Download PDF
WHAT’S HAPPENING
All Issues of Ophthalmology Retina Are Now Indexed in PubMed
As of June, all Ophthalmology Retina articles have been indexed in Medline/PubMed. Full indexing means that the journal’s articles and authors will gain more visibility due to the database’s high traffic.
Back in March, after a rigorous review process, the National Library of Medicine accepted Ophthalmology Retina for inclusion in Medline/PubMed, the preeminent global database for biomedical literature. Ophthalmology Retina is the first monthly print U.S. ophthalmology journal that has been accepted in 12 years.
Just two years ago, the Academy launched Ophthalmology Retina in response to the growing volume of high-quality research within the subspecialty of retina. The new journal provides an additional channel through which retina studies can be published, helping to expedite dissemination of retina research.
“Now that Ophthalmology Retina is indexed in Medline/PubMed, all articles are discoverable through PubMed searches. Indexing in Medline/PubMed is a very nice milestone for us. Thank you to all who helped the journal get here,” said Andrew P. Schachat, MD, Editor-in-Chief.
Learn more about the journal and subscribe to new issues at www.ophthalmologyretina.org.
Academy’s Instagram Surpasses 10,000 Followers
Aaoeye, the Academy’s Instagram account, has surpassed the 10,000-follower mark since its launch last September. Conceived to bring ophthalmic knowledge to the public, the account has both physician and nonphysician followers, and each group has shown high levels of engagement.
Content. The account features a variety of content that is reviewed by a committee of ophthalmologists to ensure posts are accurate and understandable for the public. Content includes:
- video clips from interviews with Academy members;
- advisories about common injuries and eye health issues;
- spotlights on various conditions and how to reduce risk, if possible;
- case reports and patient success stories; and
- lifestyle tips to promote eye health, addressing such topics as the effects of using digital devices and the importance of sleep.
Engagement. An aaoeye post from April 28 set the account’s record for engagement, with more than 2,100 likes and 39 comments at time of press. This post, showing a 3-D image of an optic nerve damaged by glaucoma, got the public talking and ophthalmologists responding about their own imaging methods and equipment.
Follow the Academy’s Instagram account by searching aaoeye in the Instagram app, and encourage your patients to do so as well.
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. 13, in West 3002 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, from 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Board Nominees
In accordance with Academy bylaws, notice is hereby given of the nominations for elected board positions on the 2020 board. The nominees are:
President-Elect
Tamara R. Fountain, MD
Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice
Ravi Goel, MD
Secretary for Annual Meeting
Maria M. Aaron, MD
Trustees-at-Large (two)
Mary Louise Z. Collins, MD
Ron W. Pelton, MD, PhD
Council Chair
Sarwat Salim, MD, FACS
Council Vice Chair
Thomas Graul, MD
These nominations were made by the Academy Board of Trustees in June. If elected, the individuals will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2020.
Elections to fill the seven open positions on the 2020 Board of Trustees will take place by ballot after the Oct. 13 Annual Business Meeting.
Additional nominations. To nominate a candidate by petition, submit a written petition to the Academy’s CEO no later than Aug. 14. The petition must be signed by at least 50 voting Academy members and fellows.
To suggest a nominee for the 2021 board, watch for the call for nominations that will be published in January’s EyeNet Magazine.
Read the rules in full at aao.org/about/governance/bylaws/article5.
TAKE NOTICE
Support the New Museum
Construction of the Truhlsen-Marmor Museum of the Eye has begun, and the exhibition crew is busy building visual and interactive displays and models. Help bring the science of sight to the world by making a donation at aao.org/museumcampaign.
Get Credit for MIPS and MOC
If you have an electronic health record (EHR) system and have integrated it with the IRIS Registry, you can use data from your IRIS Registry dashboard to design and implement an improvement project that can earn you credit for both Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). For the 2019 MIPS performance year, this project would count as a medium-weighted improvement activity.
Submit your plan to the ABO no later than Aug. 31. Using the IRIS Registry dashboard, select one or two quality measures in which to improve your performance. Then, set goals for those measures, make a plan for achieving those goals, and submit that plan to the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). Note that two registry-based improvement projects have been preapproved by the ABO. One involves increased tobacco counseling for patients with age-related macular degeneration and the other involves closing the referral loop.
If the ABO approves your plan, implement it for 90-120 days. Use the IRIS Registry dashboard to track your progress, and fine-tune your processes as needed. Once the project is complete, review its effectiveness and send a summary to the ABO.
Learn more at aao.org/iris-registry/maintenance-of-certification and https://abop.org/IRIS.
Follow @AAOjournal for the Latest Articles
Stay up-to-date on new research from Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology Retina, and Ophthalmology Glaucoma on Twitter. Content is posted daily and includes articles in press, “Pictures & Perspectives,” editorials, and new issue alerts.
Follow @AAOjournal by visiting https://twitter.com/AAOjournal.
Advice From OMIC: Service Animals
Do you know the two questions that you are allowed to ask about a service animal?*
One ophthalmologist learned the hard way when he did not allow his patient to bring her service animal into the exam room. The patient filed a complaint with both the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the state medical board. The DOJ required that the practice draft and submit for approval their service animal policy, post a sign informing patients that service animals are welcome, and pay $1,000.
Be prepared. Familiarize yourself with the requirements and explore helpful resources, including sample office policies, at www.omic.com/do-you-have-a-service-animal-policy/.
*Answer: Is this animal required because of a disability? What tasks has the animal been trained to perform?
OMIC offers professional liability insurance exclusively to Academy members, their employees, and their practices.
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Keynote Lecture for SOE
On June 14, J. Sebag, MD, FACS, FRCOphth, FARVO, delivered theinaugural Robert Machemer keynote lecture at the European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE) congress. His speech, “Vitrectomy for Vision Degrading Myodesopsia,” highlighted advances in the understanding of how vitreous can negatively impact vision, and the role Dr. Machemer’s invention, vitrectomy, has played in curing the condition. Dr. Sebag is Senior Voluntary Research Scientist at the Doheny Eye Institute and Volunteer Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Lawrence V. Najarian, MD, a comprehensive ophthalmologist based in Bedminster, N.J., is part of a select group of individuals who received the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor on May 11. The award, sponsored by the Ellis Island Honors Society, recognizes American citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service and extraordinary accomplishments in their field. Past Ellis Island Medalists include seven U.S. presidents, three world leaders, and several Nobel Prize winners.
Dr. Najarian said, “I am deeply grateful to accept this award on behalf of so many people, especially my grandparents, who came from Armenia through Ellis Island with the hope of creating a new life for their family and community.”
ACADEMY RESOURCES
Attend Upcoming Webinars
In September, the Academy is offering two webinars, both of which are free for Academy members. The first, “The 2019 Update on Retina for Non-specialists,” will be held Sept. 12. The second, “Expert Insights Into Thyroid Eye Disease (TED): Viewpoints From an Endocrinologist and Oculoplastic Surgeon,” will be held Sept. 26. Additional updates at aao.org/clinical-webinars.
Simplify the Hiring Process
Through the Academy’s Ophthalmology Job Center, you can find top talent by posting a job online, managing applications, searching resumes, and even having your job posting emailed to relevant job seekers.
Learn more at aao.org/jobcenter.
Get the Academy’s App
The new AAO Ophthalmic Education App provides access to EyeWiki and features material from three areas of the ONE Network: News, 1-Minute Videos, and Diagnose This. The app offers alerts and a feed customizable by subspecialty.
Download the app on your Android or iOS device at aao.org/education-app.
Benchmarking Tools
Academy and AAOE members can access two key benchmarking tools for the practice.
First, the Academy/AAOE AcadeMetrics benchmarking tool compares your financial data to that of similar practices to help you assess staffing levels, optimal number of satellite offices, and more.
Second, the AcadeMetrics Ophthalmic Salary Survey tracks specific benchmarks related to optometrist, mid-level provider, and staff salary data to help you benchmark compensation and benefits packages.
Access the tools at aao.org/practice-management/analytics.
D.C. REPORT
Congress’ August Recess Is Here: How to Advocate at Home
During August recess, federal lawmakers return to their districts to meet with constituents in order to set priorities for the fall legislative agenda.
Make your voice heard by scheduling a meeting at your congressperson’s district office or by inviting them to visit your practice, clinic, or ambulatory surgery center. You will be helping elected officials reconnect with their constituents to better understand voters’ primary concerns. It also establishes you as an important resource for health care issues, enabling you to better advocate for ophthalmology’s key policy interests.
Academy staff is here to support you. Ready to advocate at home? Simply share a few dates and times that work for you and Academy staff will schedule the meeting, handle logistics, and prepare an agenda, talking points, and documents to share with your lawmaker. Here’s how to get started:
- Indicate your interest by filling out the form on aao.org/local.
- Read aao.org/advocacy/action/best-practices for a step-by-step guide on how to have a successful meeting.
- Watch for “Washington Report Express,” which will provide additional resources and information on key issues to help inform your talking points.
If you have questions about scheduling, contact Megan Tweed, the Academy’s grassroots coordinator, at 202-737-6662 or mtweed@aao.org.
2019 AWARDS
Life Achievement Honor Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 60 points and have made significant contributions to ophthalmology, as determined by the Academy’s Awards Committee, were nominated to receive this award.
Cynthia Ann Bradford, MD
Fabrizio I. Camesasca, MD
William J. Fishkind, MD, FACS
Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD
Sadeer B. Hannush, MD
Santosh G. Honavar, MD
Douglas A. Jabs, MD, MBA
A. John Kanellopoulos, MD
Don O. Kikkawa, MD
Thomas Kohnen, MD, PhD, FEBO
Daniel F. Martin, MD
Timothy G. Murray, MD MBA
Ingrid U. Scott, MD, MPH
R. Michael Siatkowski, MD
Arun D. Singh, MD
Kerry D. Solomon, MD
Mark A. Terry, MD
Elias I. Traboulsi, MD
Senior Achievement Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 30 points were nominated to receive this award.
Thomas M. Aaberg Jr., MD
Thomas A. Albini, MD
Sanjay G. Asrani, MD
Brock K. Bakewell, MD
John P. Berdahl, MD
Gregg J. Berdy, MD
Eric L. Berman, MD
Arup Chakrabarti, MS, MBBS
R.V. Paul Chan, MD
John So-Min Chang, MD
Roy S. Chuck, MD, PhD
Karl G. Csaky, MD
Taraprasad Das, MD
Richard S. Davidson, MD
Hardeep S. Dhindsa, MD
Michael Easterbrook, MD
George S. Ellis Jr., MD, FACS
K. David Epley, MD
Brian E. Flowers, MD
Dilraj Singh Grewal, MD
Pedram Hamrah, MD
Luis Izquierdo Jr., MD
Vishal Jhanji, MD
Moncef Khairallah, MD
Rahul Khurana, MD
Bobby S. Korn, MD, PhD, FACS
Simon K. Law, MD
Ahmad M. Mansour, MD
Curtis E. Margo, MD, MPH
Todd P. Margolis, MD, PhD
Jeffrey L. Marx, MD
Miguel A. Materin, MD
John D. McCann, MD, PhD
Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS
Bruce D. Nichols, MD
Victor L. Perez, MD
Christopher D. Riemann, MD
Karolinne M. Rocha, MD
Roni M. Shtein, MD
Arthur J. Sit, MD
Alfred M. Solish, MD
Julie H. Tsai, MD
Deborah K. VanderVeen, MD
Steven D. Vold, MD
Keith A. Warren, MD
Robert J. Weinstock, MD
John A. Wells III, MD
Robert E. Wiggins, MD, MHA
Achievement Award
Individuals who have cumulatively earned 10 points were nominated to receive this award.
Khaled Ahmed Abdelrahman, MBBS
Dupe S. Ademola-Popoola, MBBS
Armin R. Afshar, MD, MBA
Aniruddha K. Agarwal, MBBS
Makoto Aihara, MD, PhD
Asim Ali, MD
Samar Ayed Al-Swailem, MD
Guillermo Amescua, MD
Marcus Ang, MBBS
Carlos Eduardo L. Arieta, MD
Mary E. Aronow, MD
Huban Atilla, MD
Olufemi E. Babalola, MBChB
Soham Basak, MBBS
Lance K. Bergstrom, MD
Jesse L. Berry, MD
Neelakshi Bhagat, MD
Mark D. Bona, MD
Alessandro A. Castellarin, MD
Meenakshi Chaku, MD
Royce W. Chen, MD
Steven M. Christiansen, MD
Edward L. Colloton, MD
Robin Cook, MD
Geoffrey Guy Cooper, MD, FACS
Christine Curcio, PhD
Ebenezer Daniel, MBBS
Cecile Delcourt, PhD
Andrew D. Dick, MD
Jiaxi Ding, MD
Mark Alan DiPillo, MD
Serge Doan, MD
Geoffrey G. Emerson, MD, PhD
Kazuyuki Emi, MD
Matthew Timothy Feng, MD
Susan H. Forster, MD
Jorge A. Fortun, MD
Denise C. Fridl, OCS, COT, COE
Sebastien Gagne, MD
Roberto Gallego-Pinazo, MD
Parag D. Gandhi, MD
Adrian Glasser, PhD
Mitchell Goff, MD
Birsen Gokyigit, MD
Damien Goldberg, MD
John A. Gonzales, MD
Michael B. Gorin, MD, PhD
Steven J. Grosser, MD
Luxme Hariharan, MD
Aravind Haripriya, MBBS
Robert W. Hered, MD
Osamu Hieda, MD
William Hodge, MD
David Hollander, MD
Deeba Husain, MD
David Khoramian Isaacs, MD
Andrew Charles James, PhD
Elena M. Jimenez, MD
Jeremy K. Jones, MD
Anna K. Junk, MD
Humeyra Karacal, MD
Peter Karth, MD
Manpreet Kaur, MD
Jeremy D. Keenan, MD, MPH
Richard Galen Kemp, MD
Sumitra S. Khandelwal, MD
Ramin Khoramnia, MD
Young Kook Kim, MD
Stephen R. Klapper, MD
Hideki Koizumi, MD
Andrea N. Kossler, MD
Atul Kumar, MD
Anthony N. Kuo, MD
Yasuo Kurimoto, MD, PhD
Fook Chang Lam, MBChB
Paul J. Lama, MD
Ecosse Lamoureux, PhD
Wen-Hsiang Lee, MD, PhD
Kgaogelo Edward Legodi, MD
Charles C. Lin, MD
John T. Lind, MD
Ann-Marie Lobo, MD
April Y. Maa, MD
John Mandeville, MD, PhD
Joanne Mansour, OCSR
Steven L. Maskin, MD, FACS
Anurag Mathur, MBBS
Yuri McKee, MD
J. Kevin McKinney, MD
Mark D. Mifflin, MD
Ian Morgan, PhD
Akshay Gopinathan Nair, MD
T. Hunter Newsom, MD
Toshihiko Ohta, MD
Scott C. Oliver, MD
Carolyn K. Pan, MD
Joseph F. Panarelli, MD
Anjali K. Pathak, MD
Larry E. Patterson, MD
John F. Payne, MD
S. Grace Prakalapakorn, MD, MPH
Ehsan Rahimy, MD
Harsha BL Rao, MD
Jennifer R. Rose-Nussbaumer, MD
Ygal Rotenstreich, MD
Tina Rutar, MD
Jose A. Sahel, MD
Konstantinos Samaras, MD
Luis Sarrazin, MD
Julie M. Schallhorn, MD
Hendrik P. Scholl, MD
Linda A. Schumacher-Feero, MD
Tetsuju Sekiryu, MD
Shakeel R. Shareef, MD
Arsham Sheybani, MD
Jane T. Shuman, COE, COT, MSM, OCS
David Smadja, MD
Oluwatosin U. Smith, MD
Nathan C. Steinle, MD
Nasrin N. Tehrani, MBBCh
Joshua C. Teichman, MD, MPH
Jaime Tejedor, MD
Stephen C. Teoh, MBBS, FRCS
Savak Teymoorian, MD
Motokazu Tsujikawa, MD
Ilknur Tugal-Tutkun, MD
Brian L. VanderBeek, MD, MPH
Luis Felipe Vejarano, MD
Riccardo Vinciguerra, MD
Vanee V. Virasch, MD
Molly Walsh, MD, MPH
Christina Y. Weng, MD, MBA
Sheila W. West, PhD
Craig L. Wilkerson, MD
Jeremy Wolfe, MD
Shin Yamane, MD
Kimberly G. Yen, MD
Glenn C. Yiu, MD
Stephanie M. Young, MD
Xingtao Zhou, MD, PhD
Andrea Zin, MD
Secretariat Award Program
The Secretariat Awards program recognizes individuals 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 Curriculum Development, Lifelong Learning and Assessment, Online Education, Editor ONE Network, Chief Medical Editor EyeNet, and Senior Secretary for Clinical Education:
Richard C. Allen, MD, PhD
Ahmad A. Aref, MD
Penny A. Asbell, MD, FACS
Evan H. Black, MD
Vikram S. Brar, MD
Scott E. Brodie, MD, PhD
Cat Burkat, MD, FACS
William J. Dupps, MD, PhD
Justin Gottlieb, MD
Sohail J. Hasan, MD, PhD
Robert W. Hered, MD
Bennie H. Jeng, MD
Daniel W. Knoch, MD
Bobby S. Korn, MD, PhD, FACS
Kevin E. Lai, MD
Leah Levi, MD
Lylas G. Mogk, MD
Kanwal K. Nischal, MBBS
Rahul T. Pandit, MD
David A. Plager, MD
Russell W. Read, MD, PhD
Hatice N. Sen, MD
Chirag P. Shah, MD, MPH
Nominated by the Secretary for Quality of Care:
Raymond Kraker, MSPH
Louise A. Mawn, MD
Kouros Nouri-Mahdavi, MD
Roni M. Shtein, MD
Jennifer E. Thorne, MD
Nominated by the Secretaries for State Affairs and Federal Affairs, AAO Medical Director for Governmental Affairs, and Senior Secretary for Advocacy:
Scott Friedman, MD
G. Baker Hubbard, MD
Aaron L. Lee, MD
Mary Gerard Lynch, MD
April Y. Maa, MD
Robert A. Mazzoli, MD
John T. McAllister, MD
Anne E. Miller, MD
Darby D. Miller, MD
Michael E. Sulewski, MD
Nominated by the Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice:
Kristin Carter, MD
Anthony Pruett Johnson, MD
Natalie M. Loyacano, COMT, OCS
Donna Marks, CPC, OCS
Sandra Schnable, CPC, CCS-P, OCS, OCSR, CEMA
Nominated by the Secretary for the Annual Meeting:
Bonnie An Henderson, MD
Michael S. Lee, MD
Francis S. Mah, MD
Mitchell P. Weikert, MD
Tammy L. Yanovitch, MD
Nominated by the Secretary for Communications:
Elena M. Jimenez, MD
Stephen G. Schwartz, MD
Thomas L. Steinemann, MD
Nominated by the Editor of Ophthalmology:
Mary F. Cotch, PhD
Steven M. Kymes, PhD
Aaron Y. Lee, MD
Maureen G. Maguire, PhD
Srinivas R. Sadda, MD
Nominated by the Editor of Ophthalmology Retina:
Kunal K. Dansingani, MBBS
Monika Fleckenstein, MD
Sotaro Ooto, MD
Dante Pieramici, MD
John T. Thompson, MD
Nominated by the Editor of Ophthalmology Glaucoma:
Philip P. Chen, MD
Rachel Kuchtey, MD, PhD
Simon K. Law, MD
Carla J. Siegfried, MD
Angelo Tanna, MD
Nominated by the Secretary for Member Services:
Jesse L. Berry, MD
Andrew M. Prince, MD
Marie Louise Roed Rasmussen, MD, PhD
Jason D. Rupp, MD
Prithvi S. Sankar, MD
Nominated by the Secretary for Global Alliance:
Anas A. Anbari, MD, PhD, FACS
John So-Min Chang, MD
Burkhard Dick, MD
William J. Knauer III, MD