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WHAT’S HAPPENING
Orbital Gala Auction Opens Next Month
Tickets to the Academy Foundation’s Orbital Gala at AAO 2017 in New Orleans are available for purchase until Nov. 6. This year’s auction features a wide variety of items including an Optos California ultra-widefield retinal imaging unit, a stay at the Occidental Grand Papagayo in Costa Rica, gift certificates for Marion Parke luxury footwear, fine wine, scotch, and more. Join the bidding during the Orbital Gala on Nov. 12 in New Orleans.
Unable to attend the Orbital Gala? U.S. members can use their mobile device to bid on auction items starting Nov. 6.
TAKE NOTICE
Raffle Winners From Academy Member Survey
The winners of the raffle prize for completing the Academy’s ophthalmology practice environment member survey are Clint W. Gregg, MD, from Lubbock, Texas, and Dan K. Sakamoto, MD, from Torrance, California. Their names were drawn in the raffle to win complimentary accommodations (up to 5 nights) at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans during AAO 2017 in November.
The Academy conducts a biennial practice environment survey to learn about members’ general attitudes toward ophthalmology, and to gather information on practice demographics and patient services. The primary objective of the research is to capture practice environment statistics and gain a better understanding of member needs. The findings will enable the Academy to develop programs and services that are truly responsive and relevant to the ophthalmologist community. A summary of the results will be published in the November issue of EyeNet.
MIPS Alert! Don’t Miss the October Deadlines
If you are participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), be sure to note the 2 upcoming deadlines.
By Oct. 2, start your 90-day performance period. CMS has designated Oct. 2 as the last day to start participating in MIPS and satisfy the minimum 90-day performance period for the 3 performance categories that contribute to your final score: quality, advancing care information (ACI), and improvement activities. (Note: If you are reporting quality via the IRIS Registry, you can enter data for quality measures retroactively, but claims-based reporting of quality measures must be done in real time.)
By Oct. 31, sign up for the IRIS Registry web portal. You can use the IRIS Registry web portal to manually report quality measures, ACI measures, and improvement activities. (Note: If you have already signed up for IRIS Registry, including for EHR integration, you don’t need to sign up again for the web portal.)
For a comprehensive guide to MIPS, check out EyeNet’s MIPS Manual 2017.
ACADEMY STORE
Hone Your Skills With Virtual Cases on the ONE Network
Continue your lifelong learning with virtual cases that provide CME self-assessment credits. For example, check out “Down on the Farm” to solve the case of a 63-year-old woman struck in her right eye with hay while working in the field. She went to her optometrist, who removed the foreign body from her cornea. Review her history, assess test results, and make your diagnosis.
Subscribe to Ophthalmology Retina
The Academy’s Ophthalmology Retina, a peer-reviewed journal focused exclusively on the latest advances in retina, is now available for order. The new publication reports the same high quality of work seen in Ophthalmology, but topics are specialized for retina readers. Subscriptions are available to members for $299 (12 issues).
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, Nov. 12, in the Great Hall of the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Candidates for membership will be approved during this meeting. To see the full order of business, refer to the Opening Session page of the Meeting Guide.
Academy Election
The election for open positions on the Board of Trustees begins on Monday, Nov. 13, and closes after 30 days. Election materials will be sent to all voting Academy fellows and members. Results of the election will be posted online by Dec. 18, 2017.
CANDIDATES’ VIEWS
George A. Williams, MD
Board of Trustees Nominee for President-Elect
Dr. Williams
Career. Vitreoretinal surgeon since 1984 in both full-time academic and private practice. Partner at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak, Michigan; professor and chair of ophthalmology at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine; director at Beaumont Eye Institute. Trained 102 residents and 62 fellows. Past president of Michigan Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons and ASRS. Member of Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology, Retina Society, Macula Society, ASRS, and Club Jules Gonin. Fellow of ARVO. Current Chair, OMIC Board of Directors. Grandfathered ABO diplomate in 1983, recertified in 2005, 2016.
AAO service. Past Trustee-at-Large; current Secretary, Federal Affairs; current member, AMA Relative Value Update Committee. Past member of Health Policy Committee, Executive Committee, Nominations Committee.
Goal. To work with all stakeholders to further the Academy’s mission of protecting sight and empowering lives through continued excellence and innovation in education, clinical care, and advocacy.
Daniel J. Briceland, MD
Board of Trustees Nominee for Senior Secretary for Advocacy
Dr. Briceland
Advocacy experience. More than 23 years on state medical and ophthalmology legislative and PAC committees, and 17 years with the Academy’s Secretariat for State and Federal Affairs. Involved with legislative and regulatory issues at the federal and state level collaborating with ophthalmology leaders, executives, lobbyists, and national medical associations (such as the AMA and ACS) to advance quality patient care. Advanced international advocacy issues by sharing knowledge and strategy.
Leadership experience. Academy Senior Secretary for Advocacy past 3 years. Arizona Medical Association board member and Arizona Ophthalmological Society president in 2000. Graduated from the Academy’s Leadership Development Program II, class of 2000, then served as LDP director for 6 years. Served on the Academy’s committees on aging, membership, and awards, as well as the Committee for State Organizational Development. Served as Associate Secretary for State Affairs, and Secretary for State Affairs overseeing the committees for state organizational development and state governmental affairs as well as the Surgical Scope Fund Committee. Currently serve on the OMIC and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology boards.
Clinical experience. Comprehensive ophthalmologist for 27 years facing the challenges of private practice. Medical director of large ASC for 17 years. Committed to advocating for quality patient care and our profession on the state and national levels.
William S. Clifford, MD
Board of Trustees Nominee for Trustee-at-Large
Dr. Clifford
I am a comprehensive ophthalmologist in an underserved area of rural Southwest Kansas. Prior to joining Dr. Luther Fry in 1995, I spent a year at the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital in Riyadh. I completed residency and fellowship at the University of Oklahoma, where I specialized in both glaucoma and cornea/refractive surgery.
My Academy experience is broad in both clinical education and advocacy. For 10 years I was a member and subsequent Chair of the Practicing Ophthalmologists Advisory Committee for Education, as well as the Glaucoma Editor for Focal Points. I currently represent Kansas on the Academy’s Council, and I am on the OphthPAC Committee. In 1999, I graduated with the first Academy Leadership Development class.
Our profession is held in high esteem by both the public and public servants. As a Trustee-at-Large, I will encourage our members to increase their engagement with policymakers. I thank you for allowing me to be your voice as your representative on the Board of Trustees.
Lynn K. Gordon, MD, PhD
Board of Trustees Nominee for Council Chair
Dr. Gordon
I am a professor of ophthalmology at the Stein Eye Institute and senior associate dean at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. After residency, I spent 5 years in private practice before returning to the university as a physician-scientist. These experiences allow me to understand the challenges of clinical practice in different settings.
My professional society involvement with the Academy includes my current position as the Vice Chair for the Council. Past involvement includes being a councilor for both the State and Subspecialty/Specialized Interest Sections. Committee activitiesincluded the BCSC Neuro-Ophthalmology Section, Nominating Committee, Awards Committee, and Credentials Committee. I am also a graduate of the Leadership Development Program (2008).
I am dedicated to the Academy’s mission in its quest to preserve sight and empower lives through outstanding, equitable patient-centered care, surgery by surgeons, education, and advocacy. It would be a great honor to serve as the Council Chair to help promote these goals.
Sarwat Salim, MD, FACS
Board of Trustees Nominee for Council Vice Chair
Dr. Salim
My career has been in academic medicine. Currently, I am professor of ophthalmology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where my practice focuses on medical and surgical management of glaucoma.
Academy involvement: the Council as ACS Councilor, Deputy Section Leader, and Section Nominating Committee Member; Focal Points Editorial Board; Section Lead Editor for Glaucoma for EyeWiki; Knowledge Base Glaucoma Panel Committee; Digital Media Committee Managing Editor for Glaucoma DVD; Young Surgeon Representative to ACS. Awards received: Senior Achievement Award, Award for Exemplary Contributions as Glaucoma Section Lead Editor of EyeWiki, Special Recognition Award, Secretariat Award, Achievement Award, Leadership Development Award, and Leo Award. Other leadership: Board of Directors of the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology, Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology, Commission on Accreditation of Ophthalmic Medical Programs, and Women in Ophthalmology; American Glaucoma Society (Patient Care Committee, Commissioner to JCAHPO, and Annual Meeting Program Planning Committee); ABO (Glaucoma Exam Development Committee, Content Outline Revision Committee, and Oral Board Examiner).
I would be honored to use my experience, skill sets, and broad perspective in understanding the needs of the members and facilitating communication and coordination between them and the Board. I look forward to contributing further as Vice Chair of the Council.
For the full statements, visit aao.org/about/governance/elections.
D.C. REPORT
Academy Pushes for Zero Penalties for 2019
The Academy is urging ophthalmologists to take advantage of Medicare’s significant flexibility in the first year of the Medicare-Based Incentive Payment Program. Doing so will ensure that physicians do not receive a penalty impacting 2019 Medicare pay. The Academy’s advocacy efforts helped secure major concessions from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the inaugural reporting period for its new Medicare physician payment program. Now, our Zero Penalties campaign is working to ensure that every Academy member understands what they need to do to avoid a 4% negative payment adjustment.
One step to avoid penalties. There is an easy step you can take today to avoid any Medicare reimbursement penalties based on 2017 reporting. If you report one quality measure for one patient just once in 2017, you will avoid a hit to your bottom line in 2019. It will take no more than 5 minutes, and will save you $20,000-35,000 in Medicare revenue. You must complete this step by Dec. 31, 2017, to avoid any penalties in 2019. The Academy strongly recommends completing this step immediately.
To get started, visit aao.org/zeropenalty2019.