Volume 7, Issue 9 │March 3, 2023
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CE Course This Sunday in Rosemont over 95% Full!
Limited on-site registration is open first come, first served. Arrive early to secure your spot.
Sunday, March 5, 2023 | Rosemont, IL
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm - 6 hrs TQ CE
Course: "New Technology Applications, Dry Eye Diagnosis & Management, and What’s New In Contact Lenses"
Speaker: Mile Brujic, OD
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Sunday, March 19, 2023 | Alsip, IL
Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm - 6 hrs TQ CE
Course: "Maximizing Therapeutics and Imaging in the Management of Ocular Disease: What’s New and What’s Next?"
Speaker: Jessica Steen, OD
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LEGISLATION WE ARE WATCHING |
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The 2023 Spring session is in full swing and the IOA is working hard to protect the profession of optometry. This year, vision plan legislation at the state and federal level will be the top priority for the IOA.
The IOA is fiercely defending your rights in Illinois with the reintroduction of SB 1540 and HB 3725, which creates the Vision Care Regulation Act, Fair Contracting for Patient Access to Eye Care. We applaud the effort of Senator Cristina Castro and Representative Anna Moeller, the bill's sponsors, for recognizing the importance of putting doctors and patients in control of their health care decisions without the interference of vision plans.
Simple reforms in the bill aim to provide doctors of optometry with more transparency and choice in the vision care marketplace. Cost-shifting contributes to a major lack of transparency in the medical model and unfairly places the burden of funding eye care benefits on eye doctors and small businesses. Insurers attract customers by reducing fees for materials and services they do not cover in their vision plan. While this improves insurers' bottom line, eye doctors are forced to absorb losses for non-covered services or to pass costs on to patients who have no coverage at all.
Read more about the bill and other legislation IOA is tracking at the link below.
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Want to learn more about the issue? Check out this video that was created by Patients Rising, a patient advocacy organization speaking out on behalf of tens of millions of patients nationwide.
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Legislative Day 2023
Consider also attending the 2023 Legislative Day in Springfield. Legislative Day will be held on Tuesday, May 2. IOA members will meet with legislators to discuss current IOA-proposed bills. Face-to-face interaction is a crucial way to build support for the proposed legislation. Meeting with your legislators helps to show elected officials why a proposed bill is important and what effect it may have on their community.
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REGISTER NOW for the Next Young Professionals Event
The Young Professionals event on Saturday, March 18 is moving to a new location! The event will now be held at AceBounce Chicago. Join us for food, drinks, ping pong, shuffleboard, and networking. The event is open to members who graduated between 2013 and 2022.
If you have already RSVP'd for the event, please re-register at the link below!
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For Black History Month, we remembered and honored those individuals who broke barriers in the field of optometry.
Dr. James Stafford was President of the IOA from 1976-1978.
Dr. Stafford served his county in WWII and the Korean War, and helped to establish the first all African American-staffed hospital during WWII. After returning from service, Dr. Stafford graduated from ICO in 1946. In 1954, he relocated to Peoria with his wife Evelyn. Evelyn was also active in the IOA, leading as the auxiliary club’s president in the 1970s. At 101 years old, Dr. Stafford is an active member of the Peoria community and his church. He and Evelyn have two children and four grandchildren.
Dr. Tim Cundiff, a fellow Peoria native and Immediate Past Chair, interviewed Dr. Stafford about his remarkable career and life. His secret to 101 years? “Being active, not taking yourself too seriously, and faith.”
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IOA CELEBRATES WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH IN MARCH
A Message from President and Chair Chelsey Moore, O.D.
Greetings,
March is National Women's History Month. In the 1970s, this observance increased awareness about women's many historical contributions. The first official National Women's History Week was in 1980, as declared by President Jimmy Carter.
In 1987 the week-long observance was extended to a month by Congressional proclamation.
We will be celebrating women who have served as Past Presidents of the IOA who are pioneers in optometry, throughout this month. And, as we look back at women’s achievements in optometry we remember the first female U.S. Optometrist, Dr. Gertrude Stanton.
The first reported female optometrist, Dr. Gertrude Stanton, began practicing in 1899. Also known as Dr. Ella Gertrude Smith Ayer Stanton Jones, she began her career as a teacher. She later moved to Minnesota, where she was trained and began working as an itinerant refracting optician or optometrist and using clever marketing to increase her professional reputation.
Stanton first worked as an in-store optometrist at Dayton's Department store and went on to start her practice. She employed her daughter, and women ran her entire optical practice. She was active in her community, participated in optometry and professional associations, and contributed to public service projects.
We wish every woman a happy Women’s History Month, and you’ll see special feature stories in future editions of InSight.
Yours,
Chelsey Moore, O.D.
President and Chair, IOA
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Portrait of Gertrude Stanton. From the Opt J Rev Optom. 1906;28:368
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Recipients warned that they must comply or face
significant civil penalties
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Know the requirements and where to find resources that can help you comply.
It’s been nearly three years since the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amended the Contact Lens Rule, and providers who do not comply could face significant civil penalties. The AOA offers an abundance of resources to help members adhere to the rule.
Under the requirements, contact lens prescribers:
- Must have patients sign acknowledgement forms indicating they are in receipt of their prescriptions.
- Practices also can adhere to the regulations by seeking patient consent to send contact lens prescriptions electronically—such as through a patient portal or email.
- Further, practices are now required to keep record of those confirmations for at least three years.
- Provide a copy of the contact lens prescription to anyone acting as the patient’s agent.
The penalty for noncompliance can result in legal action including civil monetary penalties of up to $50,120 for each violation, a threat against doctors that the AOA will continue to stand firmly against. If the FTC were to receive a complaint regarding a doctor’s practice, the agency reports that it would then engage directly with the practice to gather details and assess the situation to determine a fine it deems appropriate, if necessary.
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Winter 2023 Journal
The Winter 2023 edition of the IOA Journal is out now! Follow the link below to read highlights from the 2022 Annual Meeting, legislation we're following, and a message from IAO CEO Leigh Ann Vanausdoll.
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DEADLINE EXTENDED for AOA+ Travel Grants for New Doctors, Educators Eligible
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FEEL GOOD STORY OF THE WEEK |
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Eye Doctor Saves Girl’s Life After Routine Test Discovers Potentially Fatal Brain Condition
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
LONDON — An eye doctor saved a young girl’s life after a routine eye test discovered a potentially fatal brain condition. Poppy-May Leeds was moments away from having a life-threatening seizure when her optician found a build-up of fluid that required emergency brain surgery.
Optometrist Mrudang Patel quickly realized while examining the nine-year-old that something was wrong and took decisive action to save her life. Initially, Poppy-May went to an emergency eye clinic for an MRI scan. After being sent home, she was quickly brought back in after doctors examined the results.
They transferred her by ambulance to King’s College Hospital in London where surgeons drained the excess fluid, resulting from a blockage in her brain. During the operation, doctors inserted a permanent reservoir which will enable surgeons to easily drain any future fluid build-ups.
“Poppy is lucky to be alive because of Mr. Patel and the way he acted. He literally saved our little girl,” says Poppy-May’s mother, Kayleigh, according to a statement from SWNS.
“We are so grateful and so thankful to him because it could have ended so differently. Doctors have told us it was possible she was born with the condition and that she was very close to having a seizure which could have killed her.”
Poppy-May Leeds (9) thanks optometrist Mrudang Patel at Scrivens, Herne Bay. (Credit: SWNS)
The girl from Herne Bay, Kent, entered the hospital on Jan. 26. Now, a month later, doctors have diagnosed the young girl with hydrocephalus, a build-up of fluid in the brain. The condition can be fatal if left untreated. The build-up puts pressure on the brain and can lead to brain damage.
Some symptoms include headaches, sickness, blurred vision, and a difficulty walking. Poppy-May suffered from blurred vision and slight headaches but nothing significant enough to cause concern.
The lucky nine-year-old is now on the road to recovery and met up with Patel to give him a thank you card and a box of chocolates. Her parents, Kayleigh and Thomas, are extremely grateful to the optometrist from Scrivens Opticians & Hearing Care branch in Herne Bay.
“We are trained to look out for a range of conditions, but this was very rare,” say Patel, who has been performing eye tests for 16 years.
“I was concerned when I saw an appearance of papilledema. This is the term for swelling of the optic nerves at the back of the eye as a result of increased intracranial pressure, which is why I referred Poppy-May for urgent medical attention. I am so pleased that I was able to help and to meet her again and see how she is doing after such a serious health scare.”
Doctors expect Poppy-May’s recovery to take around six to 12 months and her parents hope she will be able to gradually return to school soon. Her mother wants to encourage people to get regular eye tests, as they can save lives.
“We want to use our experience to raise awareness of how important it is to have your eyes tested regularly, whatever your age,” Poppy-May’s adds.
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We want to hear your memories of the IOA! In celebration of our 125th anniversary in 2023, the IOA is collecting your stories about the organization.
Please share your thoughts on the importance of IOA membership, favorite memories from IOA, or your thoughts on the history of the IOA.
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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Where: AceBounce - Chicago, IL
When: 6 - 9pm
June 4, 2023: Member Appreciation Day at Brookfield Zoo
September 28-October 1, 2023 - IOA Annual Meeting
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel | Schaumburg, IL
Up to 18 hours TQ CE
Registration opens mid-July
November 2023
Southern IL CE
6 Hrs TQ
Details coming soon!
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Full-time Associate Optometrist Needed in Jacksonville, IL - New Grads Welcome
In Focus Eyecare @ Target Optical - 1, 2, 3 or 4 or more permanent days available. Full time, part-time, or single days available. (Read more)
Perfect Opportunity with Sign-On Bonus!!!
Wisconsin Vision is looking for dedicated Optometrists interested in full time and/or part time employment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Read more)
Optos Daytona 2016 available for 1$15k. ( Read more)
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Join Your Local Chamber of Commerce
A chamber of commerce is an integrated business network that works toward the common interests of small businesses in local areas across the United States. Your local chamber of commerce can offer visibility, credibility, support, and more for your new or growing business. (uschamber.com). Chambers of commerce host networking events that will help you connect to other businesses in your community. They frequently advertise to the community and include links to their business members. Beyond networking, local chambers often have a voice in local government. They take on the tough issues and may oppose new regulations, taxes, assessments, and costs that will negatively impact small businesses. The Chamber will use its resources for the betterment of small business owners.
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Humana Exiting Employer Health Insurance Market; Focusing on Vision, Medicare/Medicaid
Health News Illinois reports that Humana is exiting the employer health insurance market, including all fully insured, self-funded, and federal employee health benefit medical plans. Humana CEO Bruce Broussard said the company will focus their health plan offerings on government-funded programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and specialty businesses like dental, vision, and life insurance. A spokesperson for Humana stated that the transition will take 18 to 24 months to complete.
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DeltaVision Plans Available to Illinois Residents
The Telegraph reports that as of March 1, Illinois residents can access eyecare and eyewear from Delta Dental of Illinois through DeltaVision. DeltaVision offers two comprehensive plans with access to a network that includes private-practice providers and top optical retail brands.
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Illinois Earns 7th Credit Upgrade in Less Than Two Years
S&P Global Ratings, one of the "big three" credit rating agencies, on Thursday announced its third upgrade to Illinois' creditworthiness in the last two years. Thursday's move represents the seventh such upgrade under Gov. JB Pritzker after years of downgrades, including seven during the state's two-year budget impasse under GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner.
(Capitol News Illinois graphic by Hannah Meisel and Andrew Adams)
Thursday, February 23, 2023
S&P cites recent early debt retirement, buildup of rainy day fund
By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – S&P Global Ratings announced Thursday that it had raised Illinois’ long-term credit rating to A-, up from BBB+, marking the seventh upgrade the state has received from a major rating agency in less than two years.
The rating applies to roughly $27.7 billion in outstanding general obligation, or GO, bonds.
“The upgrade on the GO debt reflects our view that Illinois' commitment and execution to strengthen its budgetary flexibility and stability, supported by accelerating repayment of its liabilities, rebuilding its budget stabilization fund to decade highs; and a slowing of statutory pension funding growth, will likely continue during the outlook period,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Geoff Buswick said in a news release.
Bonds are a tool that governments and businesses use to borrow money, typically for long-term capital projects such as building construction or other kinds of infrastructure. GO bonds are backed by the government’s general taxing authority but other bonds may be backed by more specific revenue sources, such as sales or motor fuel taxes. Higher bond ratings generally mean the borrower – in this case the state – pays lower interest rates.
Before the recent string of upgrades, all three major rating agencies – including Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings – had rated Illinois’ bonds at one notch above “junk” status, the point at which large institutional investors will no longer purchase them.
During the last two years, however, Illinois has used higher-than-expected revenues to pay off its backlog of past-due bills and retire other short-term debt early. In addition, it has set aside $1.9 billion for the state’s budget stabilization fund – commonly known as the “rainy day” fund – and the state is projected to deposit another $138 million into that fund in the upcoming fiscal year, according to Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest budget proposal.
“I am thrilled to see our hard work at righting the past fiscal wrongs of our state reflected in today’s action by S&P with another credit rating upgrade – the third such upgrade in just two years,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Our continued fiscal responsibility and smart budgeting will save Illinois taxpayers millions from adjusted interest rates, and my partners in the General Assembly and I look forward to building on that success.”
In its announcement Thursday, S&P credited the state’s “deep and diverse economic base” as well as the state government’s access to readily available cash, including the rainy day fund and untapped interfund borrowing authority. The agency also said it expects ongoing union contract negotiations to be settled in a timely manner.
Offsetting those factors, S&P said, is the state’s high unfunded pension and other postemployment benefit liabilities such as health care. The agency also dinged Illinois on its practice of releasing annual financial audits later than most other states and population declines, which it warned could impact future economic growth.
S&P said it could further upgrade Illinois’ rating if the state continues paying down unfunded pension liabilities and building up its rainy day fund while shrinking its structural deficit. S&P said that deficit was in large part caused by not contributing to its pension funds at actuarially determined levels.
On the other hand, S&P said it could downgrade the state’s rating in the future if the structural deficit were to increase due to economic uncertainties or if its pension and other fixed-cost obligations exceed expectations.
Pritzker’s recent budget proposal seeks to add an extra $200 million to the pension fund beyond statutory levels for the current fiscal year.
For now, S&P said the state’s near-term credit outlook is “stable.”
In addition to upgrading the state’s general obligation bond rating, S&P also raised its rating on the state’s Build Illinois sales tax bonds to A, up from A-.
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Rare Diseases, Over 900 Affect the Eye, According to Experts ‘Prevention is Everything’
Rare diseases also affect the eye: over 900 are currently identified. According to the Ern-Eye European Reference Network, rare diseases affecting the organ of vision can be grouped into three main categories: diseases affecting the anterior segment of the eye, or the retina, or those affecting the optic nerve and the back of the eye. The best known is keratoconus, a thinning of the cornea that can affect one or both eyes, the effects of which on vision can be well compensated for by contact lenses (rigid but not only).
“It is becoming important to intervene in time, thanks to widespread prevention measures – says Giorgio Righetti, director of the Zaccagnini Institute, a school for opticians and optometrists with main offices in Bologna and Milan – To obtain decisive results, all-round attention is needed which puts in relation the professions of eye care to keep the eye, i.e. the organ, and sight, i.e. the function of the visual system, under control”. This is where “the figure of the ‘new’ optician is inserted. Thanks to the renewed legislation on professional education – continues Righetti – this professional figure includes in his training skills the reporting to the doctor of any anomalies that require further investigation. The optician will thus be able – more concretely than what was already happening – to become the first line of control, as it is more widespread and accessible”.
For Luigi Fontana, director of the School of Specialization in Ophthalmology, Department of Specialist, Diagnostic and Experimental Medicine at the University of Bologna, keratoconus is an “exemplary case”. It is a pathology for which “an approach is possible today that blocks its progress, on condition – he specifies – of an early diagnosis. In this case, in a perspective of complementary roles and share-care between optician and ophthalmologist, the optician can play an important role: reporting to medical attention any anomalies you find during the measurement of vision and inserting himself in a context of prevention”.
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FILE – This scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Experts are marveling at how U.S. disease detectives figured out how eyedrops were linked to dozens of infections. (Janice Haney Carr/CDC via AP)
How Officials Cracked Case of Eyedrops that Blinded People
by: MIKE STOBBE, Associated Press
Posted: Feb 28, 2023 / 09:11 AM CST
Updated: Feb 28, 2023 / 09:16 AM CST
NEW YORK (AP) — The patients’ eyes were painfully inflamed. They could sense light but could see almost nothing else. A doctor called one case the worst eye infection he’d ever seen.
It was the beginning of a national outbreak caused by an extremely worrisome bacteria — one that some say heralds an era in which antibiotics no longer work and seemingly routine infections get horribly out of hand.
At last count, 58 Americans in 13 states have been infected, including at least one who died and at least five who suffered permanent vision loss. All have been linked to tainted eyedrops, leading to a recall.
Experts marvel at how disease detectives pieced together the case: Patients were scattered across the country. The illnesses occurred over the span of months. The infections were found in different parts of the body — in the blood of some patients, in the lungs of others.
But scientists also shudder, because they have long worried common bacteria will evolve so that antibiotics no longer work against them.
“This really shows us that it’s not something theoretical and in the future. It’s here,” said Dr. Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
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Bruder Adds Anti-Inflammatory Hydrating Drink to its Dry Eye Portfolio
Bruder Healthcare has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Dry Eye Drink to sell the doctor-formulated, hyper-hydrating drink mixes for adults with dry eye disease.
According to a Bruder press release, the Dry Eye Drink line includes daytime and nighttime formulations that pair antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredients with an electrolyte hydration formula to reduce ocular inflammation and aid meibum oil gland production and tear health. The mixes come in several flavors and contain green tea extract, turmeric, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, B3, B6, B12 and C.
“Partnering with the first and only ophthalmic, doctor-formulated, anti-inflammatory hyper-hydrating drink brings real value to the Bruder dry eye portfolio and provides an additional treatment option for eye care professionals when working with patients,” Brent Jones, global head of dry eye at Bruder’s parent company Hilco Vision and general manager at Bruder Healthcare, said in the release.
Dry Eye Drink founder and former CEO Joshua Davidson, OD, FAAO, FSLS, added in the release: “Bruder is an iconic brand among optometrists and ophthalmologists alike. Their innovative spirit aligns well with our entrepreneurial mindset.”
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End of the National Public Health Emergency for COVID-19: What Does It Mean for the Public?
Mar 2, 2023
Julia Bonavitacola
The end of the national public health emergency in May has broad implications for the way vaccines, testing, and treatment will be distributed and made available nationwide.
At the end of January, President Joe Biden announced that the national public health emergency called in 2020 for COVID-19 would officially end on May 11, more than 3 years after it was first implemented. The news sparked immediate discussion on how this would change the way COVID-19 treatments, vaccines, and testing will be accessed throughout the United States as government funding would no longer extend to certain areas of need.
“When we declare a disease a public health emergency, certain restrictions are loosened,” said Perry Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, dean and professor of biostatistics and urban-global public health in the School of Public Health at Rutgers University. “Funds are made more available to help bring an end to that pandemic or to that outbreak or to that disease. So, with regard to COVID-19, there are implications for testing, for vaccines, and for treatment that will be affected by the end of the public health emergency.”
According to Kaiser Health News,1 many policies that were designed to fight the spread of the virus will end come May 11. For example, vaccines that were previously purchased by the government will remain available for low or no cost as long as the supplies last. However, once that supply runs out, Pfizer has indicated that the prices for the booster will increase to $110 to $130 per dose, which could translate to billions of dollars of revenue for the manufacturers that consumers would be responsible for; Moderna has since announced that its booster will remain free for the time being.
“The signal of the end of the public health emergency starts a process where states will be migrating back to something that looks more like historically typical operations under Medicaid, with the caveat that there are some experiences and approaches that were adopted during the pandemic that will be carried forward,” said Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
With the ending of the national public health emergency, what does this mean for residents on government-funded health care, and what does this mean for vaccine and treatment access? These questions are important in both the health care and policy sectors and have profound implications for how COVID-19 is addressed going forward.
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THANK YOU TO OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS! |
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