training to attend the Mid-Year Forum. 

New advocates in D.C. As Advocacy Ambassadors, 164 members in training joined seasoned Academy and society leaders in visiting legislators on Capitol Hill during Congressional Advocacy Day. They also participated in L.E.A.P. Forward, a session created especially for them where they networked with Academy and society leadership while discussing the 4 L.E.A.P. modules: leadership, engagement, advocacy, and practice management. Ambassadors attended a debrief session where they shared experiences on the Hill, asked questions of Academy and society ad­vocacy physician leaders and staff, and were educated on the importance of their involvement at the state level. 

Illinois residents put lessons learned into action. Twelve residents from various training programs in Illinois participated as Advocacy Ambassadors sponsored by ISEPS at the Mid-Year Forum 2016. They are putting the pearls they learned into action as they participate in an ongoing legislative battle in Illinois. Chris Albanis, MD, ISEPS Past President and Academy As­sociate Secretary for State Affairs, said, “It has been critical for ISEPS to engage the future generation in our efforts to maintain quality eye care for our pa­tients. Our state legislators need to hear from these residents who can beauti­fully articulate the level and length of training they undergo in order to pro­tect sight for the patients of Illinois.”  

2016 PLATINUM PARTICIPATION AWARD RECIPIENTS. Dr. Heitman recognized leaders of ISEPS (some of whom are shown here) and OOS for their outstanding support of the Academy’s Advocacy Ambassador Program. From left to right: Dr. Heitman; Ahmad A. Aref, MD, Councilor, ISEPS; David W. Parke II, MD, Academy CEO; Dr. Albanis; William L. Rich III, MD, Academy President; Sohail J. Hasan, MD, PhD, Councilor, ISEPS; and Rich Paul, Executive Director, ISEPS.

FOR THE RECORD

Annual Business Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the Annual Business Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology will be held Sunday, Oct. 16, 10:00-10:30 a.m., in North Hall B of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

Board Nominees

Dr. Carter.

In accordance with Academy bylaws, notice is hereby given of the following nominations for elected board posi­tions on the 2017 board. These nom­inations were made by the Academy Board of Trustees in June. If elected, the following individuals will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2017.

President-Elect:
Keith D. Carter, MD

Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice:
Robert E. Wiggins, MD, MHA

Secretary for Annual Meeting:
Maria E. Aaron, MD

Trustees-at-Large:
Sanjay D. Goel, MD
William F. Mieler, MD

Board Appointments

During the June Board of Trustees meeting, the following individual was appointed to the 2017 Board of Trustees and will begin his fifth term as public trustee on Jan. 1.

Public Trustee:
Paul B. Ginsburg, PhD

Nomination Procedures for the Academy Board

Elections to fill the 5 open positions on the 2017 Board of Trustees will take place by ballot after the Oct. 16, 2016, Annual Business Meeting.

To nominate a candidate by petition, submit a written petition to the Acad­emy’s CEO no later than Aug. 17. The petition must be signed by at least 50 voting Academy members and fellows.

To suggest a nominee for the 2018 board, watch for the call for nomi­nations that will be published in the January EyeNet.

To read the rules in full, visit www.aao.org/about/governance/bylaws/article5.

TAKE NOTICE

U.S. Senior Surgical Retina Fellows: Apply for Award

The Ronald G. Michels Fellowship Foundation is accepting applications for its annual cash award to support second-year vitreoretinal fellows—the application deadline is July 15. The awards are given to outstanding vitre­oretinal fellows (not their sponsoring institutions).

The Michels Foundation was established in 1991 to honor the many talents of Ron Michels, MD, and to provide funds to young scholars so that they may follow in his footsteps. Dr. Michels distinguished himself through his important contributions to the peer-reviewed literature, his passion for training vitreoretinal fellows, and his dedication to providing cutting-edge patient care. On its website, read about the state of the Michels Foundation as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

To apply, visit www.michelsfoundation.org/appformuploads.html.

For more information on the Mi­chels Foundation, visit www.michelsfoundation.org.

PQRS: Aug. 1 Deadline for Cataracts Measures Group

If you do not have electronic health records (EHR), what’s the least burden­some way to participate in the Physi­cian Quality Reporting System (PQRS)?

If you perform cataract surgery, you can report the Cataracts Measures Group by manually entering data into the IRIS Registry Web portal. You’ll need to report 8 predetermined mea­sures for at least 20 patients (at least 11 must be Medicare Part B).

However, you must meet the follow­ing deadlines:

• By Aug. 1, submit your signed IRIS Registry agreements.
• By Sept. 30, provide preoperative surveys and perform cataract surgery on at least 20 patients who meet the reporting criteria.
• By Jan. 15, 2017, provide patients with postop surveys, submit all Cataracts Measures Group reporting data in the IRIS Registry Web portal, and submit your signed consent allowing the IRIS Registry to send data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

If you don’t perform cataract surgery, you can use either the new Diabetic Retinopathy Measures Group or individual measures to report PQRS manually via the IRIS Registry Web portal, but you must sign up by Oct. 31.

If you do have EHR, the deadline for signing up to integrate your system with the IRIS Registry in 2016 has al­ready passed; if you met that deadline, you must get your system mapped to the IRIS Registry by Aug. 1.

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

Updated HIPAA Advisory Opinion

During its April 2016 meeting, the Academy Board of Trustees approved a newly revised ethics Advisory Opinion. Release and Confidentiality of Patient Records was updated to reflect current federal regulations regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Account­ability Act (HIPAA). The goal of the revision is to ensure that Academy members have the most up-to-date information available for comprehen­sive understanding of the complexities of HIPAA compliance.

To view the Advisory Opinion, visit www.aao.org/ethics-detail/advisory-opinion--release-confidentiality-of-patie.

D.C. REPORT

The Academy Focuses on Congress

Although presidential politics dominate the media, the Academy is concentrating on Congress, working to reelect ophthalmology’s champions already serving at a federal level, along with selecting new candidates who understand ophthalmology’s issues. Luckily, in many cases those who are running are physicians.

The importance of congressional relationships. The Academy is an active participant in the legislative process because it develops and maintains strong relationships with those who can make a tangi­ble impact in the House of Representatives or the Senate. Having an advocate who serves on the right congressional committee or holds the right leadership position in the House or Senate can make or break efforts to move or derail important legislation, and can enable the Academy to put pressure on federal regulators through the over­sight that Congress holds over many agencies. Considering the full plate of issues ophthalmology is working with (Medicare fee cuts, compounding, and the meaningful use of electronic health records, to name a few), having friends in high places is critical.

Looking forward. In November 2016, the Academy will be paying particular attention to the outcomes of races in Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nevada. In some of these states, physicians are seeking to gain a seat in the House or Senate. In some, candidates like ophthalmologist Sen. Rand Paul, MD (R-Ky.), are facing tough reelections. In others, allies who have supported ophthalmology for years are retiring or moving on to different positions. And for each of the House seats that is up for grabs, it’s important that we know who the Academy’s support­ers are and how to gain new friends.

What You Can Do:

Invest in OphthPAC. Since 1985, OphthPAC has helped keep friends in Congress close, amplifying ophthalmology’s voice in Washington, D.C. When Congress’ new class of lawmakers take office in 2017, your OphthPAC dollars will help Academy lobbyists greet them with a powerful handshake from our profession.

Familiarize yourself with congressional candidates. It’s important to know what’s going on below the presidential fray—that’s where the foundation of ophthalmology’s advocacy success will be built.

2016 AWARDS

Announcing the 2016 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 AWARDS

These honorees are invited to attend AAO 2016 as guests of Academy Pres­ident William L. Rich III, MD, FACS, and will be formally recognized during the Opening Session.

■ Laureate Award

The Academy’s highest honor, this award recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the betterment of eye care leading to the prevention of blindness and restoration of sight worldwide.

Matthew D. Davis, MD

■ Guest of Honor Award

This award recognizes individuals cho­sen by the Academy president for their contributions to ophthalmology.

Stephen A. Kamenetzky, MD
James A. Loreto, MD
A. Raymond Pilkerton Jr., MD

■ Distinguished Service Award

This award recognizes individuals or organizations for ongoing notable service to ophthalmology and the Academy.

Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology

■ Special Recognition Award

This award recognizes an individual or organization for outstanding service in a specific effort or cause that improves the quality of eye care.

European Board of Ophthalmology

■ Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award

This award recognizes Academy mem­bers for outstanding humanitarian efforts through their participation in charitable activities, care of the indi­gent, and involvement in community service performed above and beyond the typical duties of an ophthalmologist.

Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Benjamin W. Roberts, MD

■ Outstanding Advocate Award

This award recognizes an Academy member for participation in advoca­cy-related efforts at the state and/or federal level.

Donald J. Cinotti, MD

■ International Blindness Prevention Award

This award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to reducing blindness and/or restoring sight worldwide.

Van C. Lansingh, MD

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 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 were nominated to receive this award.

James V. Aquavella, MD
Keith D. Carter, MD, FACS
George A. Cioffi, MD
Robert D. Fechtner, MD, FACS
David B. Glasser, MD
Andrew George Iwach, MD
Glenn J. Jaffe, MD
Jost B. Jonas, MD
Ronald R. Krueger, MD
Ferenc P. Kuhn, MD, PhD
Andrew G. Lee, MD
Careen Yen Lowder, MD, PhD
Mark J. Mannis, MD
H. Richard McDonald, MD
Terrence P. O’Brien, MD
David A. Plager, MD
Francis W. Price Jr., MD
Christopher J. Rapuano, MD
Carl D. Regillo, MD, FACS
William L. Rich III, MD, FACS
Alan L. Robin, MD
Stuart R. Seiff, MD
Stephen G. Slade, MD, FACS
Jason S. Slakter, MD
Scheffer C. G. Tseng, MD, PhD
Rohit Varma, MD, MPH
M. Edward Wilson Jr., MD

■ Senior Achievement Award

Individuals who have cu­mulatively earned 30 points were nominated to receive this award.

Athiya Agarwal, MD
Ali A. AlRajhi, MD
Rajiv Anand, MD
Bryan P. Arthurs, MD, FRCSC
Robert L. Avery, MD
Raj V. Azad, MD, FRCS(Ed)
Caroline R. Baumal, MD
Carlos Buznego, MD
Kenneth Paul Cheng, MD
Patricia Chévez-Barrios, MD
Oscar Alfredo Cruz, MD
Lucian V. Del Priore, MD, PhD
Burkhard Dick, MD
Kimberly A. Drenser, MD, PhD
Dean Eliott, MD
Robert G. Fante, MD, FACS
William J. Feuer, MS
Suzanne K. Freitag, MD
K. Bailey Freund, MD
Ivan Goldberg, MBBS, FRANZCO
Michael H. Goldstein, MD
Alana L. Grajewski, MD
Sandeep Grover, MD
John A. Hovanesian, MD
G. Baker Hubbard, MD
David G. Hunter, MD, PhD
Stephen H. Johnson, MD
Young H. Kwon, MD, PhD
Michael S. Lee, MD
Martha Motuz Leen, MD
Naoyuki Maeda, MD
James F. Martone, MD, MPH
Eugenio J. Maul, MD
Louise A. Mawn, MD
Colin A. McCannel, MD
Felipe A. Medeiros, MD
Darlene Miller, DHSC, MPH, CIC
Mary A. O’Hara, MD
Julian D. Perry, MD
Paul H. Phillips, MD
Marianne O. Price, PhD
SriniVas R. Sadda, MD
Jeffrey S. Schultz, MD
Gail F. Schwartz, MD
Joseph Tauber, MD
Clement C. Y. Tham, FRCS, MBBS, FCOphth(HK)
Jennifer E. Thorne, MD, PhD
Jeewan S. Titiyal, MD
Lawrence Tychsen, MD
David D. Verdier, MD
David T. Vroman, MD
Ann A. Warn, MD, MBA
Keye L. Wong, MD
Tien Yin Wong, MBBS
Michael E. Zegans, MD

■ Achievement Award

Individuals who have cu­mulatively earned 10 points were nominated to receive this award.

Chris Albanis, MD
Shiro Amano, MD
Robert W. Arnold, MD
Sayan Basu, MBBS
Jacqueline E. Beltz, FRANZCO
Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD
Gil Binenbaum, MD
Andrea D. Birnbaum, MD, PhD
Michele M. Bloomer, MD
Gabrielle R. Bonhomme, MD
Patrick R. Boulos, MD
Vikram S. Brar, MD
Mitchell Brigell, PhD
Bruce Christian Carter, MD
Daniel H. Chang, MD
Robert T. Chang, MD
Brian T. Chan-Kai, MD
James G. Chelnis, MD
Jay K. Chhablani, MBBS
Erik A. Chotiner, MD
W. Lloyd Clark, MD
Helen V. Danesh-Meyer, MBCHB, MD
Isabel Dapena, MD
Arup Das, MD, PhD
Anita Dash-Modi, MD
Jan-Tjeerd H. N. de Faber, MD
Sophie X. Deng, MD, PhD
Martin Dirisamer, MD
Kendall E. Donaldson, MD
Laura B. Enyedi, MD
Michael R. Feilmeier, MD
Oliver Findl, MD
John R. Fish, MD
Terry L. Forrest, MD
Donald A. Gagliano, MD
Tamer O. Gamaly, FRCS, MD
Sidney K. Gicheru, MD
Marine Gobbe, PhD
David G. Godfrey, MD
Shubhra Goel, MD
David D. Goodwin
Mark Greiner, MD
Jeffrey G. Gross, MD
Davinder S. Grover, MD
George Harocopos, MD
James M. Heltzer, MD
David M. Hinkle, MD
Gary S. Hirshfield, MD
Ching Lin Ho, FRCS, MBBS
Aaron C. Holtebeck, MD
Makoto Inoue, MD
Jin Wook Jeoung, MD
Guy V. Jirawuthiworavong, MD
Jason J. Jones, MD
Ula Jurkunas, MD
Kazuaki Kadonosono, MD
Paul C. Kang, MD
Peter J. Kertes, MD
Mounir A. Khalifa, MD
Baseer U. Khan, MD
Saj Khan, MBBS, FRCSEd(Ophth)
Femida Kherani, MD
Ivo Kocur, MD
Adrian H. Koh, MD
Shiho Kunimatsu, MD
Sara E. Lally, MD
Janice C. Law, MD
Eun Ji Lee, MD
Julia Lee, JD, OCS
Won Ki Lee, MD
Gary J. Lelli, MD
Grant T. Liu, MD
William C. Lloyd III, MD
Mikel W. Lo, MD
Jeffrey J. Machat, MD
Kaweh Mansouri, MD
Carlos Mateo, MD
Jose Gabriel Matos, MD
Ann McColgin, MD
Anne Elizabeth Miller, MD
David Mittelman, MD
Brian G. Mohney, MD
Rene Moreno, MD
Kazuhiko Mori, MD
Nigel Morlet, MBBS
Michael Mrochen, PhD
Orkun Muftuoglu, MD
Francisco J. Munoz-Negrete, MD
Yohko Murakami, MD
Mayank A. Nanavaty, MD
George Nardin, MD
Jonathon Q. Ng, MBBS
David P. O’Brart, MD, MBBS
Jeffrey L. Olson, MD
Stephen E. Orlin, MD
Timothy P. Page, MD
Ana Belen Pajarin, MD, PhD
Ana Gabriela Palis, MD
Sanjay V. Patel, MD, FRCOphth
Vivek R. Patel, MD
Fernando Yaacov Pena, MD
Fernando M. Penha, MD
Jeff H. Pettey, MD
Stacy L. Pineles, MD
Asim R. Piracha, MD
Frik J. Potgieter, MD, FRCSE
Tal Raviv, MD
Lindsay A. Rhodes, MD
Leonard S. Rich, MD
Gisbert W. Richard, MD
Shira L. Robbins, MD
Brian T. Rose, MD
Alain Saad, MD
Mandeep S. Sagoo, MBBChir, PhD
C. Michael A. Samson, MD
Marcony R. Santhiago, MD
Martha P. Schatz, MD
Amy C. Schefler, MD
Joanne F. Shen, MD
Diana R. Shiba, MD
Bradley T. Smith, MD
Elliott H. Sohn, MD
Peter W. Stalmans, MD, PhD
J. Timothy Stout, MD, PhD, MBA
Lisa Tuomi
Anja E. Tuulonen, MD
Jimmy M. Uddin, MD
M. Reza Vagefi, MD
Viraj A. Vasavada, MD
B. Vineeth Kumar, FRCS
Eduardo C. Viteri, MD
David E. Vollman, MD, MBA
Alan L. Wagner, MD, FACS
Thomas R. Walters, MD
Jill R. Wells, MD
Michael B. Yang, MD
Hee Kyung Yang, MD
Gui-shuang Ying, PhD
David Zadok, MD
Jialiang Zhao Sr., MD

SECRETARIAT AWARDS PROGRAM

This program recognizes individuals for contributions outside the scope of the Achievement Awards pro­gram. Each of the Academy’s secretaries and senior secre­taries can submit nominees to the Academy’s Awards Committee.

Nominated by the Senior Secretary for Clinical Edu­cation:

James T. Banta, MD
George A. Cioffi, MD
K. David Epley, MD
Dasa Gangadhar, MD
Leon W. Herndon Jr., MD
Erich P. Horn, MD
Herbert J. Ingraham, MD
Edward K. Isbey III, MD
Stephen A. Kamenetzky, MD
Colin A. McCannel, MD
Faruk H. Orge, MD
Jay Perlman, MD, PhD
Ashvini K. Reddy, MD
Rebecca Sands Braverman, MD
Brian D. Sippy, MD

Nominated by the Secretary for Quality of Care:

Elizabeth A. Bradley, MD
Michele Melia, ScM
Bruce E. Prum Jr., MD

Nominated by the Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice:

Nancy Baker
Susan Loen

Nominated by the secretaries for State Affairs and Federal Affairs, and the Senior Secre­tary for Advocacy:

Janet A. Betchkal, MD
Susan K. Burden, MD
Glen Cockerham, MD
Sidney K. Gicheru, MD
Thomas A. Graul, MD
David S. Greenfield, MD
Dale K. Heuer, MD
Stuart R. Seiff, MD
Charles Slonim, MD
Alan L. Wagner, MD, FACS

Nominated by the Secretary for the Annual Meeting:

Kathryn A. Colby, MD, PhD
William F. Mieler, MD

Nominated by the Secretary for Communications:

Robert G. Fante, MD, FACS
Sonny Goel, MD
Ron W. Pelton, MD
Erin M. Shriver, MD

Nominated by the editor of Ophthalmology:

Iqbal K. Ahmed, MD
Mark Greiner, MD
Jonathan M. Holmes, MD
Joan M. O’Brien, MD
Randall J. Olson, MD

Nominated by the Secretary for Member Services:

Janice C. Law, MD
William C. Lloyd, MD
Jeff H. Pettey, MD
Gwen K. Sterns, MD
Grace Sun, MD

Nominated by the Chief Medical Editor of EyeNet:

Richard P. Mills, MD, MPH

Nominated by the Secretary for Global Alliances:

Ebtisam K. Al Alawi, MD
Brad H. Feldman, MD
Ivo Kocur, MD
Frank Joseph Martin, MD
Stefan Seregard, MD