Volume 9, Issue 16│April 25, 2025 | | | |
Volunteers Needed for Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program Coming June 20 & 21, ISU Campus Normal, IL! 🚩
Volunteers Needed
Last year was the twenty-first year that optometry was represented at the Illinois State Special Olympic Games held in Bloomington/Normal in June. 248 athletes were appraised at the event, and 127 pieces of eyewear were prescribed, whether it be an everyday Rx, or a sports goggle. The event was a great success for both the athletes who participated and the volunteers who made it run so smoothly!!
This year we will be doing it again, and we need your help! We had 15 optometrists, 4 opticians/ophthalmic techs, and students from both the Illinois College of Optometry and the Chicago College of Optometry. We also had a great turn-out of LIONS club volunteers along with many friends and family members. This year we need you! Of particular need are volunteers for Saturday, since it is a full day of screening. Bring your family, friends, and staff and make it a group activity!! We are always in need of opticians and optical technicians as well!
The Special Olympics is an international program of year-round sports and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. All of the athletes must be at least eight years old to participate. The goal of the Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes Program is to bring quality vision care to this special population. Our vision appraisal consists of visual acuity testing, cover test, extraocular motility testing, pupils, color vision, stereopsis, non-contact tonometry, slit lamp evaluation, and ophthalmoscopy. If the athlete is determined to need glasses, they are given a full refraction with subjective testing. Afterwards all athletes are referred to their local optometrists for full vision examinations, including dilations.
This year’s event will take place on the Illinois State College Campus in Bloomington/Normal on Friday, June 20 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm, and Saturday, June 21 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Friends, family, and optometric staff (especially opticians) are encouraged to participate. Please help us in making this year’s SOOE program as successful as the past twenty-one years have been!!
If you have any questions, please contact Christine Allison, O.D. via email at callison@ico.edu
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Now Accepting Nominations for 2025 OD & Young OD of the Year Awards 📢
Do you know an outstanding optometrist who should be recognized for their efforts in the field of optometry? Consider nominating them for the 2025 Optometrist of the Year or Young Optometrist of the Year awards. The Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an individual for performance of outstanding services on behalf of the profession and to the visual welfare of the public. The Young Optometrist of the Year award recognizes an optometrist who, within their first decade of practice, has shown leadership skills when serving their profession, their patients, and their community.
A nomination may be made by a member in good standing or by a society. Nominees must be current members of the IOA. Nominations for each award should be submitted online via the links below. A head and shoulders photograph must be included with the nomination. Nominations must be submitted by July 31, 2025.
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ELIGIBILITY FOR OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR
- Any member in good standing who has been practicing for 11 years or more.
- Cannot be a current member of the Board of Directors or a Past President of the Association that has served in the last 5 years.
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ELIGIBILITY FOR YOUNG OPTOMETRIST OF THE YEAR
- The nominee must be a member in good standing and be in active optometric practice 10 years or less (including residency or fellowship).
- Cannot be a current member of the Board of Directors.
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Now Accepting Student and Paraoptometric of the Year Nominations 🚨 | | |
The IOA recognizes a student entering their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year of Optometry School who shows leadership skills when serving their profession and their community, as well as earning academic achievements. Students may nominate themselves or another student.
The Student of the Year will be awarded a $2,000 grant to be used at the winner's discretion and will be recognized at the IOA Annual Meeting.
Nominations are due by July 31, 2025.
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The IOA Paraoptometric of the Year Award recognizes a deserving individual paraoptometric who has made outstanding contributions to the profession of optometry, patients, and the public. This individual must be employed by an IOA member doctor.
A paraoptometric is one who works under the direct supervision of a licensed doctor of optometry, collects patient data, administers routine and technical tests of patient’s visual capabilities, and assists in office management. A paraoptometric may assist the doctor in providing patient care, examination and treatment services, including, but not limited to, contact lenses, low vision, vision therapy, ophthalmic dispensing, and office management.
The Para of the Year will be awarded free registration to the IOA Annual Meeting and will be recognized at the IOA Annual Meeting.
Nominations are due July 31, 2025.
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Mark your calendar for the 2025 IOA Annual Meeting held at the Renaissance Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg on September 25-28, 2025. The meeting will kick off with the Annual Golf Classic and Gray Cup on Thursday, September 25 followed by three days of CE on September 26-28 where doctors may earn up to 18 hours of TQ CE.
This gathering serves as a platform for professionals to come together, exchange knowledge, and foster meaningful connections within the industry.
Registration will open in July, offering you the opportunity to join us for an enriching experience filled with insightful discussions, innovative ideas, and networking opportunities. We look forward to welcoming you!
| | IOA member Dana Shannon, OD presented at the 2025 Midwestern Symposium. Dr. Shannon focused on hypotony, specifically its relationship to trabeculectomy, a surgical procedure designed to lower eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. | | |
Strategic Insights: Choosing the Right Retirement Plan for Your Practice
Many thriving practices have uncovered that implementing a Retirement Plan as part of their growth strategy is a key way to attract and retain top talent, driving their success. When choosing a Retirement Plan, there are several important factors practice owners should consider, including:
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Employee Demographics and Participation – Factor in the age, income levels, retirement goals, and likelihood of participation of employees.
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Administrative Complexity – Some plans are more complex than others and require more time and resources to administer and comply with regulatory requirements.
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Affordability – Consider the costs of setting up and maintaining the plan, along with employer contributions and tax incentives. Keep in mind that some plans allow for more flexibility with employer contributions than others.
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Future Growth – Think about how the practice will grow and change over time. It is important to choose a plan that can scale with the growth of the practice.
As a member benefit, AOA members have access to complimentary consultations with Nathanael Kelley, senior Retirement Plan Specialist for Equitable Financial, an AOAExcel-endorsed business partner. Nathanael has worked directly with hundreds of AOA members to help them determine which Retirement Plan best suits their practice needs. Learn more and schedule your complimentary consultation today.
| | The Eyes on Tomorrow Fund, previously known as the Legislative Equity Fund, is a dedicated resource created by and for optometrists to support the Illinois Optometric Association’s (IOA) state-level advocacy efforts. This fund directly empowers optometry’s fight for scope expansion, the regulation of Vision Benefits Managers (VBMs), and other legislative battles crucial to protecting the profession and ensuring patient care. Unlike political action committees (PACs), this fund is not used to support candidates but instead provides critical resources for advancing optometry in Illinois. | | |
MEMBER BENEFIT: Utilize FREE On-Demand CE
Courses for the 2024-2026 licensing cycle are now available on the On-Demand CE platform. ODs can take all 18 regular hours of CE online through the On-Demand CE Series. As an Illinois licensed CE provider, all courses taken through IOA will count for an Illinois license renewal.
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We want to hear from YOU!
Do you have a business question or a dilemma we can answer for you? Others may have the same inquiry. Ask away! We will answer your question in an upcoming issue.
(Don't worry, we won't include your name.)
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Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC
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Report Vision Plan Abuses to the IOA
The IOA recognizes that Vision Care Plan Regulation Act constitutes a significant stride forward for optometry. However, it doesn't signal the conclusion of our efforts to champion fair contracting with vision plans. In the next few years, our members will be renewing and amending their contracts to reflect the changes in the new law. Throughout this process, we will gain valuable insight directly from our members regarding instances of vision plan abuses.
If you encounter vision plan abuses, we ask that you fill out the form below to report abuse. The IOA will collect this information to prevent further vision plan abuses on behalf of our members.
| | InfantSEE Is Celebrating 20 Years! | | |
InfantSEE Updates:
- In January, we had a Nurturing Vision Health in Children Webinar. The webinar has great info on exactly what tests to do during an infant eye exam and tips and tricks to make these tests easier.
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The webinar is live on EyeLearn, and CE credit can be received if you watch the webinar and answer a 10 question quiz.
- Check out the InfantSEE Reporting in the button below to compare where Illinois was at the end of 2024, as well as compared to other states.
- At this time, if your state’s total number of exams for the year are equal to the total number of providers (app. 1 exam per provider), then you are doing well. However, there is always room to improve!
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Interested? Click here to become an InfantSEE provider!
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Working Distance on Paper VS. Screen Not a Factor in Eyestrain in Study
Healio | By Justin Cooper
April 15, 2025
Working distance decreased significantly over the course of 30-minute reading tasks on both paper and a screen, but digital eyestrain symptoms were instead linked to cognitive demand and the mode of presentation, according to a study.
“[Digital eyestrain], also known as computer vision syndrome, has been associated with a wide range of symptoms, with no definitive cause identified to date,” Elianna Sharvit, OD, MS, and Mark Rosenfield, MCOptom, PhD, FAAO, Dipl AAO, both of SUNY College of Optometry, wrote in Optometry and Vision Science.
“Several investigations have reported that symptoms of eyestrain are worse when comparing the same reading or near task performed on paper vs. a digital screen,” they wrote. “Cognitive demand or load, otherwise known as the mental difficulty of a task, has also been associated with symptoms of digital eyestrain, although the mechanism linking the two has not been elucidated.”
Sharvit and Rosenfield conducted a study to learn more about how digital eyestrain symptoms correlated with working distance, cognitive demand and use of paper vs. a tablet screen. They recruited 30 students from SUNY College of Optometry (mean age, 24 years; 87% women), each of whom completed four 30-minute reading tasks:
- Reading random words from an Apple iPad and identifying those beginning with a specific letter (considered to be “cognitively demanding”).
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Reading a children’s story (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) on the same iPad (considered to be “less cognitively demanding”).
- The same task as the first but using printed paper instead of an iPad.
- The same task as the second but using printed paper instead of an iPad.
In each task, the iPad or paper was placed on a clipboard “so that the overall size and weight of the material would be as similar as possible,” the researchers wrote. The study participants could hold the reading material at any comfortable distance, but they were instructed to hold the clipboard upright and keep their chin pointed at the reading material.
Working distance was measured with a Clouclip device mounted to participants’ spectacles or spectacles with no lenses for those who did not wear glasses. The participants completed a symptom questionnaire immediately before and after each task.
All four tasks led to statistically significant increases in patient-reported digital eyestrain symptoms. However, the increase in symptoms was greatest with the cognitively demanding task on an iPad (median score change: 11) and lowest with the less cognitively demanding task on paper (median score change: 3.5), according to an analysis of variance.
When averaged across all four tasks, working distance decreased significantly within the first 10 minutes and then remained stable. However, working distance led to no significant change in symptom score in either univariate or multivariate mixed-effect linear regression models.
The findings indicate “that the increase in symptoms seen with more cognitively demanding tasks on the tablet computer was not related to a change in working distance,” Sharvit and Rosenfield wrote.
“Future investigations should seek to evaluate why cognitively demanding tasks performed on a tablet computer induced more subjective symptoms of digital eyestrain,” they said. “To explore this, objective testing of visual function (such as accommodative lag and ocular alignment), as well as assessment of the anterior surface of the eye and tear film, both during and after the task, could be used to determine whether the symptoms are truly visual in origin or rather if the perceived difficulty of the task is related to the development of symptoms on a psychological basis.”
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Longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin Decides 'It's Time,' Won’t Seek Reelection
WBEZ | By Dave McKinney
Apr 23, 2025
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will not seek a sixth term next year, confirming to WBEZ in an Illinois exclusive that he will leave office in 2027 in a long-awaited move certain to set off a massive, intraparty succession fight.
“I’ve decided not to run for reelection. So a year and a half from now, I’ll be wrapping up. I plan on working full-time until that moment, but I’m not going to be waging a campaign for reelection,” Durbin said during an interview in downtown Chicago.
A major reason for his decision boiled down to one thing: his age. By the time a sixth term would end, Durbin would be 88.
“It’s time,” Illinois’ 80-year-old senior senator said. “You observe your colleagues and watch what happens. For some of them, there’s this miraculous aging process where they never seem to get too old.
“Take Bernie Sanders, for example, who’s older than myself, or Chuck Grassley, who still does a town meeting in every county of the state each year,” he continued, referring to Vermont’s octogenarian independent U.S. senator and to Iowa’s nonagenarian Republican senator, who both are older than Durbin.
“But for a number of other people, they’re not so lucky,” he continued. “So, you watch aging, and I try to gauge it to the point where I can walk out the front door. I don’t have to be carried out. I feel that way now. I’m physically and mentally strong. But I don’t want to wait too long and test fate.”
Durbin had kept a tight lid on his decision, sharing news with a very close circle of friends. Durbin notified his staff Wednesday morning that he would not be seeking reelection.
WBEZ and The New York Times first reported Durbin’s decision.
The long list of potential successors
His announcement figures to have seismic effects on Illinois politics, where a long roster of Democrats quietly have been jockeying since last year to position themselves as his heir apparent should he decide to step aside.
The list of potential Democratic successors is long and led by the likes of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and northwest suburban U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has amassed a $19 million political war chest.
Other Democrats potentially in the mix include U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly.
Durbin said he does not intend to endorse a candidate in the primary — unless he thinks something emerges that “is serious, and I need to address it.”
“There are at least a dozen names that I think are serious. You’ve named a number of them,” he said, citing the list of potential candidates listed above. “But there is a larger number who have approached me and said they might be interested in it.”
Even though Democrats don’t control either chamber of Congress or the White House, losing Durbin and his seniority on Capitol Hill will be a blow for the state. As the Senate Democratic whip, Durbin is the No. 2-ranking member of his political caucus, which gave him outsized influence on the nation’s politics and on federal policy. He also is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee and spent 26 years on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is the chamber’s main budget-writing panel.
Durbin’s departure gives an opening — albeit a long-shot one — to Illinois Republicans to grab one of the state’s genuine plum political posts. The last Republican U.S. senator in Illinois was Mark Kirk, who was defeated in 2016 after one term by Tammy Duckworth, who remains in the seat.
Had Durbin chosen to run in 2026, he would have stood as a prohibitive favorite for reelection given that Republicans have failed to mount competitive elections against him during any of his five runs for Senate.
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ISAC Issues Letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary McMahon Regarding Potential Delays in Student Financial Aid and Challenges for Student Loan Borrowers
The letter seeks answers to critical questions to protect students, borrowers, and institutions
CHICAGO – Today, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon expressing alarm about potential delays to the timely delivery of critical student financial aid caused by the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The letter also conveys deep concerns about the potential risks to student loan borrowers if the $1.6 trillion student loan portfolio is moved to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
The letter shares concerns about significant cuts in staffing at ED that can put in peril not only students’ ability to access financial aid, but also the timely disbursement of that aid to students and institutions that rely on it. Indeed, recent news reports indicate that calls and emails to ED are going unanswered and systems to disburse grants and loans are experiencing more frequent outages.
The letter also flags risks to borrowers of the President’s plan to move the administration of the $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio to the SBA, an agency wholly unfamiliar with the administration of federal student loans and one that is reducing its staffing by 43%. Finally, it addresses concerns about the privacy and security of student and borrower data residing within ED.
“The inability to access timely financial aid can change the trajectory of a student’s life—students who cannot get financial aid may forgo higher education or be forced to drop out without receiving their degree or credential,” said ISAC Executive Director Eric Zarnikow. “Educational institutions that do not have large endowments or reserves will also have a difficult time remaining solvent if financial aid is delayed. While changes and uncertainty at the federal level can be overwhelming to navigate, ISAC will continue to support all students and families in Illinois to help them identify a postsecondary path that is right for them and access the financial aid for which they are eligible.”
The Trump Administration is being asked to answer critical questions in writing that are in the interest of students, borrowers, and institutions:
• How will ED ensure accurate processing and timely delivery of financial aid?
• How will ED support the nation’s 43 million borrowers while transferring the responsibility of more than $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loan debt?
• How will ED protect the data integrity and privacy of Americans’ sensitive personal information that resides with the department?
The full letter can be accessed here.
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State Treasurer Frerichs Announces New Option For Illinois Students Struggling to Obtain Traditional College Loans
Illinois No-Cosigner Loan Latest Addition To Student Empowerment Fund
Illinois students struggling to obtain traditional college loans have a new option to borrow money for in-state higher education costs thanks to a new program Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs unveiled today.
The new Funding U Illinois No-Cosigner Loan is part of the Student Empowerment Fund, Treasurer Frerichs’ plan to provide private college loans for Illinois residents at lower rates than private competitors and help bridge the gap with federal financial aid. The No-Cosigner Loan joins ISL Education Lending’s Illinois Partnership Loan and Illinois College Family Loan options.
“The costs of college continue to rise, and the chaos in Washington is hurting, not helping our families,” Frerichs said at a Thursday news conference at 555 W. Monroe. “Financial aid often doesn’t cover all of the costs, and we are offering a solution to help students bridge the gap.”
Funding U is working with the State Treasurer’s Office to offer the Illinois No-Cosigner Loan. The program’s aim is to focus on the dedication and achievements of students rather than their lack of a credit score or cosigner’s financial status.
“Funding U's mission is to empower first-generation and low-income students across the U.S. to complete higher education by providing access to responsible, affordable financing,” Funding U Founder and CEO Jeannie Tarkenton said. “Thanks to the leadership of Treasurer Frerichs, Illinois students who are often the most vulnerable to drop out can now graduate with less expensive debt.”
The Illinois No Co-Signer Loan is open to Illinois residents attending an Illinois public or private not-for-profit university or college and is an attractive option for students who have maxed their grants, scholarships, and financial aid and have no access to a co-signer. The fixed annual percentage rate ranges from 7.99% to 9.49%. A no-cosigner student loan option at a competitive rate has not been available to Illinois students until now.
The Treasurer’s Office is partnering with ISL Education Lending to offer the Partnership and College Family loans. Families can save thousands of dollars in interest when they choose the Illinois Partnership Loan in comparison to other private loan lenders. And the Illinois College Family Loan for parents has lower APRs than the Federal Direct PLUS Loan. Borrowers or their co-signers must have a credit score of at least 660, and the fixed annual percentage rates range from 3.45% to 6.77%.
“We are proud to partner with Treasurer Frerichs to deliver lower-cost supplemental student loans to Illinois families. At a time when the high cost of college is causing some families to reconsider its value, the Treasurer’s program makes college more affordable,” said Steve McCullough, the CEO of ISL Education Lending.
Illinois families say they’re pleased with the results.
Soham Tillu saved money for college, but the Palatine father was looking to borrow some as well for his daughter Sachi, a third-year biology student at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
“The ISL loan was at a lower rate. It was very affordable. It also was very easy to apply,” said Tillu, an Illinois Partnership Loan participant who has recommended the program to several friends. “The private loans we looked at were much more expensive.”
How the Student Empowerment Fund works: The State Treasurer’s Office makes investments with student loan providers that lend to Illinois residents. Lenders then make private loans at affordable rates, and students or their families repay the loans. The lenders make interest payments to the State Treasurer’s Office, which are reinvested to provide more loans for Illinois residents.
The Student Empowerment Fund has made nearly 700 loans totaling $10.8 million since launching in 2023. The average amount borrowed is about $21,000. Illinois State University, Augustana College, the University of Illinois, Lewis University and Southern Illinois University are the top five schools by volume.
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US Supreme Court Grapples with Obamacare Preventative Care Case
Reuters | By John Kruzel & Andrew Chung
April 21, 2025
WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday considered the legality of a provision of the Obamacare law, formally called the Affordable Care Act, that helps ensure that health insurers cover preventive care such as cancer screenings at no cost to patients.
The court heard arguments in the federal government's appeal of a lower court's determination that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which under Obamacare has a major hand in choosing what services will be covered, is composed of members who were not validly appointed. Its 16 members are appointed by the U.S. secretary of health and human services without Senate confirmation.
The justices posed sharp questions over whether the law gives the HHS secretary the appropriate level of supervision over the task force, including the power to influence its recommendations and fire members at will, or if the group operates as a largely independent governmental body whose recommendations effectively have the force of law.
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