Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry

Eye on Education is generously sponsored by The HOYA Free-Form Company, which manufactures and supplies ophthalmic lenses to eyecare professionals. Its focus is to provide a complete range of high-quality lens designs, coatings and materials.

Summer 2012

ASCO Elects Officers at June Meeting

Dr. David A. Heath, Presi-dent of the State Universi-ty of New York, State College of Optometry, was elected President of the Association of Schools and

Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) at its an-nual meeting in Chicago, Ill., on June 26. During the meeting, Dr. Heath presented his vision for his presidency, highlighting the theme of “Finding ASCO’s Voice.”

This priority includes:

• developingcommunicationstrategies

• providingmoreleadershipinoptome-try and health care by sharing expertise

• being more deliberative in engagingexternal constituents.

Otherofficerselectedforthenewprogramyear, which began July 1, are:

• Dr.JenniferSmythe,President-Elect

• Dr.LindaCasser,Secretary-Treasurer

ASCO NEWS• Dr. Richard W. Phillips, At-Large

Member

• Dr. Kevin L. Alexander, ImmediatePast-President.

Board Backs Ideas for CE Accreditation

Support for the development of a feder-ally recognized accreditation process for continuing education (CE) programs inthe profession of optometry was approved by the ASCO Board of Directors at its an-nual meeting in June. The approval is con-tingent on a decision being made within the profession to proceed with such a pro-cess.

The Board-approved motion also sup-ports the expansion of the mission of the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), as optometry’s spe-cialized accreditation body, to include the accreditation of agencies and/or programs providingCEtodoctorsofoptometry. Itencourages the development of a com-prehensive business plan, taking care to ensure there are adequate resources to supportaprocessofCEaccreditationthatwould be of the highest quality before proceeding.

IN THIS ISSUE:Meetings ............................................7

School and College News .................8

Industry Spotlight............................11

Corporate Contributor News ...........12

In addition, the Board’s action encour-ages theACOE, if adecision toproceedis made, to include broad input from the optometric community in a manner con-sistent with past practice when developing the standards and processes for CE ac-creditation.

Ex-ASCO Presidents Enter Hall of FameDr.KevinAlexander, Immediate Past-

President of ASCO, and former Presidents Dr.ThomasLewisandDr.William“Bil-ly” Cochran have been elected to the Op-tometry Hall of Fame and were honored at the American Optometric Association (AOA) Congress in June.

(ASCO News cont’d on page 2)

ASCO President Dr. David A. Heath

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Dr. Alexander is President of Southern California College of Optometry. He was ASCO President in 2011-2012 and had previously served as Dean of the Michi-gan College of Optometry at Ferris State University. He is a former President of the AOA. Dr. Cochran served on the Board of ASCO and as President in 1991-1992. He was also President of Southern College of Optometry, during which time the college moved into the national arena of optomet-ric education.

Dr. Lewis’ term as ASCO Presidentwasin1996-1997,andheisthefirstandonlyrecipienttodateofASCO’sLifetimeAchievement Award. He also served as President of the Partnership Foundation for Optometric Education and Presidentof the National Board of Examiners inOptometry.

ASCO Applauds Award for Dr. Shipp

Dr. Melvin Shipp, a former ASCO Pres-identandthefirstoptometristtobeelectedPresident of the American Public Health Association, was honored by ASCO upon receiving the AOA’s Optometrist of the Year Award in June. Dr. Shipp has been an outstanding leader in optometric edu-cation and the profession throughout his four-decade career.

An ASCO Board-approved resolution recognizing Dr. Shipp’s many achieve-ments states, in part, “Optometric edu-cation and the profession have directly benefittedfromDr.Shipp’sexpertiseandleadership as ASCO President in 2009-2010, Professor and Dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, and Professor, Assistant Dean for Clini-cal Services and Director of Clinics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry.” In addition, the ASCO resolution states, “Dr. Shipp’s ded-ication to improving the health of the citi-zens and communities of the United States is reflected in hismore than25years ofwork in public health.”

Five Research Grants Awarded to Educators

ASCO and The Vision Care Institute, LLC, an affiliate of Johnson& JohnsonVision Care Inc., are pleased to announce

ASCO Institutions Can Now Apply for Grants to Fund On-Site Cultural Competency Guidelines

Implementation WorkshopsThe application process for the ASCO Curriculum Guidelines for Culturally Competent Eye and Vision Care Workshop Grant Program is now open. The program provides funds to schools and colleges of optometry for on-site Cultural Competency Guidelines Implementation Workshops. The workshops demonstrate how to use the ASCO Guidelines for Culturally Competent Eye and Vision Care to incorporate topics and experiences in cultural competency into the optometric curriculum. Depending on the needs of each institution, a workshop runs from 2 to 4 hours. A grant pays for travel, housing and per diem for two facilitators as well as materials used during the workshop. Grants are funded by Walmart.

CriteriaThe Cultural Competency Curriculum Guidelines Subcommittee of the ASCO Optometry Diversity and Cultural Competency Committee will review applica-tions based on the following criteria:‣ Thepercentageoftheinstitution’sfaculty,administratorsandstaffwhoare

committed to participating in the workshop‣ Thecommitmentofworkshopparticipantstocompletethefollowingpriorto

the workshop:• takeanonlineself-awarenesssurvey• readtwopre-workshopmaterials(availableontheASCOWebsiteat

http://www.opted.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3531):1) ASCO Guidelines for Culturally Competent Eye and Vision Care2) Cultural and Linguistic Competence, from Optometric Care in the Pub-

lic Health Community• takeareadingmaterialspre-workshopquiz• determinethedemographicsintheirareaandsharetheresultswithas-

signed ASCO facilitators‣ Evidenceofaninstitutionalcommitmenttodiversityandculturalcompeten-

cy, with an intention to integrate cultural competency training into numerous courses, workshops and clinical experiences in the optometric curriculum through lectures, interactive exercises, discussions, case study analysis, journal-keeping, readings, Web-based learning, videos, diverse patient care opportunities and other strategies.

Application ProcessThe dean or president of an ASCO member institution should submit an ap-plication letter to Carol Brubaker, Staff Liaison, Cultural Competency Curricu-lum Guidelines Subcommittee, by Dec. 31, 2012. The letter can be e-mailed to cbrubaker@opted.org or mailed to 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 420, Rockville, MD 20852. The letter should discuss the participants, their commitment to perform the pre-workshop activities and participate fully in the workshop, and evidence of institutional commitment to diversity and cultural competency. No budgetorbudgetjustificationwillbenecessarybecauseworkshopexpenseswill be covered by ASCO through the Walmart grant. The institution is en-couraged to demonstrate support for the workshop by providing a room with audio-visualcapability,offeringfoodfortheparticipants,andpublicizingtheworkshop.

ASCO NEWS (Cont’d from page 1)

(ASCO News cont’d on page 3)

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the recipients of the 2012 Starter Grants for Educational Research. In this year’sprogram, five applicants were chosen toreceive grants. The investigators for each project are:

• Dr.DeniseGoodwin,AssociateProfes-sor,andDr.LenHua,AssistantProfes-sor,bothofPacificUniversityCollegeof Optometry (Integration of Blended LearningintoOptometricEducation)

• Dr.SrihariNarayanan,AssociatePro-fessor, and Dr. Patricia Sanchez-Diaz, Assistant Professor, both of the Uni-versity of the IncarnateWordRosen-bergSchoolofOptometry(EvaluationoftheEffectivenessofanOnlineandaFace to Face Format Interprofessional Case Based Course Involving Optom-etry Students)

• Dr. Lindsay Sicks, ClinicalAssistantProfessor, and Dr. Sara Gaib, Clini-cal Assistant Professor, both of Mid-western University - Arizona College of Optometry (Teaching GP Contact LensesConceptsThroughDVDMod-ules)

• Dr.JuliaAppel,AssistantClinicalPro-fessor,andDr.RochelleMozlin,Clini-cal Associate Professor, both of State University of New York, State Col-lege of Optometry (Investigation of an Additional Critical Thinking Out-comeMeasure:TheEfficacyofCriti-cal Thinking Assessment in Predicting Clinical Success)

• Dr.AdamBlacker,AssistantProfessor,Midwestern University - Arizona Col-legeofOptometry(CanThreeWrongsMakeaRight?)

Faculty members from the 21 ASCO member institutions are eligible to ap-ply for grants under the program, which is dedicated to educational research. The grants support the concept of the Schol-arshipofTeachingandLearning(SoTL).Although all types of educational research projects are considered for a grant, prior-ity isgiven to those that embraceSoTL.SoTLappliestoalldisciplinesandlevelsof academia. It embraces teaching as a worthy subject for research with the goal of producing a public body of knowledge that is reviewed, developed and tested for the purposes of increasing the effective-ness of teaching and student learning.

Board OKs Addition to Residency Titles

At its June meeting, the ASCO Board of Directors approved a motion put forth byitsResidencyAffairsCommitteetoaddBrainInjuryVisionRehabilitation(BIVR)to the list of recommended Optometric Residency Titles and Descriptions. Theapproved description of the new BIVRresidencyclassificationisasfollows:Themajority of the clinical didactic curricu-lum will be devoted to topics and practice relevant to assessment, management, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation of patients with brain injury and neurologic disease. The new title and description join the 10 previouslyapprovedresidencyclassifica-tions (Family Practice Optometry, Prima-ryEyeCare,CorneaandContactLenses,Geriatric Optometry, Pediatric Optometry, Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation, LowVision Rehabilitation, Ocular Disease,RefractiveandOcularSurgery,andCom-munity Health Optometry).

The Board agreed with the committee’s assessmentthatthenewclassificationwasneeded in order to reflect an anticipatedincrease in the number of residency pro-grams focusing on BIVR due to severalfactors, including an increase in the num-ber of brain-injured soldiers and cerebro-vascular accidents in the aging population, medical advances that have improved brain-injury survival rates, and increased awareness of sports-related concussions. In addition, theVisionTherapy and Re-habilitation residency title currently used by BIVR programs does not allow resi-dency candidates to differentiate between traditional vision therapy and rehabilita-tion residency programs, which may not includesignificanttraininginBIVR.Thecommittee also noted that while BIVRresidency programs typically include ad-vanced training in vision therapy and re-habilitative management of some types of visual field defects, they also includeseveral additional areas of training. Fur-thermore,thenewclassificationwillhelprehabilitation facilities identify optom-etrists who have formal advanced clinical trainingandknowledgeinBIVR.

For descriptions of all 11 residency classifications, visit http://www.opted.

org/files/public/Web%20Site%20Re-vised%20Residency%20Listing%20PDF%20Link%202012%20with%20new%2011th%20title%20(2).pdf.

OptomCAS Opens for 2012-2013

OptomCAS, the Optometry Centralized Application Service, launched its fourth application cycle (2012-2013) on June 29. The service enables applicants to schools and colleges of optometry to use a single Web-basedapplicationandonesetofma-terials to apply to multiple institutions. All 21 ASCO member schools and colleges are participating this year.

New this year is the initiation of an Op-tomCAS-facilitated national background check service, through which Certiphi Screening Inc. will procure a national background report on applicants upon initial, conditional acceptance for schools thatrequireit.Eleveninstitutionsarepar-ticipating.

A preliminary analysis of the previ-ous OptomCAS application cycle (Cycle 3), which ended on June 2, showed there were 2,545 applicants, a slight increasefrom the cycle that preceded it. A com-plete statistical report from Cycle 3 will be available in mid-October.

For answers to questions about Optom-CAS, visit www.optomcas.org or contact Paige Pence, ASCO Director of Student Affairs, at ppence@opted.org.

Forum Includes Talk on Graduate Education

At this year’s meeting of the American Optometric Student Association (AOSA) in Chicago, Ill., future optometrists from around the country attended a featured pro-gram titled “Choosing Your Ideal Mode of Practice – A Forum.” The program, held June 29 at the McCormick Place Conven-tion Center, included a segment presented by ASCO representative Dr. Mark Bulli-more that focused on graduate education opportunities and their importance in the profession.

Dr. Bullimore’s talk was the result of collaboration between ASCO and the AOSA to incorporate the topic into a

ASCO NEWS (Cont’d from page 2)

(ASCO News cont’d on page 4)

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ASCO NEWS (Cont’d from page 3)

prominent session, as outlined in ASCO’s Marketing Plan for Graduate Educationin Optometry. Dr. Bullimore had chaired the effort to develop the marketing plan during his tenure on ASCO’s Academic Affairs Committee. His presentation was thefirstinwhatwillbeaseriesofeffortsto increase student awareness of graduate programs and the importance of research and to address the association’s concern about the diminishing number of individu-als who have optometric credentials and another graduate degree.

Joining Dr. Bullimore on the panel were Dr. Ben Gaddie (moderator), Dr. Wal-terBallandDr.MarkWright.Theyeachspoke about their practices and how they made their way to their chosen practice settings. At the conclusion of the session, ASCO sponsored a stress ball give-away for students that highlighted its online listing of graduate programs, which can be found at http://www.opted.org/files/Grad%20Programs_2012.pdf.

Highlights from Latest Faculty Survey ReportASCO’sAnnualFacultySurveyReport

for Academic Year 2011-2012 was distrib-uted to the deans and presidents of mem-ber schools and colleges in June. This year’s survey includes 20 U.S. and Puerto Ricanschoolsandcollegesofoptometry.The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Optometry became a member of ASCO after the sur-vey cycle began, but will be included in the survey next year.

The report shows that the total number of1.0 full-timeequivalent (FTE) facultyis647.Lastyearthenumberoffull-time(asdefinedbytheschool)facultywas656.Thisyear’sresultsreflectachangeintheway full-time faculty are counted. Fac-ultyarenowgroupedas1.0FTEor lessthan1.0FTE,whileinthepasttheyweregrouped as full-time or part-time as desig-natedby the schools, regardless ofFTE.This change should be kept in mind when comparing data from this survey to previ-ousdata.Thisyear,34ofthefacultywhoarelessthan1.0FTEareconsideredtobefull-time by the schools.

Current survey data also indicate:

• 50.9% of 1.0 FTE faculty are maleand49.1%arefemale(Comparedwitha year ago, the number of male 1.0 FTE faculty decreased 9.1%, and thenumberoffemale1.0FTEfacultyin-creased8.2%)

• thepercentageof1.0FTEfacultywhoareBlackorAfricanAmericanis2.6%

• thepercentageof1.0FTEfacultywhoareHispanicorLatinois5.4%

• thepercentageof1.0FTEfacultywhoareAsianis12.8%

• thepercentageof1.0FTEfacultywhoareWhiteis75.9%

• thetotalnumberofallfaculty,includ-ingallFTEs, increasedfrom1,017to1,028

• the average percentage of a full-time(asdefinedbytheschool)facultymem-ber’s salary contributed by the institu-tionforanemployeebenefitspackageincreasedfrom29.8%to31.3%.

Thefull2011-2012FacultySurveyRe-portcanbefoundontheASCOWebsiteat http://www.opted.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3487.

Newest Student Data Report Now Available

ASCO’s 2011-2012 Annual Student DataReportwasdistributed to thedeansand presidents of ASCO member schools andcollegesinJuly.Resultsincludeinfor-mation from 20 institutions. The Massa-chusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Optometry will be in-cludednextyear.Itsfirstclassbeginsthisfall.

The survey shows that the total number of full-time students enrolled in the respond-ing 20 professional O.D. programs during academic year 2011-2012 was 6,289, an increaseof3.8%comparedwiththeprevi-ous year, and an increase of 14.6% since2006-2007. The total number of graduates decreased1.8%from2010to2011.

Additional highlights from the report:• the percentage of female full-time

students in the professional O.D. pro-gramsroseto64.3%(Onlyoneschoolreported more full-time male students than female students in 2011-2012)

• theaveragetuitionforafirst-yearresi-dent student enrolled in a professional O.D. program was $18,901 at a public school and $28,800 at a private school

• full-time and part-time students nowrepresent every U.S. state, the District ofColumbia,PuertoRico,Canadaandmorethan15othercountries.

The full 2011-2012 Annual Student DataReport can be found on theASCOWebsiteathttp://www.opted.org/i4a/pag-es/index.cfm?pageid=3396.

Student Affairs Officers Meet in Baltimore The ASCO Student Affairs Officers

met in Baltimore, Md., on June 20 to dis-cuss a variety of timely issues, including ASCO activities, OptomCAS and traf-fic guidelines for admissions.A primarytopic of discussion was the joint ASCO/AOA effort to further develop a robust, diverse and highly qualified national ap-plicantpool.Roundtablediscussionswereheld on best practices in recruitment and retention, special student populations and health care for optometry students. In ad-dition, Dr. Mark Colip of the Illinois Col-lege of Optometry delivered a presenta-tion on the use of dynamic presentation tools for promoting optometry as a career.

ASCO Distributes Diversity Mini-Grants

ASCO is pleased to announce that its Diversity Mini-Grant program has pro-vided funding assistance for 10 projects/programs in 2012. The program is spon-soredbyTheVisionCareInstitute,LLC,anaffiliateofJohnson&JohnsonVisionCareInc.,LuxotticaRetailandAlcon.Itsgoal is to aid optometry schools in devel-oping and implementing activities and programs for recruiting and/or retaining under-represented minority students, fi-nanciallydisadvantagedstudentsandfirst-generation college students.

The following schools and colleges re-ceived grants in 2012:

• Illinois College of Optometry (Focuson Your Future Summer Program)

• NovaSoutheasternUniversityCollegeof Optometry (The Preparatory Op-tometry Program [POP])

(ASCO News cont’d on page 5)

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ASCO NEWS (Cont’d from page 4)

• The Ohio State University Collegeof Optometry (Community Middle School Outreach: Pipeline to I-DOC)

• Southern College of Optometry (Eyeon Success)

• SUNY State College of Optometry(IncreasingDiversitybyEngagingAll[IDEA])

• University of Alabama at Birming-ham School of Optometry (Providing Diversity in Optometric Educationthrough Continual Enhancement ofCurrent Programs that Promote Diver-sity in Optometry)

• University of California-BerkeleySchool of Optometry (Berkeley Op-tometry Opto-Camp)

• University of Missouri at St. LouisCollegeofOptometry(EyesonDiver-sity)

• UniversityofHoustonCollegeofOp-tometry (Texas Optometry Career Op-portunitiesProgram[TEXOCOP])

• WesternUniversityofHealthSciencesCollege of Optometry (Eyes on Op-tometry).

The call for proposals for next year will be announced in early 2013. For more information about this program, contact Paige Pence at ppence@opted.org.

Student Video Contest Winners Announced IntheASCOEnvisionVideoCompeti-

tion, optometry students aim to produce a segment that effectively educates po-tential school and college applicants and the general public about the profession of optometry with creativity, ingenuity and humor. As the contest’s judges, a subcom-mittee of the ASCO Student Affairs Com-mittee decided these were this year’s best submissions:

• First place ($5,000): Joey Kane,NewEnglandCollegeofOptometry( h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=Bldhl05ht8U)

• Secondplace($2,500):AaronRahnandHuda Minhas, Inter American Universi-tyofPuertoRicoSchoolofOptometry(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJxtwYoNKcE&feature=youtu.be)

• Thirdplace($1,000):KonstantinFishi-levich, SUNY State College of Optom-etry(http://youtu.be/5yBlb7ZoHoE).

ASCO would like to graciously thank HOYA for its sponsorship of this competi-tion.

Several Topics Part of CAO Meeting ASCO’s ChiefAcademicOfficersmet

in June in Baltimore, Md., holding round-table discussions on several topics, includ-ing faculty orientation, role of student re-search, preparing students for the National Board examinations, class attendance and online component, student expectations regarding honor codes, American Board of Optometry certification requirementsforfaculty,andWebtrainingcertification.

Also, the group heard two presenta-tions:

• “Optometric Practice SimulationCourse Demonstration,” by Dr. David Mills, Ophthalmic Business and Man-agementInstructorattheNewEnglandCollege of Optometry, and Cameron Tipping, President of IIBD Business Simulation,Consulting&Training

• “TheOptometricAdmissionTestPro-gram,”byDr.DavidWaldschmidt,Di-rector of the American Dental Associa-tion’s Department of Testing Services.

More than 130 Guests Attend 2012 Luncheon

More than 130 members of the optomet-ric community attended ASCO’s Annual LeadershipLuncheon,whichwasheldinJune at the Hilton Chicago. HOYA gener-ouslysponsoredtheflagshipevent.ASCOPresident Dr. David Heath welcomed at-tendees and thanked the association’s af-filiate organizations and corporate con-tributors for their support of the schools and colleges of optometry. Dr. Heath in-troduced Barney Dougher, President of

The HOYA Free-Form Company, who ad-dressed attendees and thanked ASCO for the opportunity to support the event.

Dr. Heath also announced Dr. Charles Haine as the winner of the Dr. Jack Ben-nett Innovation inOptometric EducationAward. The award recognizes an ASCO volunteer for an outstanding innovation in op-tometric education through ASCO. It is named in memory of Dr. Jack Bennett, who was a creative leader in optomet-ric education and dean at three optometric institutions. Dr. Haine received the award in recogni-tionofhissuccessful40-yearcareerasaclinician, educator and mentor. Over the course of his career, Dr. Haine served as a faculty member and administrator at mul-tiple academic institutions, as well as an active volunteer for ASCO. He advanced residency education as the founding and onlypresidentoftheOptometricResiden-cy Matching Service for nearly 30 years.

Dr. Debbie Godfrey, a consultant for the ASCO/AOA Joint Project Team that is working on the strategic initiative to de-velop a robust, diverse and highly quali-fied national applicant pool, also spokeat the luncheon. She shared the outcomes from the initial research phase of the Joint ASCO/AOA project, which included an assessment of attitudes regarding the pub-lic image of optometry as a profession. Over the past year, Dr. Godfrey had con-ducted extensive focus groups as well as private and group interviews with optom-etry leaders, students, faculty and young practitioners. In addition, she presented key results from a survey of high school and college students.

ASCO would like to thank everyone who attended this year’s luncheon. Welook forward to hosting the event again next year!

ASCO would like to thank HOYA for sponsoring the 2012 Leadership

Luncheon.

(ASCO News cont’d on page 6)

Dr. Charles Haine

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ASCO NEWS (Cont’d from page 5)

ASCO Welcomes Industry Leaders

More than 70 industry representatives and leaders of schools and colleges of optometry attended ASCO’s Annual Cor-porate Contributor Breakfast, held in June at the Hilton Chicago. ASCO President Dr. David Heath welcomed attendees and thanked the association’s corporate con-tributors for their continued support of its programs and initiatives. During the pro-gram, Dr. Heath reviewed ASCO’s priori-ties for the coming year, which include ap-plicant development, diversity initiatives, the Summer Institute for Faculty Develop-ment, and strategic communications. Fol-lowing Dr. Heath’s comments, attendees participated in an open forum to discuss critical issues.

The Corporate Contributor Breakfast is part of ASCO’s Corporate Contributor Program. The event provides an oppor-tunity for the deans and presidents of the schools and colleges of optometry to meet with industry leaders to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Faculty Development Events Return in 2013 Planning has begun for ASCO’s fifth

Summer Institute for Faculty Develop-ment,whichwillbeheldJuly14-17,2013in St. Louis, Mo. Up to two applicantsfrom each school and college of optom-etry will be selected to participate in the program, but institutions are encouraged to submit additional applicants. The pro-gram is co-chaired by Dr. David Damari from the Southern College of Optometry andDr.ShilpaRegister from theMassa-chusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences School of Optometry. The goals of the Institute are to contribute to in-creased retention of faculty and to pro-vide participants with an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their success in an optomet-ric academic environment as career-long, productive faculty members.

ASCO’s second Future Faculty Pro-gram will be held July 13-14, 2013 inconjunction with the Summer Institute for FacultyDevelopment.Upto15graduatestudents from the schools and colleges of optometry will be selected to participate in the program, which is chaired by Dr. David Troilo from the SUNY State Col-lege of Optometry. Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time graduate program at an ASCO member institution and have demonstrated a strong interest in pursuing a career in academic optometry.

ASCO will begin accepting applica-tions for both programs in January 2013. All applications must be approved by the institution’s dean or president prior to sub-mission to ASCO. For more information, contact LaShawn Sidbury at lsidbury@opted.orgor(301)231-5944ext.3012.

Both the Summer Institute for Faculty Development and the Future Faculty Pro-gram are initiatives aimed at addressing ASCO’s strategic priority of faculty pro-motion and development. The associa-tion thanksAlcon, Essilor,Vistakon andWalmart for generously contributing totheInstitute,andWalmartforfundingtheFuture Faculty Program.

Groups’ Input Alters FDA-Related Bill

In May, the U.S. Senate passed S. 3187, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. This legislation in-cluded language that would reclassify all hydrocodone-containing products as Schedule II substances. Currently, cer-tain hydrocodone-containing combination products are classified as Schedule III,which many states allow optometrists to prescribe.The“hydrocodonereclassifica-tion amendment” in S. 3187 would create a number of barriers for certain health pro-fessions, including optometry.

On June 8, ASCO, the AOA and sev-eral other health profession organizations, including like-minded physician groups, sent a letter to the chairperson and rank-

ing member of both the Senate Committee onHealth,Education,LaborandPensions(HELP)andtheHouseEnergyandCom-merce Committee asking them to remove the language from the bill. The letter ac-knowledged the worries about drug abuse, butstressedthatreclassificationcouldcre-ate barriers for patients who have a legiti-mate need for pain treatment.

In response to the letter, rather than re-classifyingthesesubstances,thefinalbill(passed by the House in June and signed by President Obama on July 9) contains a requirement that the Secretary of Health and Human Services hold a public hear-ing on hydrocodone abuse issues no later than 60 days after the enactment of the Act. ASCO will continue to monitor this issueandworkwiththeAOAasFDAoffi-cials consider administrative proposals to respond to hydrocodone abuse and illegal diversion.

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MEETINGS(ASCO Professional Groups, Committees and Special Interest Groups*)

OCTOBER 2012The Clinic Directors and Administrators SIG and Externship Directors SIG meetings will be held in Pomona, Calif., at the Sheraton Fairplex.

October 11ExternshipDirectorsSIG(contactDr.LesterCaplan,lcacc@comcast.net)

October 11-13ClinicDirectorsandAdministratorsSIG(contactDr.LesterCaplan, lcacc@comcast.net)

The following meetings will be held in conjunction with the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. Dates are tentative

October 22ASCOExecutiveCommittee

October 23ASCOBoardofDirectors;ClinicalOptometricMethods&Procedures Instructors SIG

October 24EducationalTechnologySIG

October 24-26VisionScienceLibrariansSIG

October 25BinocularVisionandPerceptionEducatorsSIG;CulturalCom-petencyCurriculumGuidelinesSubcommitteeandWorkshopPlanning Group (contact ASCO Manager of Professional Affairs CarolBrubaker,cbrubaker@opted.orgor(757)491-6993);Development Directors SIG (contact ASCO Director of Cor-porate Affairs and the Partnership Foundation for Optometric EducationChristineArmstrong,carmstrong@opted.orgor(301)231-5944ext.3018);JointASCO/AOAExecutiveCommittee;LowVisionEducatorsSIG;Neuro-RehabEducatorsSIG;Part-nershipFoundationforOptometricEducation(contactASCODirector of Corporate Affairs and the Partnership Foundation for OptometricEducationChristineArmstrong,carmstrong@opted.orgor(301)231-5944ext.3018);PublicHealthEducatorsSIG;ResidencyEducatorsSIG(contactASCOManagerofProfes-sionalAffairsCarolBrubaker,cbrubaker@opted.orgor(757)491-6993)

October 26ChiefAcademicOfficers;ContinuingEducationDirectorsSIG;EthicsEducatorsSIG;InternationalOptometricEducatorsSIG;SIG Meeting/Orientation

Low Vision Educators SIGMet: July12-14atSouthernCollegeofOptometryinMemphis,Tenn.

Chair: Dr.ElliKollbaumTopics discussed: Learningobjectivesforadvancedcompeten-cies in low vision rehabilitation

Actions:NextmeetingOct.25inPhoenix,Ariz;nextsummermeeting tentatively planned for July 11-13, 2013 at Michigan Col-legeofOptometryatFerrisStateUniversityinBigRapids,Mich.

Speakers: Documentation and coding presentations by Dr. RichardSodenandDr.KendallKrug

Unlessotherwiseindicated,thecontactforallmeetingsisASCOProgramManagerLaShawnSidbury,lsidbury@opted.orgor(301)231-5944ext.3012.

*SpecialInterestGroups(SIGs)werecreatedwithinASCOasaprimarymeansofimplementingtheASCOmissionof“fulfillingtheleader-ship role in the optometric education enterprise.” The purpose of SIGs is to provide forums for professional staff, administrators and faculty with common responsibilities to communicate directly with each other and to provide advice and counsel to the ASCO Board of Directors on issues related to their areas of interest. Participation is open to individuals designated by the deans and presidents of active ASCO member institutions.SeetheASCOWebsite,www.opted.org,formoreinformation.

Southern College of Optometry hosted the July meeting of the Low Vision Educators SIG. (Photo courtesy of SCO.)

Ophthalmic Optics Educators SIGMet: July 26-27, 2012 in San Diego, Calif.

Chair: CathyEvans,DirectorofOphthalmicServices,PacificUni-versity College of Optometry

Actions: Dr. Mark Street, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University, was named chair-elect for next year. (Dr. Michelle Hoff, University of California – Berkeley School of Optometry, is the current chair-elect.)

Speakers: Dr.RalphChoudeliveredtheJoeBruneniLecture,“TheGroundGlassLunch,PerspectivesonLensImpactResistance”;JeffHopkins,CarlZeissVision,teachingfree-fromtechnologytoop-tometrystudentsandpatients;Dr.JeromeLegerton,InnovegaInc.,andDr.RichardClompus,PixelOptics,onthefutureofwirelesseyewear with electronic delivery of information; Dr. James Sheedy on 3D progress and its impact on our lives from the classroom, to the theaters, to our living rooms.

Sponsor: CarlZeissVision

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SCHOOL AND COLLEGE NEWSSCO’s Dr. Campbell Reappointed as ACOE Chair

Southern College of Optometry Professor Dr. J. Bart Campbell has been reappointed as Chair of the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).ACOE is the only accreditingbody for professional optometric degree programs, optometric residency programs and optometric technician programs in the United States and Canada.

Dr. Campbell has served on numerous education-related com-mitteesfortheACOEaswellastheAssociationofSchoolsandColleges of Optometry (ASCO) ResidencyAffairs Committeeand aNationalBoardofExaminers inOptometryExaminationConstruction Committee, which he chaired for two years.

SCO Groundbreaking

Salus University Names PresidentAfter completing his service with

the U.S. Navy, Rear Admiral Dr.Michael H. Mittelman will succeed Dr.ThomasL.Lewisas thePresi-dent of Salus University. He is ex-pected to assume his new role by summer 2013. To accommodate this timing and ensure a smooth transi-tion,Dr.Lewishasagreedtoremainas President during this period.

Currently serving as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy and Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Dr. Mittelman’s naval service has included a variety of

positions around the world. He is a graduate of the Pennsylva-nia College of Optometry, which founded Salus University under Dr.Lewis’leadership.Salusnowhasthreeadditionalcolleges:the

GeorgeS.OsborneCollegeofAudiology,theCollegeofEduca-tionandRehabilitation,andtheCollegeofHealthSciences.

Gift to Fund Vision Institute at UHUniversity of Houston College of Optometry alumnus Dr.

DougBarnesandhiswife,Molly,havemadea$5millionpledgeto the University of Houston. The gift will be submitted for state matchingfundsthroughtheTexasResearchIncentiveProgram.Thefirsttwofloorsoftheuniversity’snewHealthandBiomedi-cal Sciences Building will be named the Molly and Doug Barnes Vision Institute in their honor.

The planned expansion will provide novel educational op-portunities for students and innovative facilities for research, in-cluding an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) and laser refractive centeronthegroundfloorandclassroomspace,alearningcenterandclinicalresearchlabsonthesecondfloor.TheheartoftheVi-sionInstitutewillbethestate-of-theartASC,thefirstofitskindwithin an optometry school.

MCPHS Partnering on New ClinicThe Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sci-

ences (MCPHS) and the FamilyHealthCenter ofWorcesterlauncheda$1.5millionjointprojecttoconstructastate-of-the-artoptometryclinicon thegroundfloorof thehealthcenter.Theprojectispartofa$5milliongrantawardedtothecenterbytheHealthResourcesandServicesAdministrationaspartofthe Affordable Care Act.

The new optometry clinic will be partly staffed by faculty and students from the new MCPHS School of Optometry, which begins receiving students in August. MCPHS optometry students will also have the opportunity to do their clinical rota-tions at the clinic. It is scheduled to be completed in July 2013 and will serve approximately 7,000 patients per year.

ICO Adds Center on Vision and Aging The Illinois College of Op-

tometry (ICO) announced the founding of the Alfred and Sarah Rosenbloom Center on Visionand Aging, which will be located on campus within the Illinois Eye Institute. The Center willultimately have four essential functions: to promote optometry student and practitioner knowl-edge and understanding of the inter-relatedness of aging and vi-sion care; to provide vision care, counseling and support services for older adults and underserved

communities in and around Chicago; to develop ongoing rela-tionships with selected geriatric care facilities in the Chicago area for education and patient care services; and to sponsor vision-related geriatric research.

Incoming President of Salus University Dr. Michael H. Mittelman

Dr. Alfred Rosenbloom and his wife, Sarah

Southern College of Optometry recently broke ground on its $9.4 million academic facility expansion project. For more information about the project, see the Spring 2012 issue of EyeonEducation.

(School News cont’d on page 9)

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SCHOOL AND COLLEGE NEWSTheCenterhonorsDr.AlfredRosenbloomandhiswife,Sarah.

Dr.RosenbloomservedasDeanofICOfrom1955to1972,Pres-ident from 1972 to 1982, and remains a Distinguished Profes-sorEmeritus.HewasinductedintotheNationalOptometryHallof Fame in 2010 and continues to be a leader in the profession. “To have a prominent ICO alumnus and his wife – and a former presidentofICO–makesuchasignificantleadershipgifttoICOis transforming for the institution,” said ICO President Dr. Arol Augsburger. “ICO will soon be the only optometric institution with a Center on Vision and Aging.”

69-year-old Graduates from PUCOSpringtime news in the optometric community is typically

full of interesting stories related to the 20-plus graduating classes, but a real eye-catcher emerged this year from the Pa-cific University College of Optometry (PUCO). Accordingto an article in the daily newspaper The Oregonian, PUCO’s Class of 2012 included Norm Smith, who happens to be 69 years old.

As the author of the article, Bill Graves, explained, Smith is a lifelong entrepreneur who was looking for a new challenge. After spending two years taking the necessary prerequisite courses, he applied to 17 optometry schools, most of which did not respond. PUCO did respond, and Smith graduated this May. He told the Oregonian’s Graves that he plans to work two or three days a week, perhaps in nursing or hospice homes where eye care is limited, and what has always been important to him is to “keep moving.”

SUNY Fills Positions, Opens Sports Vision Center

The State University of New York, State College of Optometry recently announced the following appointments:

• Dr. Richard J. Madonna has beennamed Chair of the Department of ClinicalEducation.Inadditiontohisnew appointment, he also serves as DirectorofContinuingEducationandas an Associate Professor.

• Francisco A. Lucio, a 2006 gradu-ate of St. John’s University School ofLaw,hasbeennamedDirectorofCareer Development and Minority Enrichment. This is a new positionat the college, one that will help stu-dents identify career options and as-sess and understand their personal andprofessionalcompetencies.Luciois the former Program Director at the Manhattan-Staten Island Area Health Education Center where he was re-sponsible for overseeing nine heath career programs for more than 200 underserved students a year.

• Dr. Suresh Viswanathan will be-come Chair of the Department of Biological and Vision Sciences in January 2013. He is currently a ten-ured Associate Professor at the Indi-ana University School of Optometry. HeisalsoamemberoftheEditorialReviewBoardoftheASCOjournalOptometric Education.

In other news, the college opened a state-of-the-art Sports Vision Center at itsUniversityEyeCenterandwillofferprofessionalandama-teur athletes the opportunity to maximize their sports perfor-mance through vision training. In addition to individual train-ing for children and adults, the Center will offer workshops for sports trainers and coaches that demonstrate vision training and vision calisthenics techniques for sport success. The staff will also conduct vision screenings for area sports teams and will in-cludeteststhataresportsspecific.

SCCO’s Dr. Carnevali is First to Receive AOA Educator AwardAstherecipientofitsinauguralOptometricEducatorofthe

Year Award, presented at its annual meeting in June, the Amer-ican Optometric Association (AOA) chose Southern California College of Optometry Associate Professor Dr. Tony Carnevali. The Award recognizes a deserving AOA member educator for performance of outstanding services on behalf of the profes-sion, optometric education and the visual welfare of the public. Dr. Carnevali spent 20 years in private practice before becom-ing a full-timeSCCO facultymember in1995.As a specialconsultant to the California Department of Consumer Affairs, he wrote the comprehensive report that became the foundation for guidelines adopted by the California State Board of Op-tometry that permit California optometrists to receive training andbecomeglaucomacertified.

In other news, Teresa Thetford has been selected as the Founding Director of the Physician Assistant Program at SCCO,thefirstofitskindinOrangeCounty.Thetfordwillbeworking with SCCO’s executive leadership to develop the vi-sion, structure, systems and processes that support the strategic goals for this Master’s level academic program. The program isplanningtoacceptitsfirstclassinthefallof2014.

RSO Pleased with Success of Research Training Program

As part of its commitment to grow its research programs as it develops its academic programs, the University of the In-carnateWord Rosenberg School of Optometry developed aSummer Fellowship Training Program (SFTP). After its initial year, the research funds awarded to the program, designed for optometryinternswhocompletedtheirfirstacademicyearandare transitioning to their second year, were doubled. Partici-pantsreceivea$4,000stipendforscholarlyandrelatedactivi-ties completed during an eight-week period.

(Cont’d from page 8)

Dr. Richard Madonna

Francisco A. Lucio

(School News cont’d on page 10)

Dr. Suresh Viswanathan

10

SCHOOL AND COLLEGE NEWS (Cont’d from page 9)

ThefirstSFTPyieldedatotalofeightpeer-reviewedpostersand two papers thatwere presented at nationalmeetings. Re-search areas for the 2012 program include the genetic basis of retinoblastoma, treatment and visual performance in dry eye, low contrast and color vision on multiple touch-screen displays such as iPad and iPhone, and development of a neurovision test card for measuring visual acuity.

The school credits faculty members Dr. Charles Connor, Dr. PatriciaSanchez-DiazandDr.JeffreyRabinandtheirinternsfor“puttingtheRosenbergSchoolofOptometryresearchprogramon the map far ahead of schedule.”

UMSL Researchers Enter National Academy of InventorsThree members of the University of Missouri at St. Louis

College of Optometry family have been inducted into the Na-tionalAcademyofInventors.DirectorofResearchandGraduateStudiesDr.CarlBassiandSeniorResearchTechnicianMichaelHowe were inducted based on their patent pertaining to a quanti-tative three-dot test designed for earlier detection of amblyopia.

ClinicalProfessorDr.RaymondI.Myerswasinductedbasedon his research involving innovative techniques for refractive surgery and safer contact lens case design. He holds a patent related to lenticular refractive surgery for presbyopia, other re-fractive errors and cataract retardation and has several others pending.

Group Establishes Award in Honor of Fellow StudentThe Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLN), a

group dedicated to cultivating leaders in private practice optom-etry,presenteditsfirstPrestonCupawardthisspring.Theawardwas created in honor of Preston Smith, a fourth-year student at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry (NSUOCO)andfoundingmemberofSOLNwhowaskilledinacar accident in 2011.

SOLNmembersattendingthegroup’sannualconferencethisyearvoted togive thefirstaward to thePracticeManagementClub of NSUOCO in recognition of its “going above and beyond overthepastyear.”AccordingtoSOLN,theclubnotonlystayedon track with its mission after the death of its president, Smith, it continued moving forward by starting a new program for mem-bers called “Day with the Doc.”

Abbott Medical Optics Alcon Allergan Bausch+Lomb CarlZeissVision/CarlZeissMeditec CompulinkBusinessSystems CooperVision EMRlogic EssilorofAmerica Haag-Streit HEINE TheHOYAFree-FormCompany InternationalVisionExpo KeelerInstruments Luxottica/EyeMedVisionCare Marco Marchon M&STechnologies Oculus Optos North America PixelOptics ReviewofOptometry SafiloGroup TLCVision Transitions Optical Inc. Vision Service Plan Vision Source! Vistakon, Division of Johnson &JohnsonVisionCareInc. Volk Optical Inc. WalmartStoresInc.

*As of July 1, 2012

ASCO Corporate Contributors*ASCO appreciates the continued support it receives from the following companies for its national programs

andactivitiesthatbenefitalltheschoolsandcollegesofoptometry:

11

EssilorisaleadingmanufacturerandwholesaledistributorofopticallensesintheUnitedStates.In1996,withtheestablishmentofEssilorLaboratoriesofAmericaInc.(EssilorLabs),thecom-panybecamethefirstfullyintegratedopticalcompanyintheUnitedStates,specializinginoph-thalmic lens production, manufacturing and distribution in addition to wholesale optical laboratory operations.Essilorworkscloselywitheyecareprofessionalstoprovideinnovativeproductsthatfittheirpa-

tients’lifestyles.Infact,Essilorwasrecentlynamed#25ontheForbes100MostInnovativeCom-panies list. Bringing to the industry the most technologically advanced lenses — Varilux, Crizal, Optifog,XperioandDEFINITY—demonstratesEssilor’sabilitytorespondtoconsumerdemandfor quality eyewear that continues to meet unmet patient needs. However,atEssilor,innovationgoesfarbeyondtheproductswebringtothemarket.Providing

better visual health to as many people in the world as possible is both our ambition and responsibility. Of theworld’spopulationof7billion,4.2billionpeopleneedvisualcorrection,butonly1.7

billionarecorrected.Theremaining2.5billionpeoplearewithoutthevisualcorrectiontheyneed.Weallunderstandthatpoorvisionhasextremeconsequences,bothforindividualsandcommu-

nities.Tocontributetoimprovingpoorvision,Essilorundertakesmanyinitiativestoevaluateforand provide eyeglasses, including vans that travel around India and provide glasses to underserved populationsandkioskssetupin24Chinesecities.IntheUnitedStates,theEssilorVisionFounda-tion has evaluated more than 86,000 children and provided more than 21,000 pairs of glasses in the pastfouryears.Aboveall,Essilorhas50,000employeesmobilizedarounditsmissionofimprov-ingthevisionofthe4.2billionpeopleintheworldwhoneedvisualcorrection.Wethankyouforyoursupportofourbusinessandforyourdedicationtoanindustrythatismak-

ing a difference in the lives of people around the world.Formoreinformation,visitEssilorUSA.com.

* Information for this Industry Spotlight was supplied by Essilor and not independently verified by Eye on Education.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTEssilor

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Company Prides Itself on Quality Lenses and Tackling the Unmet Need in Vision Correction

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CORPORATE CONTRIBUTOR NEWSVision Expo Expands Student Programming

International Vision Expo & Confer-encecontinuestoaddbenefitsandexpandprogramming related to its Optometry Student Program. This year at Internation-alVisionExpoinLasVegas,Nev.(Sept.5-8), show management will begin test-ing a Mentor Program. The program will match third- and fourth-year students with an optometrist mentor to prepare for the show and connect on-site.

Numerous events designed to help stu-dents make valuable connections with colleagues and future employers are also scheduled. To help students get to this year’s show, $1,000 travel grants were awarded to one student from each of the 22 schools in the American Optometric Student Association. The growth of the Student Program has also enticed orga-nizations to host meetings at the show, including the Association of Practice ManagementEducators andStudentOp-tometricLeadershipNetwork.

International Vision Expo recentlyjoined the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s Corporate Con-tributors Program, which supports nation-al programs and activities benefiting theschools and colleges of optometry.

For more information, visit www.vi-sionexpowest.com/Students or call Client Servicesat(800)811-7151.

Companies Name President and CEO

Haag-Streit USA and Reliance Medi-calProductshavenamedDr.ErnestCavinPresidentandCEOofbothorganizations.Dr. Cavin brings extensive expertise from the technology industry to the Mason, OH-based companies. Prior to joining Haag-Streit USA, Dr. Cavin held positions with CienaLtd.inZurich,Switzerland;Ascom;SwisscomFixNet; andLucentTechnolo-gies.

In a press release from the companies, Dr. Cavin stated, “Haag-Streit and Reli-ance have achieved record sales, due to a commitment to offering the eyecare in-dustry products they can trust. My goal is to remain true to those core principles, as medical devices become more high-tech and software-oriented.We will continueto focus on adding value and serving the needs of the eyecare community.”

TLC Laser Eye Centers Appoints New CEO

TLC Laser Eye Centers appointedGeorgeNealtothepositionofChiefEx-ecutive Officer. Neal joins the companywithmorethan25yearsofexperienceinthe ophthalmic industry. Most recently,

he served as Division Vice P r e s i d e n t , Global Sales and Interna-tional Mar-keting, with Abbott Medi-cal Optics.

The compa-ny said Neal is the ideal person to lead TLC as it looks to invest in the businessand take advantage of the multiple growth opportunities it sees on the horizon. “I firmlybelievethatthebestdaysareaheadforTLC,”Nealsaid.“Iamexcitedat theprospect of leading the company and con-tinuing to set the standard for refractive eyecare services. I’m also confidentTLCwill lead the industry as the provider of choice for refractive technologies, premi-umIOLsandcataractsolutions.”

Pioneering Lens Solution Turns 25

Bausch+Lombiscelebratingthe25thanniversary of renu, the first multi-pur-pose contact lens solution brand, which was originally introduced in 1987. The brand forever changed the contact lens solution category as the original single-bottle regimen and introduced a unique ingredient for its time, Dymed.

AccordingtoKimberlyC.Gobel,Mar-keting Director of Lens Care, Bausch +LombNorthAmericanVisionCare,“Weare proud that Bausch + Lombmodern-ized the way people care for their eyes by introducing an innovative brand that not only made contact lenses more convenient and accessible but has remained a lead-ing personal care product for more than a quarter of a century.”

(Corporate Contributor News cont’d on page 13)

Dr. Ernest Cavin

George Neal

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CORPORATE CONTRIBUTOR NEWSLong-Time Executive to Retire This Fall

Following a 23-year career with John-son & Johnson Vision Care and morethan40yearsintheeyecareindustry,PhilKeeferhasannouncedhisdecisiontore-tire,effectiveSept.1.KeeferjoinedJohn-son&JohnsonVisionCarein1989asEx-ecutive Vice President Sales, Marketing, Professional Affairs and Strategic Plan-ning, where he oversaw the launch of the Acuvue brand. In 1993, he was appointed Vice President, New Business Develop-ment, where he created and implemented global strategic plans that included the international expansion of the Vision Care franchise. He served as Managing Director/President of multiple regions, in-cludingAsiaPacific, theAmericas,LatinAmerica and Japan.

KeeferiscurrentlyPresidentofTheVi-sion Care In-stitute, where he conceived and imple-mented a professional e d u c a t i o n strategy that resulted in the creationof15Vision Care Institutes and nine satel-lite centers around the world. He has also served as an active member of the Johnson & JohnsonVisionCareGlobalManage-ment Board for his entire 23-year career.

Also,Dr.JanelleRouthierandDr.Cris-tina Schnider of Vistakon Division of Johnson&JohnsonVisionCareInc.wererecently elected as Fellows of the British ContactLensAssociation.

Pink Lens Campaign Raises $30,000

In 2009, Volk Optical developed an exclusive line of pink-ringed lenses to support the philanthropic efforts of its ophthalmic products distributor Pioneer International.Withthesaleofthe1,000thlens, donations to the American Cancer Society have reached $30,000.

The campaign originated as a celebra-tion of Pioneer’s 10th anniversary. From each lens sold, $10 of the purchase price was matched with $10 each from Volk and Pioneer, resulting in $30 per lens donated to breast cancer research. Available exclu-sively from Pioneer, Volk 20D, 78D, 90D andDigitalWideFieldlensesareringedinthe signature pink of breast cancer aware-ness and engraved with the awareness rib-bon.

Minority Eye Health is Focus of Report

Recognizing that growing ethnicminority populations are at higher risk for many eye diseases, yet often have less access to and lower awareness of the need for preventive care, Prevent Blindness America and Transitions Optical Inc. have introduced a new report, “Focus on Eye Health and Culturally DiversePopulations.” The report, which overviews the serious eye health risks faced by African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics, is intended to serve as both a resource and call-to-action for government agencies, policymakers, organization leaders and patient advocates to make eye health education among these groups a national priority.

The report was developed following Prevent Blindness America’s Focus on Eye Health Summit, which was held in

(Cont’d from page 12)

June. It complements the 2012 update of the “Vision Problems in the U.S.” report, which was released during the event. To download the new report, visit the News &ResourcessectionofPreventBlindness.org/VisionProblems.

Expansion Aimed at U.S. Customer Service

To better serve its U.S. customers, Ocu-lus Inc. moved its headquarters to a new facility inArlington,Wash.,northofSe-attle. The new location houses executive offices, a main customer service center,thefinanceandoperationsdivisions,anda state-of-the-art showroom for the com-pany’s products.

The company is also opening an east coast service center in Florida in Sept. 2012, so that its helpline (+1 425 6709977) will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.ESTtoservecustomers.Inaddition,specialists from Oculus Germany will join the U.S. team at the service center.

Portable Slit Lamp Designed for Value

Offering another portable slit lamp choice to suit optometric practice needs, Keeler has launched the PSLOne.Withone standard magnification of 10X, thePSLOne is amore cost-effective optionthanKeeler’sClassicPortableSlitLampfor practitioners who prefer value over extrafeatures.ThePSLOnehasbeende-signed to be lightweight and durable, ideal for use on pediatric, elderly, obese and disabled patients in on- or off-site clinics. Its precision-machined aluminum chassis creates a sturdy structure able to withstand daily travel and use in a busy practice.

Itfeaturesslitandwheelsfrom0.15-1.6mm, a 12-mm circle and a 1-mm square to produceanteriorchamberflare,aidinginthediagnosisofuveitis.Redfree,blueandneutral density filters all come standard.An optional iPhone 4 adaptor enablesophthalmic video capture.

(Corporate Contributor News cont’d on page 14)

Phil Keefer

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CORPORATE CONTRIBUTOR NEWS (Cont’d from page 13)

Company Showcases Technology at Schools

Optos recently teamed up with Dr. John Nishimoto from the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) to deliver presentations at Midwestern University - Arizona School of Optometry and The Ohio State University College of Optometry. The presentations, attended by deans, associate professors and clinical faculty, were designed to demonstrate SCCO’s experience with successful implementation of ultra-widefield technology over the years.Thepresentations also served to illustrate Optos’ continued support of clinical optometry and the benefits of teachingoptomap as a form of ophthalmoscopy in optometry schools.

New Indication for Femtosecond Laser

Abbott Medical Optics recently received FDA clearance to use its iFS Advanced FemtosecondLaser tocreatebow-shapedor curved arcuate incisions in corneal surgery, including cataract surgery.

The iFS Laser was originally clearedto create LASIK flaps and other cornealincisions in the eye and is the fifthgenerationofIntraLasetechnology,whichhas been used in more than 5 millionprocedures worldwide.

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