Volume 9, Issue 39 │October 17, 2025 | | | |
2026 membership dues invoices are being prepared and will be sent out by the start of November, so be on the lookout! 🎉
This year, the 2026 dues contest will be related to making your dues payment via Zelle. Zelle is a direct and fast way to send and receive money that will reduce transaction costs to the Association. Details on making your dues payment via Zelle will be located in your invoice mailing and emails.
If you are planning on retiring before the end of 2025 or in 2026, please reach out to discuss membership options.
| | The Annual Meeting photo gallery is live! Take a look using the link below. 📸 | | A Young Professionals event was held during the 2025 Annual Meeting. Thank you to those who were able to attend and VSP for sponsoring the event! | | | | |
IOA's past president Dr. Louise Sclafani was recognized as an Industry Influencer and received a Theia Award of Excellence.
The annual award categories honor excellence in leadership, mentoring, education, business, young OD and industry influencer. The recipients attended the Women’s Leadership Conference where they were recognized. Congratulations Dr. Sclafani!
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Dr. Paul R. Boyt, 78, of Marion, passed away at 9:21 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in the Deaconess Regional Medical Center of Marion.
He answered the call of this nation by serving in the United States Army Reserves from 1981 until 1993 earning the rank of major.
He was an optometrist who served in many different roles in the field of study and service for over 50 years.
He was a member of Aldersgate Global Methodist Church of Marion.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Beverly Boyt of Marion; son, Benjamin Paul Boyt of Marion; daughter, Mary Boyt of Marion; and several cousins and family members.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Amos L. and Ruth J. (Watkins) Boyt.
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MEMBER BENEFIT: Merchant Advocate
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Merchant Advocate is an expert in navigating the processing industry, saving you money by exposing hidden fees, reducing rates, and optimizing setup. Whether advising on virtual payment costs, software integration challenges, or in the handling of sensitive patient data, Merchant Advocate helps eye care practices, and the Illinois Optometric Association, save without switching processors.
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| | 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. | | |
The PAC (Political Action Committee) is a group organized to promote its members' views on selected issues, usually through raising money that is contributed to the campaign funds of candidates who support the group's position to keep our friends in office. Now more than ever, we need strong, principled leaders who will fight for equal rights, and access to essential services —Will you pitch in today to help us protect our profession and the patients we serve?
Contributions to the IOA PAC can be made as a One-Time Donation or as Recurring Monthly Donation and deducted automatically from donor's bank account or charged to their credit card. Selecting to contribute a set amount on a monthly basis is a painless and effortless way to contribute to and support the IOA PAC. Contributions to the IOA PAC fund are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.
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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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Eye care practitioners should report all violations of the FCLCA, including instances in which contact lens sellers fail to comply with the prescription verification provisions of the law.
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AI Glasses Fill in Gaps for Patients with Low Vision
Optometry Times | By Euin Cheong OD, Fact Checked by Jordana Joy
October 16, 2025
At Helen Keller Services in Brooklyn and Long Island, Ray-Ban Meta glasses are a prescribable low vision device. Subsequently, we have dispensed many of the smart glasses with the objective of enhancing independence and accessibility for our patients.
Notably, Meta glasses were not initially designed for individuals with low vision. They were curated for the average-sighted individual seeking hands-free social media content creation techniques. However, this device has become one of the most helpful tools we provide at our clinic for patients with low vision. The Meta glasses are not the only pair of smart glasses that could provide assistance - in this competitive market, glasses such as the Google Android XR have similar features.
Many text-to-voice reading technologies are available today, including several mobile apps, various sizes of closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), and incredible technology (eg, the OrCam) that can bring written text to life for patients with low vision. The Meta glasses bring that experience to a whole new level. The Meta glasses have excellent OCR technology that can easily read many different types of written text, such as forms, restaurant menus, signs, and handwritten notes. The AI technology is not only able to read any provided text but also summarize it on cue as needed. The glasses are a much easier way of accessing written material than using a bulky CCTV with OCR or trying to line up the phone perfectly with the paper to capture the entire page. The ability to read any typed or handwritten text has been the most helpful for our patients with low vision. The convenience of the technology sitting on the face while accessing documents at work, reading mail at home, and analyzing personal finances has been revolutionary for patients with all levels of vision deficit.
The most advanced feature of the Meta glasses is, undoubtedly, their capacity to respond to inquiries about the user’s surroundings. The inquiries may be as broad as, “Hey, Meta. What is in front of me?” Through these broad inquiries, patients could determine the presence of a door, a person, or a sink. This technology assures patients with low vision of their ability to independently locate seating and navigate through open doors. Meta can also respond to specific questions, such as “Is the door before me open or closed?” or “Is there an unoccupied seat in front of me?” Patients shared intriguing anecdotes regarding the use of Meta glasses, including one individual who described a scenario involving a snack table. This individual wanted potato chips without requesting assistance, so he asked Meta, “Are there potato chips on this table?” The glasses then successfully identified the location of the barbecue potato chips on the table. To those with functional vision, these unique inquiries may appear insignificant, but for our patients with low vision seeking greater independence, this technology is truly life-changing.
Additionally, Meta can respond to inquiries about color, which is very helpful for patients who have never been able to discern color due to congenital conditions or for those who have lost a significant portion of their color vision due to progressive diseases. Simply asking, “What color is this folder?” or “What color is this shirt?” would be useful for people who wish to coordinate their clothing or place important documents in the correct folder at work or home.
Lastly, it is also possible to sync the glasses with the user’s contacts on their phone, enabling hands-free texting and phone calls. Patients with low vision who frequently have one hand engaged with their white cane and/or guiding dog may greatly benefit from this technology’s hands-free feature. Patients may find it challenging to pause in the middle of a busy street, locate their phone in their bag, and make the appropriate call, but with the Meta glasses, they could continue walking and use voice commands to call anybody they need. This would reduce incidents such as patients losing their phones or bumping into people after stopping in the middle of the road, as well as navigating detours to locate a safe place to stop and send a text message or make a call. In a similar context, the glasses can answer questions that other voice assistance technologies could answer, such as “How many cups are in 4 oz?” when cooking or baking at home. Patients with low vision already struggle with activities of daily living around the house, so accessing information that would help in activities such as cooking without relying on their limited vision or looking for a phone is a game changer.
To ensure privacy, the volume in the glasses can be adjusted. By saying, “Hey, Meta. Set volume to 50%,” a user can do this without having to open the smartphone app. Based on my own experience, it seems to provide privacy in a quiet room if the volume is set to 50% or less. In an outdoor environment with birds chirping and vehicles passing by, even a volume of 100% would ensure privacy, as the messages being read out loud would not be audible to those in the vicinity.
My experience with the Meta glasses has been one of immense hope for the patient. I’ve witnessed patients cry tears of joy as they consider all the possible ways it could help them achieve independence and expand their accessible world. Better yet, the integration of AI technology into smart glasses is only getting started. With software updates and eventual hardware updates, patients with low vision will be able to augment their experience of this world despite their limited vision. There is so much hope to be gained and shared, and I believe it is our responsibility as eye care professionals to stay current with technological advancements that could improve the lives of our patients.
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A Case That Breaks the Rules
Modern Optometry | By Michael Rambouli, Asma Khan OD, & Osama Said OD
September/October, 2025
A 28-year-old woman presented with a complaint of blurry vision at distance and near in both eyes. She had been wearing outdated prescription glasses for several years. She also reported transient episodes of vision loss in her right eye, particularly when she bent forward. She endorsed experiencing daily migraines, for which she had been prescribed multiple medications. Despite consistent use, she found these medications ineffective.
The patient’s medical history was notable for a heart murmur, and she denied any significant ocular history. At the time of presentation, her blood pressure was 128/87 mm Hg.
FINDINGS
The patient’s BCVA was 20/30 OD and 20/20 OS. Her IOP was 20 mm Hg OD and 19 mm Hg OS. Pupillary assessment revealed a reverse relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) in the left eye. Confrontational visual fields and extraocular motility were normal in each eye. A slit-lamp examination was unremarkable bilaterally.
A posterior segment evaluation revealed significant findings. There was asymmetric papilledema: grade 5 OD and grade 2 OS (Figure 1). This was accompanied by flame-shaped hemorrhages in the right eye, predominantly in the superior temporal and inferior nasal quadrants. The pronounced asymmetry and presence of hemorrhages prompted concern for possible elevated intracranial pressure or compressive optic neuropathy. This asymmetry explained the presence of a reverse RAPD in the left eye, indicating the more affected right eye was not transmitting light stimuli as well, despite showing more overt structural damage.
| Figure 1. The patient’s left eye reveals signs of mild to moderate papilledema, consistent with grade 2 disc edema (A). The right eye demonstrates classic features of severe papilledema, consistent with grade 5 optic disc edema (B). |
OUTCOMES
The patient was educated on the urgency of the findings and advised to proceed to the emergency department for neuroimaging and a lumbar puncture to evaluate her for potential intracranial tumors, hemorrhage, or other space-occupying lesions. A CT scan and MRI of the brain and orbits both returned normal results. However, the lumbar puncture opening pressure was 25 cm H₂O (abnormally elevated cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] pressure), confirming a diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).
Lumbar puncture is essential in assessing suspected IIH. Normally, CSF opening pressure falls between 10 and 20 cm H₂O. Measuring it directly helps confirm or rule out IIH, which is associated with a pressure of 25 cm H₂O or higher. Patients often present with headaches, visual changes such as blurred or double vision, papilledema, pulsatile tinnitus, dizziness, or neck and back pain. Beyond confirming the diagnosis, lumbar puncture provides valuable information for ruling out infection, inflammation, or cancer. Brain imaging by CT and MRI must be done before lumbar puncture to ensure there is not a mass lesion, which could make lumbar puncture dangerous. Recording the initial pressure also provides a baseline to monitor the effectiveness of treatment and help determine whether new headaches are due to medication side effects or ongoing high pressure. Performing the test before starting acetazolamide is critical because the drug reduces CSF production and may mask elevated pressure, resulting in a false negative. Skipping the procedure risks delayed or missed diagnoses, inappropriate treatment, and serious consequences such as permanent vision loss.
The patient was started on oral acetazolamide at a higher-than-typical dosage of 1,500 mg twice daily owing to her weight and level of swelling. She was also referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist for further evaluation and continued management. Remarkably, after the emergency intervention and initiation of treatment, the patient reported complete resolution of her migraines, and she was able to discontinue her prior migraine medications.
Visual field testing was performed every 2 weeks (Figure 2), and OCT of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) was performed biweekly to monitor the optic nerve swelling. Two weeks after treatment, the right eye showed an RNFL thickness of 260 µm, macular volume of 9.17 mm³, and segmented ganglion cell layer (GCL) volume of 1.13 mm³. The left eye had an RNFL thickness of 197 µm, macular volume of 9.66 mm³, and GCL volume of 1.10 mm³. One month later, follow-up testing indicated improved optic nerve swelling bilaterally. RNFL thickness and macular volume decreased in the right eye to 174 µm and 8.8 mm³, respectively, while GCL volume remained stable at 1.13 mm³. RNFL thickness and macular volume also decreased in the left eye to 127 µm and 8.63 mm³, respectively, and there was a slight increase in GCL volume to 1.12 mm³.
UNUSUAL BUT POSSIBLE
Although IIH typically presents with bilateral symmetric papilledema, this case was unusual due to the asymmetry in disc swelling and a reverse RAPD. These findings can easily be mistaken for unilateral optic neuropathies or other serious intracranial conditions, underscoring the need for urgent and a thorough neuro-ophthalmic investigation.
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Pritzker Announces Launch of Multi-State Public Health Alliance
Health News Illinois | By Ryan Voyles
October 15, 2025
Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that he has joined more than a dozen colleagues to launch a new initiative to detect and respond to disease threats and other public health issues.
The collection of 15 Democratic-led states will act as a liaison with the global health community, and officials said they will provide cross-state collaboration on best health practices.
The states will also work together on vaccine procurement, health policy and other challenges that may arise.
Pritzker’s office said the alliance has been in the works for months and will counter the Trump administration’s “war on science, vaccine misinformation and stripping of healthcare from millions of Americans.”
“When the federal government abandons science for conspiracy theories, slashes Medicaid and undermines vaccine integrity, states must stand united to defend the facts,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Here in Illinois and with my colleagues across the country, I will continue to put science and our people first.”
The alliance is the latest step by the Pritzker administration to establish state-led health initiatives.
The governor signed an executive order last month intended to ensure Illinoisans have access to necessary vaccines this fall, regardless of changes in federal policy.
The Department of Public Health adopted fall vaccine guidance that recommends updated COVID-19 vaccines for all Illinoisans 18 and older.
That comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has adopted a more restrictive approach to coronavirus vaccines by recommending that everyone consult a clinician before getting a shot.
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Illinois' Budget on Track for Deficit as New Federal Policies Create Challenges
SJR | By Ben Szalinski
October 13, 2025
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois is on track to run a more than $200 million deficit just three months into the current fiscal year, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.
If nothing changes, the deficit is on pace to grow to $2.2 billion when fiscal year 2027 begins next July.
GOMB released its annual report last week, which includes a five-year projection for state spending and revenue rates. The report provides an annual early look at the direction of state finances, though longer-term windows are notoriously hard to accurately project. In past years, deficits have been considerably lower than the opening-round projections of the annual GOMB report.
This year’s report shows lower-than-expected corporate tax revenue, federal tax law changes and economic volatility are driving a $267 million deficit in the fiscal year 2026 budget.
Overall revenue is projected to decrease $449 million from the amount anticipated last May, to a total of $54.8 billion. Lawmakers originally expected $55.3 billion in revenue while they appropriated $55.1 billion in spending.
GOMB noted some revenue sources are on pace to grow this year, but uncertainty over tariffs and dwindling consumer spending is keeping corporate tax returns down. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — the domestic policy plan President Donald Trump signed in July — also included several corporate tax breaks that are set to reduce tax revenue to the state.
An Illinois Department of Revenue analysis found the federal tax policy changes could reduce FY26 revenue by $830 million. Many states like Illinois tie portions of their corporate tax collections to the federal tax code to make it easier for the state to administer the tax and easier for businesses to file them.
GOMB is recommending the state decouple from certain parts of the federal tax code. If that happens, the $267 million shortfall should largely be avoided, according to GOMB.
House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, told Capitol News Illinois lawmakers are already exploring that option for action in the fall veto session.
Gov. JB Pritzker also signed an executive order last month directing certain state agencies to reserve 4% of FY26 general fund appropriations and identify other ways to reduce spending or create efficiencies. The state also has a $100 million fund it can tap into to cover gaps this year.
Pritzker’s order triggered some criticism from Republicans, who said they were sounding the alarm on budget pressures even before Trump was elected. Last year’s GOMB report, released before Trump’s election, showed lawmakers faced a $3 billion deficit in FY26 that was eventually closed, including with the help of $700 million in new taxes.
Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, defended Democrats’ budgeting strategy in an interview with Capitol News Illinois.
“You can’t predict the unpredictable,” Harmon said. “If we were sitting around navel gazing trying to figure out what the folks in Washington might do, we still wouldn’t have a budget. We did the best we could with the information we had.”
Future years become more challenging
Budgeting will become even more challenging for lawmakers in next year's spring session as the projected deficit climbs to $2.2 billion.
GOMB’s projections are based on current law, meaning they reflect the reality if lawmakers make no spending cuts or raise no new revenue.
Even so, GOMB warns “the ability to fund new programs will be severely limited,” sending an early message to advocates and lawmakers seeking new or increased state spending that their requests might not be answered.
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Glenbard School Board President Appointed to State House Seat
Daily Herald Report | By Staff
October 13, 2025
DuPage County Democratic leaders have appointed the president of the Glenbard District 87 school board to an Illinois House seat.
Margaret DeLaRosa has been sworn in to the 42nd District seat. She replaces Terra Costa Howard, a Glen Ellyn Democrat who resigned from the seat to become a DuPage County Circuit Court judge. State law prohibits judges from holding elected offices.
“I am both honored and humbled to be selected, and I will do my very best to represent and serve the people of the 42nd District,” DeLaRosa said in a statement released by DuPage Democrats Monday.
DeLaRosa has been on the Glenbard school board since 2015. She won another 4-year term this past April. Only one other board member — Martha Mueller — has as long a tenure.
DeLaRosa was selected by a committee consisting of county party Chairman Reid McCollum; Dyan Page, Chair of the York Township Democratic Organization; and Dennis Terdy, former Chair of the Democratic Party of Milton Township.
There were five applicants for the vacancy. Under state law, the appointee must be a member of the same political party as the departing officeholder and otherwise eligible to serve in the General Assembly.
Costa Howard has been a state lawmaker since 2019.
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Illinois Congressional Democrats Ask Insurers to Outline Impact of ACA Tax Credit Expiration
Health News Illinois | By Ryan Voyles
October 15, 2025
Illinois’ Congressional delegation has asked insurers in the state to explain how patients, providers and hospitals will be impacted if the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits expire at the end of the year.
The 16 Democratic lawmakers sent letters to seven insurers this week asking for information on how many members receive tax credits, average premium reduction, potential plan premium increases and if the expiration may result in reduced coverage.
“We worry that healthcare providers and hospitals will face even more severe financial hardship if the enhanced premium tax credits expire, and patients will suffer,” the letter said.
Letters were sent to Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna Group, Molina Healthcare, Celtic Insurance Company, Mercyhealth and Oscar Health Inc.
The subsidies are for those making more than 400 percent of the federal poverty level, which was the previous subsidy cut-off.
A report last month from the Urban Institute found roughly 106,000 Illinoisans would become uninsured next year if enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. About 110,000 Illinoisans would lose subsidized marketplace coverage.
Another report from the Urban Institute, backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found total uncompensated care demand in Illinois would rise by 4.4 percent, or $129 million, if subsidies returned to what they were before the enhanced tax credits took effect.
KFF data show that 330,216 Illinoisans received enhanced tax credits last year, saving an average of $548 monthly on premiums.
Extending the credits has become a sticking point in negotiations over government funding, with Democrats pushing for an extension of the tax credits as part of any effort to end the federal shutdown.
Most Illinois insurers will seek double-digit rate increases on next year’s exchange. Insurance leaders said earlier this year that the increases reflect that healthcare costs have outpaced the rate of inflation, as well as state and federal policy changes that have put upward pressure on premiums.
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Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!
Northern IL:
Excellent Opportunity for Optometrist, Bloomington IL (Read more)
Join Aroura Health Optometry (Read more)
Great Full-time or Part-time Associate OD Opportunity Available in Melrose Park (Read more)
American Vision Center is Seeking Full or Part Time OD (Read more)
Looking for an Optometrist to Join Team Full or Part-Time (Read more)
Optometrist Wanted at Trusted Practice (Read more)
Part-Time Opportunity at Low Vision Rehab Non-Profit (Read more)
Optometrist Needed in Algonquin & Mundelein (Read more)
Optometrist Needed in Western Chicago Suburbs (Read more)
Optometrist Needed in Glenview & Pingree Grove IL (Read more)
Central IL:
Excellent Opportunity for Optometrist, Central IL (Read more)
Optometrist Opportunity – Advanced Medical Eye Care Practice (Read more)
Gailey Eye Clinic Seeking OD in Peoria/Galesburg (Read more)
Southern IL:
Join our Team and be Part of 100 Years of Optometry Excellence (Read more)
Optometrist Needed in Southern IL & Greater STL Area (Read more)
Out of State:
Pediatric Optometrist Needed in West Des Moines, Iowa (Read more)
OD Needed in Jackson Michigan (Read more)
Join Our Dynamic and Growing Practice in Beautiful Door County, WI (Read more)
Practices for Sale:
Long-established family owned private practice in the South Chicago Suburbs (Read more)
22-Year-Old Private Practice for Sale in Oak Brook, IL (Read more)
Practice for Sale in Peoria, IL (Read more)
Equipment for Sale:
Canno RK 5 Autorefractor-Keratometer-PD-retro- illumination (Read more)
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Illinois Optometric Association
217-525-8012
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