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WHAT’S HAPPENING

New Member Benefit: Ophthalmology Virtual Journal Club

The Academy is launching a virtual journal club that features articles from the Ophthalmology family of journals. The inaugural session, set for Thursday, Jan. 5, at 8:30-9:30 p.m. ET, features an article published in Ophthalmology titled “Habitual Coffee Consumption Increases Risk of Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Mendelian Randomiza­tion Study” by Li et al. The club takes place in webinar format and is hosted by Ophthalmology Editor-in-Chief Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, PhD, and moderated by Lorraine Provencher, MD. It includes a dedicated Q&A in which participants are encouraged to discuss curated questions with each other and speakers. A recording will be available on aao.org for later viewing. You can register for this free member benefit event through the Academy Store.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEI UPDATE. In September, the Academy Board of Trustees released an Organizational Diversity and Inclusion Update. The report shows the demographics of Academy members and Academy leadership.

State Societies Honored

The Academy Secretariat for State Affairs recognized two societies with its 2022 Star Award at the Oct. 2 State So­ciety Presidents’ Breakfast and Recogni­tion Awards during AAO 2022. The Star Award program provides special recog­nition to state ophthalmology societies for outstanding efforts on programs or projects they have implemented in the previous year. The winning societies are:

Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons for its 20th Annual Downeast Ophthalmology Symposium (DOS). Conceived of as an Academy Lead­ership Development Program (LDP) project by Samuel Solish, MD (LDP IV, Class of 2002), the DOS seeks to create opportunities for practicing Maine ophthalmologists to obtain quality CME and to network without leaving the state. Each year, the goals of the DOS planning committee are to secure speakers who are renowned leaders in their respective areas of expertise and to craft a syllabus that is clinically relevant to comprehensive ophthalmol­ogists and specialists alike. The DOS celebrated its 20th annual conference in 2021.

Pennsylvania Academy of Ophthalmology (PAO) for its PAO Young Ophthalmologist (YO) Committee. The PAO YO Committee was established to address the needs and interests of new-to-practice ophthalmologists and ophthalmologists in training at the state’s six residency programs. Com­mittee members were recruited from all geographic areas of the state, then they began using the society’s Instagram account to network with early career ophthalmologists, promote PAO events, and bring awareness to the PAO’s advo­cacy efforts. The PAO YO Committee has also established a mentoring pro­gram that matched interested YOs with established PAO members and created free webinars for YOs.

Since the Star Award program’s in­ception in 2001, the Secretariat for State Affairs has recognized 71 state ophthalmology society programs. Societies apply by responding to the Secretariat for State Affairs’ annual organizational survey of state societies.

State Society Executive Directors Recognized for Outstanding Contributions

Each year, the Academy Secretariat for State Affairs publicly acknowledges state ophthalmology society execu­tive directors for their contributions to their state societies and for their partnership and collaboration with the Academy on its national efforts. During AAO 2022 in Chicago, the Secretariat recognized executives of two state ophthalmology societies for their exemplary work.

2022 Outstanding Executive Direc­tor: Political Action—Meghan Martin, Executive Director, Alabama Acade­my of Ophthalmology (ALAO). Ms. Martin was recognized for her efforts to preserve quality surgical eye care in Alabama by organizing against aggres­sive optometric surgery legislation. She diligently guided the physician lead­ership to ensure an effective voice for ophthalmology at the state capitol in Montgomery.

2022 Outstanding Executive Direc­tor: Organizational Development—Shirley Goggin, Executive Director, Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (MSEPS). Ms. Goggin was recognized for her work with the physi­cian team to implement the successful annual Downeast Ophthalmology Symposium, the Maine society’s annual meeting and recipient of a Secretariat for State Affairs Star Award (see pre­vious page). She also helps the society offer a range of programs and services that allow it to provide member value and maintain strong membership.

The Academy Secretary for State Affairs, John D. Peters, MD, praised the efforts of all executive directors on behalf of state societies and oph­thalmologists across the country. “The Secretariat acknowledges the year-round hard work and accomplish­ments of all the state society executive directors. We value the expertise and unique abilities of the state execs as well as their professionalism and dedication to ophthalmology. We rely on them to deliver Secretariat programs in the states and depend on them to provide input on what we can do to help state societies. We in State Affairs value and respect the important contributions of state society executive directors and thank them for all their ongoing efforts in support of our state ophthalmology societies.”

Find an ophthalmological society in your state at aao.org/statesocieties.

FOR THE RECORD

Congratulations to Life Fellows/Members

The Academy is pleased to congratulate members who have achieved the status of Life Fellow/Member in 2023. The Academy commends them for their dedication to lifelong learning and advancing standards of care over their 35 years of membership.

Emad Bishara Abboud, MD

Jonathan Adam Adler, MD

Scott I. Afran, MD

Luis G. Alcaraz-Micheli, MD

Jorge L. Alio, MD, PhD

J. Geoffrey Allen, MD

Anthony Antonello Jr., MD, FACS

Kerry K. Assil, MD

William F. Astle, MD, FRCSC

Arthur Astorino Jr., MD

C. Blake Avera, MD

Carl C. Awh, MD

Lynette M. Baez-Torres, MD

Dwayne B. Baharozian, MD

Harold A. Ballitch II, MD

Keith Hugh Baratz, MD

William L. Becker, MD

George Beiko, MD

Lorne D. Bellan, MD

J. Nickolas Berbos, MD

Robert L. Bergren, MD

Susan M. Berry, MD

Rohit K. Bhatnagar, MD

John Robert Bierly, MD

Jurij R. Bilyk, MD

Jeffrey Alan Blicker, MD

Margaret Liv Blom, MD

Preston H. Blomquist, MD

J. Brent Bond, MD

Richard M. Bond, MD

George Theodore Boozalis, MD

Bari Michele Brandt, MD

Todd A. Brockman, MD

Anne M.V. Brooks, MD, PhD, FRANZCO, FRACS, FRACP, FAAO

Alan W. Brown, MD

Leslie A. Brown, MD

Thomas A. Browning, MD

Andrew Stewart Budning, MD

Peter David Calder, MD

Mont Jay Cartwright, MD

James Mark Cech, MD

Andrew Chang, MD

Judie F. Charlton, MD

Colleen J. Christian, MD

William C. Christie, MD

Milton W. Chu, MD

George A. Cioffi, MD

Alan J. Clark, MD

Francis J. Clark, MD

Glenn C. Cockerham, MD

John F. Coco, MD

Arthur F. Coli, MD

Michael Colucciello, MD

Susan L. Cooley, MD, FACS

Frank Cotter, MD

Bruce Patterson Crowley, MD

Howard L. Cummings, MD

Peter H. Custis, MD

Aaron H. Davidson, MD

Carrie B. Davis, MD

Patrick J. Dennehy, MD

Robert J. Derick, MD

Margaret DiGaetano, MD

Kathleen M. Duerksen, MD

Mark S. Dwyer, MD

Mark J. Eanes, MD

Alexander M. Eaton, MD

Philip A. Edington, MD

James E. Egbert, MD

J. Mark Engel, MD

Linda C. Epner, MD

R. Wyatt Feagin II, MD

Richard M. Feist, MD

Keith D. Fisher, MD

Deborah R. Fishman, MD

Edward P. Fitzpatrick, MD

Norma Jeanne Flack, DO

Donald S. Fong, MD

Raymond Fong, MD

Robert J. Foody, MD

Matthew M. Fornefeld, MD

Donald M. Fox Jr., MD

John P. Frangie, MD

Sharon F. Freedman, MD

Kevin Stewart Freeman, MD

Murray L. Friedberg, MD

Martin Friedlander, MD

Robert Steven Friedman, MD

Rulx Ganthier Jr., MD

Raul Garcia, MD

David Todd Garrett, MD

Lewis R. Gaskin, MD

Karen Marie Gehrs, MD

Richard D. Gilbert, MD

Vincent Mark Gioia, MD

Michel Giunta, MD

Ray R. Glendrange, MD

Derek V. Godinho, MD

Philip Neil Goldberg, MD

Stephen M. Goldman, MD

Daniel F. Goodman, MD, FACS

Holly Gore, MD

Milton B. Grin, MD

Steven A. Gross, MD

Kamal Gupta, MD

Yonah J. Hamlet, MD

Cynthia Hampton, MD

Robert Shelby Haymond, MD

Stewart J. Hazel, MD

Grant Daniel Heslep, MD

Darrell E. Hester, MD

Timothy L. Hodges, MD

Jonathan M. Holmes, MD

Andrew E. Holzman, MD, FACS

Darab Hormozi, MD

Brian K. Horsman, MD

David G. Hunter, MD, PhD

Jeffrey D. Hutchison, DO

Herbert J. Ingraham, MD

John Alexander Irvine, MD

Richard A. Isenberg, MD

Natalio J. Izquierdo, MD

James L. Jackson, MD, FACS

Francis C. Jansen Jr., MD

William H. Jarrard Jr., MD

A. Tim Johnson, MD, PhD

Holly Pugh Johnson, MD

Norman C. Johnson Jr., MD

Carol A. Johnston, MD

Robert R. Jones, MD

James W. Judge, MD

Paul Kalina, MD

Seth I. Kaplan, MD

Barry S. Kattleman, MD

Adam H. Kaufman, MD

Matthew Dean Kay, MD

Michael Walker Kelly, MD

Gregory J. Kent, MD

Natalie C. Kerr, MD

Robert Y. Kim, MD

Sang Hoon Kim, MD

Jon C. Kintner, MD

John Degen Kirk, MD

Robert B. Knox, MD

Jerry L. Kobrin, MD

Talia Kolin, MD

Mark A. Kontos, MD

Michael Stanton Korenfeld, MD

Harry R. Koster, MD

Cheryl B. Kraff-Cooper, MD

Paul L. Krawitz, MD

Daniel P. Krontz, MD

Ronald R. Krueger, MD

Christopher J. Kruger, MD

Michael T. Kunesh, MD

Baruch D. Kuppermann, MD, PhD

Vicki S. Kvedar, MD

Laurent Lalonde, MD

Judith B. Lavrich, MD

Francis Chi Hun Law, MD

Howard S. Lazarus, MD

Alan B. Leahey, MD

Scott W. LeCroy, MD

Kwang Lee, MD

Paul P. Lee, MD, JD

William H. Lee, MD

Richard H. Legge, MD

John T. Lehr, MD

Marcos Lemor, MD

Solange Leroux Les Jar­dins, MD

James R. Lewis, MD

Richard Mark Lipman, MD

Sao Jang Liu, MD

Katherine Loftfield, MD

Gregg T. Lueder, MD

Kim K. Maale, MD

Ray David Maizel, MD

Barry A. Mandell, MD

Delia M. Manjoney, MD

Geva E. Mannor, MD, MPH

Ahmad M. Mansour, MD

David Markoff, MD

Thomas E. Marshall, MD

Daniel F. Martin, MD

Ronald T. Martin, MD

James V. Martuccio, MD

Charles David Mayron, MD

Mark L. Mazow, MD

Thomas McCauley, MD

Mark L. McDermott, MD, MBA

Toufic S. Melki, MD, MS, PA

Michael P. Merck, MD

Andrew Joseph Michael, MD

Kevin M. Miller, MD

S. Clay Miller, MD

Duane L. Mitzel, MD

Patrick M. Monahan, MD

Luis Montalvo Bonilla, MD

Charles A. Moore, MD

Sebastian A. Mora, DO

Raul J. Moreno, MD

Rebecca K. Morgan, MD

David Morimoto, MD

Charles S. Mosteller, MD

Jay Mulaney, MD

Miguel Enrique Mulet Jr., MD

Paul M. Munden, MD

Arlene L. Murray, MD

Joseph Frank Mussoline, MD

Romesh C. Nayar, MD

Peter Andreas Netland, MD, PhD

Elena M. Ng, MD

Hien Kristine Nguyen-Ngo, MD

Daniel Joseph O’Connor, MD

Erwin M. Omens, MD

Kelly Patrick O’Neill, MD

Lindsay Ong-Tone, MD

Elba M. Pacheco, MD

Juan Homar Paez-Garza, MD

David Andrew Palay, MD

Gregory J. Pamel, MD

Joseph J. Parelman, MD

Joseph L. Parisi, MD, FRCSC, FACS

Steve Park, MD

John Steven Parker, MD

Susan Lynne Parks, MD

Garnett S. Payseur, MD

James H. Peace, MD

Caryn F. Sorkin Pearlstein, MD

Donald Ray Peavy, MD

Eduardo Perez, MD

Jonathan Peter Perlman, MD

Michael R. Petersen, MD

Virginia Burns Petitto, MD

Lawrence W. Platt, MD

Jerry K. Popham, MD

James P. Pressly, MD

Clyde Kent Price, MD

George R. Pronesti, MD

Thomas J. Pusateri, MD

Hiram Quinones, MD

Miguel Angel Quiroz-Reyes, MD, PhD

Rajesh K. Rajpal, MD

Joel M. Reisman, MD

Kenneth Resnick, MD

Randy K. Richardson, MD

Arthur K. Rivard Jr., MD

Maria I. Rivera Sanchez, MD

John Denis Roarty, MD

I. Rand Rodgers, MD

John Romanelli, MD

Aron D. Rose, MD

Peter A.D. Rubin, MD

Alan J. Ruby, MD

Thomas J. Russell, MD

Susan Ruyle, MD

Mario Agustin Sabates, MD

Robert David Sacks, MD

Ira J. Salzman, MD

Evelyn Samaras-Acker­mann, MD

Thomas W. Samuelson, MD

Suketu S. Sanghvi, MD

Alan R. Schaeffer, MD

Armin Scharrer, MD

Mark J. Schefkind, MD

Louis Joseph Schott, MD

Terry L. Schwartz, MD

Abraham V. Shammas, MD

Dovelet Shashou, MD

Charles Fox Sherrod III, MD

Steven Miller Shields, MD

Karen S. Shimshak, MD

Kunihiko Shiraki, MD

Nadia C. Shockley, MD

Sidney K. Simonian, DO

Kuldev Singh, MD, MPH

Daniel J. Smith, MD

George Robert Smith, MD

Shannon L. Smith, MD, FACS, OCS

Donna Elizabeth Smythe, MD

Scott R. Sneed, MD

Alan E. Solinsky, MD

Dae Yong Song, MD

Scott M. Spector, MD

Laurence T.D. Sperber, MD

Marvin Sperling, MD

Derek T. Sprunger, MD

Thomas Mark Stank, MD

Mark A. Steele, MD

Steven A. Steinberg, MD

Kenneth David Steinsapir, MD

Ralph Edward Stewart, MD

Wells Stewart, MD

Hunter Rhoad Stokes Jr., MD

Steve G. Surratt, MD

Jerome A. Swale, MD

Paul A. Tarantino, MD

Carla Territo, MD

Vance Michael Thompson, MD

Benjamin H. Ticho, MD

Lori Tindel-Kahn, MD

David Paul Tingey, MD

Donald H. Tingley, MD

Richard Tipperman, MD

Ajit Kumar Tiwari, MD

Miguel A. Torres, MD

C. Howell Tucker, MD

Robert P. Tucker III, MD, FACS

Paul W. Turgeon, MD

Lawrence Steven Turtel, MD

Sydney Lyle Tyson, MD

Ukeme I. Umana, MD

Roger S. Virgile, MD

David Gordon Wagner, MD

Kenneth J. Wald, MD

Roy Trent Wallace, MD

R. Christopher Walton, MD

Kevin Lee Waltz, MD

Thomas Peter Ward, MD

Daniel T. Weaver, MD

Ronald S. Weiss, MD

John A. Wells III, MD

David R. West, MD

Randolph P. Whitford, MD

A. Sidney Whiting, MD

Jess Thomas Whitson, MD, FACS

Curtis D. Whittington Jr., MD

Stephen B. Wiles, MD

Douglas F. Willard, MD

R. Geoff Williams, MD, FRCSC

Mitchell D. Wolf, MD

Russell M. Wolfe, MD, FACS

Mitchell J. Wolin, MD

Barbara D. Wolock, MD

Brian R. Wong, MD

Kai W. Wong, MD

Tien Pei Wong, MD

Lyn E. Yakubov, MD

Tetsuya Yamamoto, MD

Michael C. Yang, MD

Frank Coleman Young III, MD

Steven R. Young, MD

Chi-Wah (Rudy) Yung, MD

Douglas A. Zale, MD

Aras Zlioba, MD

Election Results 

On Nov. 1, 2022, voting closed for several positions on the 2023 Board of Trustees and one proposed update to the Code of Ethics. The results are as follows: 

President-Elect: Jane C. Edmond, MD

Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice: Ravi D. Goel, MD

Senior Secretary for Annual Meet­ing: Bennie H. Jeng, MD

Trustee-at-Large: Lisa Diane Kelly, MD

Code of Ethics Rule 13 - Commu­nications to the Public: Approved. This new rule states that communica­tions must not promote health-related misinformation or claims that are false, deceptive, or misleading; statements based on opinion must be identified as such and must not contain material claims of safety and/or efficacy.

For more information about the elections, visit aao.org/about/governance/elections.

Nominations for the Academy Board

by Robert E. Wiggins Jr., MD, MHA

As Past President of the Academy, it is my privilege to serve as Chairman of the Academy’s Nominating Committee in 2023. This committee represents a variety of interests within the Academy and is charged with identifying appro­priate candidates for the open positions on the 2024 Board of Trustees. 

The committee is interested in iden­tifying leaders in our profession with experience in confronting the critical issues facing organized medicine and who reflect the strength and diversity of our members. The Academy’s leaders should be knowledgeable, experienced, and prepared to devote the time and energy required by a large organization in these challenging times. This work is both demanding and rewarding for those interested in helping to assure the Academy’s success and responsiveness to members. With these character­istics in mind, I ask you to assist the committee by suggesting appropriate candidates for the following positions in 2024:

President-elect (to serve as Presi­dent in 2025). Nominees should have leadership experience within the Acad­emy as well as demonstrated leadership qualities in clinical practice, in their own ophthalmic communities, and in other medical or ophthalmological organizations.

Senior Secretary for Advocacy (three-year term). Coordinates the Academy’s advocacy programs and activities developed through the secre­tariats for Federal and State Affairs. Dr. George Williams is currently serving the third year of his term and is eligible for a second term. 

Two Trustees-at-Large (four-year term). These individuals should be Academy Fellows who demonstrate strong leadership potential and would be able to represent and articulate the needs and concerns of the membership to the Academy board. 

International Trustee-at-Large (three-year appointment). An Acad­emy International Fellow or Member who practices exclusively outside of the United States and has a strong affinity for the Academy and broad experience and understanding of his or her region. This individual should be able to rep­resent and articulate the perspective of international members to the Academy board.

Thank you for your interest and participation in this process. Member­ship participation is vital, not only for the Academy but also for our collective goals of being able to provide appropri­ate, accessible, and affordable eye care to the public. On behalf of the Nom­inating Committee, I look forward to receiving your suggestions as we seek to identify our profession’s future leaders.

Send your confidential suggestions by Jan. 31 to Robert E. Wiggins Jr., MD, MHA, Nominating Committee Chair, American Academy of Ophthal­mology, P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424. Suggestions can also be e-mailed to nominate@aao.org or faxed to 415-561-8526.

For more information, visit aao.org/about/governance/board-nominations.

About the Nominating Committee 

The Academy nominating process has been carefully crafted to be inclu­sive, fair, and efficient. This process encourages a broad base of nomina­tions from the entire Academy membership. The Nominating Committee composition is delineated by the Bylaws, and it considers a number of factors when screening potential candidates, including integrity, ophthal­mology leadership ability, special expertise, past committee and leadership experience and performance, and knowledge and interest in the multitude of issues currently faced by ophthalmologists. In addition to nominations from the current year, the committee reviews prior year nominations to ensure a wide range of potential candidates for each position. Following months of confidential deliberations, the committee presents final recom­mendations to the Board of Trustees for approval. This single candidate method avoids the loss of valuable future leaders, as there are no public “losers” in the election. Often those considered but not selected for an open position one year become the nominee of choice in a future year.

TAKE NOTICE

Academy Year in Review

Read the Academy’s 2022 Year in Review, titled “Building Community. Advancing Innovation.” Highlights include:

• the Knights Templar Eye Foundation landmark $5 million gift,
• the growth and 2022 impact factor of Ophthalmology,
• the 12,000-plus professional attend­ees who made AAO 2022 a success,
• the advocacy efforts that helped end Aetna’s universal requirement for cataract prior authorization,
• the Academy’s continued work on improving health equity in eye care, and
• the IRIS Registry partnership with Verana Health to connect patients and practices to clinical trials

Learn about these and other suc­cesses at aao.org/yearinreview.

Kantar Notice: A Request From EyeNet

Back in December, some of you may have received an email invitation to participate in a magazine readership survey conducted by Kantar. If you are a fan of EyeNet, please participate. Being ranked among the most widely and thoroughly read ophthal­mic publications enables the magazine to secure funding for projects that help you in the clinical realm and in your practice, like the MIPS manual.

Nominate a Colleague for the Laureate Award

Every year, ophthalmologists distin­guish themselves and the profession by making exceptional scientific contribu­tions toward preventing blindness and restoring sight worldwide. The Acade­my Board of Trustees recognizes these extraordinary contributions with its Laureate Award, the Academy’s single highest honor. The award recipient is announced each fall, and the Laureate is recognized during the Opening Ses­sion of the annual meeting.

Nominate a colleague by Jan. 31 using the application at aao.org/about/awards/laureate.

Seeking Outstanding Ophthalmologists

Would you like to nominate a col­league for this year’s Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award or Outstanding Advocate Award? Submit your nomination by April 3.

The Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award—which has been com­bined with the International Blindness Prevention Award since 2021—honors an Academy member who best illus­trates commitment to community and charitable care in the United States or abroad. The Academy selects up to two recipients per year.

Visit aao.org/about/awards/humanitarian to learn more about the award or nomination process.

The Outstanding Advocate Award honors an Academy member who has demonstrated a pattern of advocating for the profession at the state and/or federal level over a period of at least several years.

Visit aao.org/about/awards/advocate to learn more about the award or nomination process.

MIPS 2022: Reporting Man­ually Via the IRIS Registry? Submit by Jan. 31

If you report MIPS manually via the IRIS Registry, make sure you complete the following steps by Jan. 31.

Step 1: Download the IRIS Regis­try Preparation Kit. The kit includes step-by-step instructions for inputting and viewing your MIPS data. Academy members can download it for free (aao.org/iris-registry) or purchase it as a spiral-bound book (aao.org/store).

Step 2: Make sure membership dues are current. All your practice’s ophthal­mologists must be up to date with their Academy membership dues. To confirm membership status, call 866-561-8558.

Step 3: Finish entering quality data. Follow the instructions in the IRIS Registry Preparation Kit, which explain how you can tag which patients are eligible for a measure and which, if any, of those are excepted from it.

Step 4: Complete the information in the MIPS dashboard. Finish entering clinician information and practice settings, report quality measures (including data completeness totals), report improvement activities, and—if applicable—attest to promoting interoperability measures.

Step 5: Sign the data-release consent form (DRCF) and submit your data to CMS. Once you have finished attesting to your MIPS performance, sign the 2022 DRCF via the IRIS Registry dashboard (aao.org/consent-form), and then submit your MIPS data and attestations to CMS.

Volunteer: Submit Your Clinical Images

Images can be a powerful learning tool, especially in ophthalmology. Donate your classic or rare clinical images to help build the Academy’s image library. Your contribution may be used by Academy members or appear in edu­cational publications, such as the Basic and Clinical Science Course. 

Learn more at aao.org/volunteering, then choose “Develop Interactive Con­tent.” (This is just one of many Academy volunteer opportunities.)

ACADEMY RESOURCES

Review the Recently Updat­ed Case, “Doctor, My Eyes” 

A patient presents with constant sensa­tions of dryness, burning, and sensitivi­ty to light in both eyes. How would you proceed? You can test your skills and earn 1 CME credit with the Academy’s recently updated case titled “Doctor, My Eyes.” This revised activity covers dry eye and the challenges of diagnos­ing and treating ocular pain.

Review at aao.org/case/doctor-my-eyes.

Save 10% on Patient Educa­tion Brochures Until Jan. 9

Don’t leave your patients to self-diag­nose with “Dr. Google.” Patients prefer to leave your office with easy-to-un­derstand, ophthalmologist-reviewed brochures from the Academy. These high-quality patient education bro­chures save you chair time and can also mitigate your informed consent risk.

From now through Jan. 9, save 10% on every pack of 100 patient educa­tion brochures using code PEB2022 at checkout. No minimum purchase is required to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

Order today by visiting aao.org/patientbrochures.

Don’t Miss the Jan. 10 Ophthalmology Coding Update Webinar

On Jan. 10, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET, Academy Secretary for Federal Affairs David B. Glasser, MD, and Academy Director of Coding and Reimbursement Joy Wood­ke, COE, OCS, OCSR, will present the 2023 Ophthalmology Coding Update webinar (1 CME).

Topics covered during this live Zoom webinar will include the 2023 Medicare fee schedule, CPT codes for orthoptic training and quantitative pupillometry, and more.

Learn more at store.aao.org/2023-ophthalmology-coding-update-webinar.html.

Attend the Jan. 12 Corneal Contentions Webinar

On Jan. 12, 8:30-10:00 p.m. ET, join moderators Nandini Venkateswaran, MD, and Zeba Syed, MD, for a webinar titled “Corneal Contentions: The 2023 Update on Cornea” (1.5 CME). Devel­oped in coordination with the Cornea Society, this Academy program is free to members. This webinar will cover topics including:

• Will EK go extinct?
• How should CXL be performed?
• Should laser refractive surgery be done on corneal transplants?
• Does AI have a future in the man­agement of infectious keratitis?

Learn more at aao.org/clinical-webinars.

MEETING MATTERS

Mark Your Calendars: AAO 2023

Don’t miss the chance to network, attend world-class sessions, explore new technologies, and see old friends at AAO 2023. The meeting takes place Nov. 3-6 (with Subspecialty Day meet­ings beginning on Friday, Nov. 3) at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Learn more at aao.org/2023.

Last Chance: Submit Your Abstract

Share your insights and pearls in San Francisco. The online abstract submit­ter for instruction courses and new Skills Transfer labs closes Jan. 10.

In March you can submit paper/poster and video abstracts. The online abstract submitter will open March 9 and close April 11.

View submission guidelines at aao.org/presentercentral.

Register for AAO 2022 Virtual by Jan. 17

Registration for AAO 2022 Virtual and Subspecialty Day Virtual will remain open until Jan. 17, 2023.

AAO 2022. Experience the recorded content from AAO 2022 when you reg­ister for the virtual meeting. More than 300 sessions and courses are available to view on demand through the AAO 2022 Virtual meeting platform.

Subspecialty Day. Register separately for Subspecialty Day Virtual–Friday (which includes glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, refractive surgery, retina, and uveitis content) and Subspe­cialty Day Virtual–Saturday (which includes cornea, oculofacial plastic surgery, and retina content). You will gain access to all sessions recorded in Chicago for the Subspecialty Day meet­ings taking place on the same date.

In-person registration benefit. If you registered for an in-person meeting in Chicago, you automatically have access to the corresponding virtual content for that meeting.

Access. The virtual meeting plat­form is open through Jan. 31. After Jan. 31, you may still view content online. Go to aao.org/myonlineproducts, log in, and choose the virtual product you registered for: AAO 2022 and/or Sub­specialty Day. You will be able to access sessions on demand and claim CME credit (professional attendees only) through Aug. 1.

Learn more at aao.org/virtual-meeting.

Claim AAO 2022 CME

Claim CME credits for attending the live AAO 2022 or Subspecialty Day meetings or viewing virtual sessions. You can split your claimed credit be­tween 2022 and 2023, or claim it all in the same year. Limits are up to 50 cred­its for AAO 2022 and up to 12 credits per day for Subspecialty Day. You do not need to track which sessions you attend, just the total number of hours you spend in sessions for each claim.

Learn more at aao.org/annual-meeting/cme.

D.C. REPORT

The Fight for Long-Term Physician Payment Reform Continues in 2023

Last year, the house of medicine fought against the problems in the Medi­care Physician Fee Schedule, released in November 2022.

Short-term efforts. Highlights of that campaign included Academy support for legislation—introduced in the House of Representatives by two of ophthalmology’s congressional champions—that would provide a one-time boost to the conversion factor, as well as an email campaign that built bipartisan support for a year-end solution in the Senate.

But those are only temporary reprieves. By the end of this year, advo­cates will likely be going back to Congress to push legislators to find yet another short-term fix to a long-term problem. It doesn’t need to be this way.

The long-term problem. Unlike Medicare payment updates to provid­ers such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, payment updates to the Physician Fee Schedule do not account for market changes in the cost of providing services. Notably, the current payment system has failed for decades to recognize increases in practice costs. As a result, the system is woefully underfunded.

A long-term fix. The system needs to change. Working with the Amer­ican Medical Association, the Academy has endorsed a set of principles that could guide a long-term fix. These include:

• recalculating the formula used to determine physician reimbursement to account for inflation;
• reforming the trigger for budget neutrality cuts to account for in­creased practice costs; and
• removing barriers and disincentives to participating in the Quality Payment Program.

The Academy submitted these ideas in response to a request for infor­mation from a bipartisan group of lawmakers. Six of the eight legislators championing this effort are physicians.

Follow updates in Washington Report Express and on the Academy’s social media to learn how you can join this effort.

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Troutman Prizes

Richard C. Troutman, MD, DSc (Hon) Prize—Fang Jun Bao, MD, PhD, from Wenzhou Medical University in China, was recognized for his paper, “Changes in Corneal Biomechanical Properties in PRK Followed by Two Accelerated CXL Energy Doses in Rabbit Eyes.” Dr. Bao received a $5,000 honorarium from the Troutman Endowment and presented an honorary lecture during Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Day 2022.

This annual International Society of Refractive Surgery award is given to a young author publishing in the Journal of Refractive Surgery.

Troutman Cornea Prize for Young Clinician Investigators—Jodi Hwang, MD, from the Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, was recognized for her paper, “Conjunctival Vessels in Diabetes Using Functional Slit Lamp Biomi­croscopy.” Dr. Hwang was awarded a $5,000 honorarium from the Troutman Endowment and presented her work at the Sept. 30 Cornea and Eye Banking Forum in Chicago.

This award, established by a Castro­viejo Cornea Society Founder, Richard C. Troutman, MD, DSc (Hon), is given annually to the investigator under 41 years of age who authored the best paper published in Cornea the year before.

WIO Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman Award—Terri Young, MD, MBA, from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, was honored for her work in advancing the position of women in ophthalmology. Dr. Young was recognized at the Women in Ophthal­mology (WIO) Awards Ceremony and Networking Reception held during AAO 2022 in Chicago.

The WIO Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman Award, established by Suzanne Véronneau-Troutman, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, is awarded annually by WIO.