AAOE Content Committee

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AAOE Content Committee

AAOE Content Committee

	Bansari Mehta, MHA AAOE Content Committee Chair Director of Operations — Eye Associates of Southern Indiana Bansari Mehta has extensive experience working in highly skilled and competitive research, administrative and clinical positions at national and international health organizations. At present, she is the director of operations for a multi-specialty ophthalmology practice, Eye Associates of Southern Indiana. Prior to that, she worked for a retina practice for many years. Ms. Mehta presents at the AAOE program at the Academy’s annual meeting and honed her leadership skills as a participant in AAOE’s Ophthalmic Practice Administrators Leadership Program (OPAL) in 2019. She has been actively involved with the Academy since 2014. Ms. Mehta believes in training her employees to be excellent leaders who will use their skills to positively impact patient care and people around them.
	Natalie Loyacano, COMT, ROUB, OSA, OCSR, (F)ATPO Immediate Past AAOE Content Committee Chair Practice Administrator — VitreoRetinal Eye Center Natalie Loyacano has been in ophthalmology for more than 30 years. She began her career in 1984 working as an ophthalmic assistant and ophthalmic surgical assistant. She obtained her first International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) certification in 1989. Ms. Loyacano has extensive experience as a clinical director and clinical research coordinator. In 2005, she became the practice manager for a solo retina specialist, assisting the physician in establishing a solo practice.
	Joanne Mansour, OCSR Ex-officio Member, Past AAOE Board Chair Practice Administrator — The Virginia Retina Center Joanne Mansour began her career in ophthalmology in 1988 in Toronto, Canada. She is the executive director of a small non-profit. Ms. Mansour has managed the Virginia Retina Center, since 2004. Under her management, the Virginia Retina Center has grown to three locations and four physicians.
	Rahul Bhola, MD, MBA Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) Specialists Ophthalmology Dr. Rahul Bhola is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric ophthalmology. He is currently the Chair and Medical Director of Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and serves as the division chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology at CHOC Children’s Specialists and associate clinical professor at University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Bhola serves as a member of the AAOE Board of Directors.
	Tori Elkins, MBA, COT Practice Administrator — Huron Ophthalmology, PC Tori Elkins has been working in the ophthalmology field for nearly two decades, starting out her career at the front desk, then moving to a technician/scribe position before assuming her management role for the past five years. Her current practice recently added a physician and now includes six physicians, two optometrists and an optical shop. She obtained her Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) in 2008 and her Certified Ophthalmic Executive (COE) certification in 2022. Ms. Elkins lives in a small town in Southeastern Michigan with her husband and two sons. In her spare time she enjoys listening to music, gathering around campfires with family and friends and watching her oldest son play hockey all year round. Her youngest will soon follow in his footsteps — a hockey family for life!
	Sondra Hoffman, COE, CPE, CMPE, HRM President — Hoffman Consulting Group Sondra Hoffman has over 30 years’ experience in ophthalmic health care administration. Prior to returning to South Florida, she served as the chief executive officer at Florida Eye Clinic — a large multi-specialty MD/OD integrated practice in Central Florida with 27 providers, 12 locations and an ASC. She was also the administrator of the ASC and a healthcare risk manager. Ms. Hoffman’s passion lies in physician, employee and patient engagement, creating a workplace that fosters efficiency, patient, physician and employee satisfaction, building teams to provide excellence in eye care and exceptional patient experience as well as mentorship. She has served on the board of the Central Florida Lighthouse for the Blind, and in a number of roles with ASOA over the past 25 years including president.
	Christine M. McDonald, COE, COA, ROUB, OSC, CTC, OCS Practice Administrator — The Retina Institute Christine McDonald began working in ophthalmology in 1987. She has worked in nearly every position involved within an ophthalmology practice, beginning at the front desk and working her way to practice administrator. She is currently employed by The Retina Institute in St. Louis, MO. She is a past president of the Association of Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology (ATPO) and has served on the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) board of directors in several positions since 2015, currently as a Director at Large. Ms. McDonald has served on multiple committees, written numerous articles and co-authored books on ophthalmic topics, and presented many lectures for various ophthalmic organizations. Her skills as a certified ophthalmic assistant and Registered Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist (ROUB) have provided her with the opportunity to travel to Haiti several times where she worked with other volunteers to care for patients with limited access to eye care and helped establish a permanent eye clinic that serves a Haitian community. She believes in providing outstanding eye care services, whether it is in a developing country, providing care in the practice clinic, or helping someone new to the field succeed. “Giving back is important, you never know how you will touch someone’s life.”
	Heather Modjesky, COE Senior Executive & Chief Administrative Officer — Conestoga Eye Heather Modjesky began her career as an administrator in ophthalmology in 2015, leading and growing a practice that specializes in oculoplastic and pediatric ophthalmology and comprehensive optometry. Under her management, the practice has grown from a small, one doctor practice to a medium-sized, multi-location, multi-specialty practice with 6 doctors and 30 employees. She has been an active member of AAOE since 2015 and was part of the AAOE's first Ophthalmic Practice Administrators Leadership Program (OPAL) class in 2019. In addition to practice management, Ms. Modjesky has extensive background in marketing and digital communications, as well as national and regional media relations experience. She serves as a member of AAOE’s Board of Directors.
	Alicia Reynolds, HCM, BAHM Practice Manager — Retina Consultants of Southern California Alicia Reynolds has been in the medical field for over 20 years and is newcomer in the field of retina. When she entered practice management in ophthalmology, she immediately joined AAOE and other organizations so that she could get up to speed in her new field. She currently manages the day-to-day operations of three retina offices that consist of four physicians who rotate between the various offices in addition to three satellite offices. Mrs. Reynolds is an active volunteer for the American Red Cross and the Lake Menifee Women's Club and is the Homeowners Association president in her community. She is the mother of two daughters and four granddaughters with a grandson coming soon. In her spare time, she is always looking for ways to volunteer or help out in various areas.
	Savory Turman, COMT, ACC, OCS Vice President of Practice Integrations — Panorama Eyecare LLC Savory Turman, COMT, ACC, OCS, is the vice president of practice integrations at Panorama Eyecare LLC. Savory most multispecialty ophthalmic practice. During that time, her role was to oversee operations for multiple clinical locations, providers, and clinical staff members. Her experience includes staff training, hiring, coaching, termination, schedule building, strategic operational initiatives, etc. Ms. Turman is an associate certified coach through the International Coaching Federation and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership. She teaches for AAOE, American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators and IJCAHPO’s Annual Continuing Education on many other topics from technical skills to leadership. She has turned her passion for coaching into Savory Coaching and Consulting LLC.