The Mid-Year Forum is one of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s most significant yearly meetings, bringing the ophthalmology community together to instigate change and shape our profession’s future.
See schedule summary.
Download program (PDF, 1,970KB)
Commercial support provided in part by 
and 
- Platinum Level.
Wednesday, April 10
Congressional Advocacy Day dinner briefing
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Join the ophthalmology community as we descend on Washington to lobby Congress on key issues that protect sight and are important to our profession. Before you make your way to Capitol Hill, you will be fully trained on how to best represent our profession in front of members of Congress and their staff. All Academy members are urged to take part in this critical event to bring your voice to these important issues. Only you can protect your patients, practice and profession.
Appointment pick-up desk hours: 4 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Advocacy Ambassador Program Briefing - by invitation only
8:45 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 11
Congressional Advocacy Day Visits with Members of Congress and Staff
Appointment pick-up desk hours: 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Q&A Session with Breakfast 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Scheduled visits with members of Congress and staff 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The Academy will make appointments with your members of Congress based on the zip code we have on file for you. For questions or concerns about your appointments, contact Megan Tweed at mtweed@aao.org or call 202.737.6662
Luncheon - 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Reserve Officers Association, One Constitution Ave., NE. The Academy provides a boxed lunch for members visiting Capitol Hill during these hours. Program to follow.
Leadership Development Program Luncheon and Meeting - by invitation only
12:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
2103 Rayburn House Office Building
Participants in the Academy’s Leadership Development Program XXI, class of 2019, who have been selected through a competitive nomination process, meet in a leadership session which addresses a variety of leadership, advocacy and association management topics.
Welcome and Introduction to the Mid-Year Forum 2019
3:30 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
David W. Parke, II, MD, CEO, American Academy of Ophthalmology and George A. Williams, MD, President, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Reigning in Drug Spending
3:40 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Moderator: George A. Williams, MD - President, American Academy of Ophthalmology
As American consumers call for lower cost pharmaceutical drugs, federal policymakers are committed to identifying solutions to slow rising drug spending. The Administration and Congress are considering new policies that could have substantial impacts for ophthalmology, with expensive Medicare Part B drugs a top target. This session will focus on drug policy changes coming out of the Administration, as well as congressional initiatives to address challenges in this arena. Important perspectives will be shared, by FDA, CMS, ophthalmology, and the broader stakeholder community, on how to ensure patient access to critical treatments while also controlling costs and maintaining incentives to promote pharmaceutical innovations.
Council Regional Chair and Co-Chair Orientation – by invitation only
5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Moderators: Lynn K. Gordon, MD, PhD, Council chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Sarwat Salim, MD, Council vice-chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Council Regional Meeting chairs are invited to attend a special orientation including a review of the agenda for the regional meetings and responsibilities of facilitating the meetings.
Mid-Year Forum Welcome Reception and Awards Banquet
6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Keynote speaker: Commander Kirk Lippold USN (Ret.), an authority on leadership and former commander of the USS Cole.
Surgical Scope Fund Reception - by invitation only
9:15 p.m. - 11:15 p.m.
Fig & Olive, 934 Palmer Aly NW, Washington, D.C.
In appreciation for your support of Surgery by Surgeons in 2019, we invite you to join us to attend this special event. If you have any questions or need to check your giving history, contact Bob Palmer at bpalmer@aao.org or call 202.737.6662.
Friday, April 12
Commercial support provided in part by 
and
- Gold Level.
New-Councilor Orientation – by invitation only
7 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Moderators: Lynn K. Gordon, MD, PhD, Council chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Sarwat Salim, MD, Council vice-chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology
New Councilors are invited to attend a special orientation including an overview of Council operational procedures and responsibilities of Councilors.
Advocacy Ambassador Program - L.E.A.P. Forward - by invitation only
8:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Moderators: Steven M. Christiansen, MD - Member, Young Ophthalmologist Committee, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Grace Sun, MD - Member, Young Ophthalmologist Committee, Councilor, New York State Ophthalmological Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Advocacy Ambassadors will be inspired and engaged to be successful leaders in their practice setting, community, state and subspecialty society as well as national and international organizations. Young members will network with active leaders in ophthalmology as they interact with panelists discussing four major areas: Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, and Practice Management (including pearls on private equity).
Concurrent Hearings, 8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
Social Media Training: Why You Need it and How it’s Done
Moderator: Andrea A. Tooley, MD - Member, Young Ophthalmologist Editorial Board
Social media is comprised of various forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and digital content. Originally created as tools to facilitate personal relationships, they have advanced to become as ubiquitous within a business context as the telephone and email, enhanced by their ability to extend the reach of communication like never before. The power of social media is increasingly being deployed within medicine to market physician services to the public as well as to provide a platform for physicians and medical organizations to advance their educational objectives. This session is a social media grand rounds, providing an overview of the major platforms and practical hands-on experience that will prepare participants to immediately enhance their ability to effectively engage with patients, the public and their fellow ophthalmologists.
Private Equity-Round Two
Moderators: Robert E. Wiggins, MD, MHA – Senior Secretary for Ophthalmic Practice, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Arvind Saini, MD, MBA - Member, Young Ophthalmologist Committee, American Academy of Ophthalmology.
There has been recent publicity regarding the purchase of ophthalmology practices by private equity firms. An earlier round of practice purchases by physician practice management companies in the 1990’s did not fare well for physicians. Is this time different? Hear from physicians who have explored or sold their practices to private equity firms and gain insights from their experience-whether you are considering selling your practice or joining one owned by a private equity firm.
Concurrent Hearings, 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
IRIS® Registry - What’s New
Moderators: Aaron Y. Lee, MD – Member, Committee for State Governmental Affairs, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Michael F. Chiang, MD – Trustee-at-Large, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Big data analyses in medicine have implications for clinical practice as well as for public health. The IRIS® Registry is the largest specialty clinical database in medicine, featuring over 220 million patient encounters and 50 million unique patients. The value of the IRIS® Registry to the profession is over $186 million collectively in avoided penalties in 2019 and bonuses on top of this for the vast majority of participants. Now, there are technology solutions to benefit Academy members and to bring value to their practice in other ways, including tools for more efficient clinical trial recruitment, and for benchmarking metrics for effective practice management.
Emergency Planning and Disaster Preparedness for Everyone
Moderator: Daniel J. Briceland, MD – Senior Secretary for Advocacy, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Fires, Hackers, Hurricanes, and Shooters are in current events and ingrained in today’s lexicon. Learn how to prepare and protect yourself, your family, and your practice from real and virtual threats by employing emergency preparedness strategies. At the end of this interactive, fast- paced session, you will receive access to a toolkit containing incident management resources, covering common natural disasters to man-made events such as cybersecurity and active shooter scenarios—real tools that you can put into practice when you return home.
Luncheon and Closing Session
Cross Cultural Challenges: Creating an Inclusive Practice
12:15 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Moderators: Lynn K. Gordon, MD, PhD – Council Chair, American Academy of Ophthalmology and Keith D. Carter, MD, FACS – Past President, American Academy of Ophthalmology
Today, and even more so in the future, our patients are from diverse backgrounds. How do we ensure that our patients feel welcomed and at ease in our practices? This session will explore the cross-cultural challenges we all face and offer ways to ensure that our patients’ feel well cared for and that their needs are effectively met.
Advocacy Ambassador Program: Capitol Hill Wrap Up - by invitation only
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Council Meeting
Members of the Academy’s Council, an advisory body to the Board of Trustees, and also leaders of ophthalmic state, subspecialty and specialized interest societies meet to discuss issues specific to ophthalmic societies. The meeting also covers various Academy activities and strategic issues affecting the profession, including key advocacy issues related to state and federal affairs.
Opening Session
2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Unite with your colleagues from ophthalmic subspecialty and state societies to discuss key issues facing our profession.
Council Regional Meetings
4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The Council will also meet by region to discuss issues common to certain areas of the country.
OPHTHPAC Reception - by invitation only
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Note: All attendees will be required to present a valid photo ID to enter this building.
Potomac View Terrace at the American Pharmacists Association building, 2215 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington D.C.
OPHTHPAC members who contribute to OPHTHPAC in 2019 are invited to attend this lively cocktail reception with a full open bar and hors d’oeuvres. To check your giving history or to make an investment, contact Desta Wallace at dwallace@aao.org or call 202.737.6662.
Saturday, April 13
Council Meeting
Concurrent Meetings: State Section and Subspecialty/Specialized Interest Section
8 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
The State Section of the Council will meet to discuss issues specific to state societies. The Subspecialty/Specialized Interest Section of the Council will meet to discuss issues specific to subspecialty societies.
Council Elections and Hearing on Council Advisory Recommendations
9:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Luncheon and Closing Session Entertainment: “The Capitol Steps”
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.