Volume 9, Issue 23│June 13, 2025

Editor's note: The IOA office will be closed Thursday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth.

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!

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  

IOA member Carrie Roitstein, OD was featured on The Larson Health Podcast. Dr. Roitstein spoke with Kim Larson on "Eyes on Wellness: How Nutrition, Light, and Lifestyle Shape Your Vision"

Fox Valley Optometric Society held a meeting this week where they discussed "Protecting Your Practice, Preserving Your Legacy: Legal Solutions for Medical Professionals" with attorney speakers (pictured right) Cindy Campbell, Ian Holzhauer, Hani Majeed.

After that, Retinal Specialist: Dr. Veeral Sheth, MD (pictured left) spoke on "Rewriting the Script: The Promise of Gene Therapy in Retinal Disease"

Thank you to those who were in attendance!

IOA chair Angela Oberreiter, OD (left) is pictured below with Scott Oberreiter (right) at an event for Senator McClure (center).

NEW MEMBER BENEFIT: ER Triage Courses

The IOA's Public Health Committee has developed a series of targeted courses on eyecare triage for emergency medicine professionals. These practical courses are broken into short modules discussing double vision & vision loss, conjunctivitis, corneal conditions, flashes & floaters, and recommended equipment for ocular emergency triage. These courses are ideal for physicians, PAs and NPs working in the emergency department or urgent care facilities. 

7/8: Illinois Valley Optometric Society Meeting

9/25 - 9/28: IOA Annual Meeting

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.

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.

Filing a complaint? Use the resources below to get started.

Vision Plans & Insurance Companies:

Dept of Insurance Complaint Submission - How to File a Complaint

Office of the Illinois Attorney General - File a Complaint

Report illegal and unsafe contact lens sales to the FDA & FTC:

Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act compliance and safety | AOA

IDFPR:

IDFPR | File a Complaint

Medicaid Managed Care Complaint Portal:

Managed Care Provider Resolution Portal | HFS

AOA’s 24/7 Media Advocacy Puts Eye Exams on Everyone’s Radar

In April, The Washington Post ran an article about coping with low vision. It included details on adaptive devices, such as magnifiers and telescopes, and tech tools—and encouraged readers to see an AOA doctor of optometry. 

“Many visually impaired people assume that nothing can be done to improve their vision,” says Janis Winters, O.D., chair of AOA’s Vision Rehabilitation Committee. “It is important to have articles such as this to highlight devices and techniques that can enhance vision and provide resources for professionals who provide these services.” 



The article was the latest success in the AOA’s 24/7 “always on” media advocacy approach. The AOA has collaborated with national media, including ABC News, CNN and People magazine, to spread the value that doctors of optometry and the unique benefits of in-person eye exams. 

Since 2021, the AOA’s media advocacy efforts have been guided by Eye Deserve More, a national, consumer-focused campaign promoting the importance of in-person comprehensive care from an AOA doctor and driving patients to the AOA’s doctor locator. 

Last summer, the AOA used national broadcast interviews with CNN, ABC and Fox affiliates to encourage parents to add comprehensive eye exams to their children’s back-to-school checklist. The effort resulted in 4.1k media placements, 6B media impressions, and 315k visits to the AOA’s doctor locator—a 248% increase since Eye Deserve More launched in 2021. 

The Eye 

The current iteration of Eye Deserve More leverages the buzz around new technology launches and encourages people to prioritize the tech that makes up their eye over the tech in their pockets. The AOA worked with a renowned industrial designer to create The Eye, a tech-forward representation of one of the most advanced technologies known to man: the human eye. 

The Eye’s physical components represent real capabilities of the human eye, demonstrating a level of sophistication that current technology can’t replicate. Here’s how the latest smartphone’s tech specs compare to that of the human visual system: 

1. 8 GB RAM vs 2.5 M GB RAM 
2. 48 MP vs 576 MP 
3. 4K retina display vs 14K retina display 
4. 240 FPS video vs 1,000 FPS video

The Eye launched with an immersive pop-up experience in New York City for one weekend last August, attracting more than 600 attendees. A launch post that month got twice as many shares as the latest iPhone release.

Illinois Expands Online Licensing to 21 New Professions, Streamlining Application Process via CORE System

Hoodline | By Richard M. Sullivan

Jume 11, 2025

Illinois professionals in 21 additional fields can now breathe a little easier when it comes to getting their licenses. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has introduced these new professions to its online licensing system, CORE (Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment), which promises a more streamlined application process. This system eliminates the antiquated paper trail, making lives simpler for both applicants and the regulatory body itself.

Previously, individuals looking to secure a professional license might have been daunted by the paper-laden path ahead, but now, CORE is streamlining that journey. Today’s update signifies the completion of Phase 2.1. According to a statement from the IDFPR, "The expansion of CORE means increased accessibility for applicants, ensuring more qualified professionals can obtain their licenses in a timely and efficient manner." These words, spoken by IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr., underscore the Department's commitment to evolving with the times, making regulatory processes more accessible for all involved.

This phase involves migrating license applications that were formerly only available in paper form, representing a significant step forward in modernizing regulatory practices. According to the Illinois government’s announcement, the full rollout of CORE will be in August 2026, with the department announcing additional increments of Phase 2 in the weeks to come. To date, this includes 28 initial professional license applications and promises more efficiency in the future.

The implications for the professional landscape in Illinois are significant; reduced paperwork and processing times translate to more skilled workers getting into the workforce quicker. As Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. puts it: "We are now one step closer to making CORE available for all license types, ultimately benefiting both consumers and professionals alike across Illinois." While today marks a milestone, the journey towards full implementation is still underway, promising further advancements as subsequent phases of CORE rollout.

Medicaid Rolls See Slight Increase in April

Health News Illinois | By Ryan Voyles

June 10, 2025

Illinois’ Medicaid managed care rolls rose roughly 0.1 percent in April, according to recent data from the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Enrollment in HealthChoice Illinois was 2,444,284 as of May 1, up from 2,441,684 enrolled on April 1.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and CountyCare Health Plan saw slight increases in their rolls, while the state’s other three plans saw minimal dips.

As of May 1, enrollment totals were:

• Aetna Better Health – 339,421 (0.2 percent decrease from April 1)
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois – 715,060 (0.5 percent increase)
• Molina Healthcare – 284,744 (0.1 percent decrease)
• CountyCare Health Plan (Cook County only) – 411,709 (0.5 percent increase)
• Meridian Health Plan – 661,521 (0.4 percent decrease)

Prime Healthcare Cuts 100 Roles at Illinois Hospitals

— The reductions come three months after Prime acquired the Illinois facilities from Ascension

Healthcare Dive | By Sydney Halleman

June 10, 2025

Dive Brief:

• Prime Healthcare is cutting more than 100 roles at eight Illinois hospitals it acquired from Ascension earlier this year, a company spokesperson confirmed to Healthcare Dive.
• Most of the reductions took place on Friday, while the remaining cuts will take place through July, the spokesperson said. The cuts impact fewer than 1% of the roughly 14,000 workers employed at the affected facilities — 13,000 that stayed on through Prime’s acquisition and 1,000 in newly created roles.
• The reductions attempt to consolidate a “small number” of positions that were either duplicated or “not aligned with the care model and service line offerings” after the acquisition, according to the spokesperson. Most of the roles cut don’t involve direct patient care, and no union roles are being impacted, they said.

Dive Insight:

Comparable positions are being offered for employees, and affected individuals are encourages to apply to more than 900 open positions across Prime’s Illinois facilities, the spokesperson said.

Ontario, California-based Prime announced its intention to acquire nine hospitals and four care sites in Illinois from Ascension in July for approximately $375 million. Ascension St. Elizabeth in Chicago, originally included in the deal, was shuttered before the deal closed in March.

The acquisition, the largest in Prime’s history, expanded the health system’s presence in Illinois. As part of the deal, Prime agreed to invest $250 million into the facilities through facility upgrades, substantial technology investments and system updates.

Prime, which operates over 51 hospitals and 360 outpatient facilities in 14 states, says it has begun fulfilling its investment commitment despite the Illinois facilities collectively losing nearly $200 million in the past year. 

Still, the health system has caught flak for shuttering some service lines after the acquisition.

Last month, Democratic Illinois senators Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth sent a letter to Prime CEO Prem Reddy after the hospital operator suspended pediatric services at one of its hospitals, withdrew a trauma designation at a medical center and canceled obstetric and maternal care at another hospital in Kankakee, Illinois.

“Prime Healthcare has only operated these eight Illinois hospitals for two months, and there are already profound concerns about patients losing access to care,” the senators said.

Other health systems have cut roles in recent months as hospitals face financial headwinds, including PeaceHealth, Mass General Brigham, Jefferson Health and Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Information on More Than 900 Individuals Potentially Exposed in HFS Data Breach

Health News Illinois | By Ryan Voyles

June 9, 2025

Hundreds of individuals may have had their information exposed in a recent data breach at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

The agency announced Friday that 933 individuals, including 564 Illinois residents, were impacted by the breach. Exposed information may include customer names, social security numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, financial information related to child support, child support or Medicaid identification and case numbers and date of birth.

HFS became aware of the issue in February about a “bad actor” conducting a phishing campaign targeting agency employees and attempting to gain access to their usernames and passwords by using an email from another government account they had previously hacked.

Through this, they said one employee’s emails and documents were compromised.

The department said they completed notifying the affected clients on May 23.

Plant-Based Diet May Protect Retinal Sublayer Thickness

Healio | By Justin Cooper

June 11, 2025

A plant-based but not fully vegetarian diet could boost the health of retinal ganglion cells, potentially mitigating early neurodegeneration visible on OCT, according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.

“The retinal sublayer thickness, which provides some information about retinal neurons, is considered associated not only with ophthalmic diseases like glaucoma but also with some neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease,” Qian Zhu, of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China, and colleagues wrote.

“Diet plays an important part in different diseases as part of lifestyle factors, and it has been reported in previous studies that adherence to certain healthy dietary patterns is associated with a lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the association between healthy dietary patterns and retinal sublayer thickness remains to be explored.”

Zhu and colleagues analyzed 13,993 UK Biobank participants with complete OCT measurements and dietary assessments. Using multivariable linear regression models, they analyzed associations between the measurements of various retinal sublayers and four dietary assessments: the Alternate Mediterranean Diet, the Anti-Empirical Dietary Inflammation Index, the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 and the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index.

Only the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index was consistently associated with the thickness of retinal sublayers. The index evaluates the intake of whole grains, fruits and vegetables as well as “moderate healthy animal food,” the researchers wrote.

Higher scores were significantly associated with thickness of the following retinal sublayers:

• central retinal macular layer (P = .001);
• macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (P = .033);
• outer nuclear layer of the central subfield (P = .003);
• photoreceptor inner segment of the central subfield (P = .005); and
• macular ganglion cell complex (P = .025).



The other three dietary scores were not consistently associated with the thicknesses of any retinal sublayers, aside from the outer nuclear layer and photoreceptor inner segment of the central subfield.

In a mediation analysis, cholesterol was found to significantly mediate the association between the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index and the thickness of the central retinal macular layer, ganglion cell complex and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer. A sensitivity analysis also showed that the score’s association with retinal layer sublayer thickness was stronger in women and younger people, the researchers wrote.

Ozempic Users Face 2x Higher Risk of Permanent Vision Loss, Researchers Warn

Best Life | By Emily Weaver

June 7, 2025

Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs have forever altered the way people view, manage, and speak about obesity. However, it’s important to remember that Ozempic has actually been around for quite some time as a treatment for adults with type 2 diabetes. But now that it’s become more mainstream (and is being taken off-label for weight loss), studies about the drug’s side effects are being published at an alarming rate. For instance, a comorbidity that was once considered rare is now more common.

GLP-1 drugs can lead to an increased risk of permanent vision loss.

Patients who use GLP1 drugs to help control their type 2 diabetes are at an upward risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, according to new research published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. Moreover, their odds increase over time with continued use of Ozempic and similar drugs.

It’s estimated that age-related macular degeneration affects 11 million Americans, per MedlinePlus. "The vision loss in this condition results from a gradual deterioration of light-sensing cells in the tissue at the back of the eye that detects light and color (the retina)," explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine-backed website. "Specifically, age-related macular degeneration affects a small area near the center of the retina, called the macula, which is responsible for central vision."

The study looked at 46,334 patients who took GLP1-drugs (primarily semaglutide, the active ingredient found in Ozempic and Wegovy) for at least six months. Researchers compared their health stats against patients who weren’t prescribed Ozempic. (Reasons varied, but had to do with age, gender, diabetes severity, and comorbidities.)

Over a three-year follow-up period, researchers tallied how many patients from each cohort were diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration.

The result? Patients on Ozempic had a "two-fold higher risk" of age-related macular degeneration, compared to their peers who didn’t use the drug. The press release states additional research is needed "to elucidate the exact pathophysiological mechanisms involved."

Previous studies (and real patients) have also blamed Ozempic for vision loss.

This isn’t the first study to explore the connection between GLP-1 drugs and vision loss. Researchers and real-life patients have voiced concerns about the matter.

As Best Life reported, "A previous study published in 2024 found that people using semaglutide are four times more likely to develop a rare but scary eye condition called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION for short."

This year, researcher and ophthalmologist Bradley Katz, PhD, discovered that both semaglutide and tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro) can lead to NAION, as well as papillitis (inflammation of the optic nerve) and paracentral acute middle maculopathy (impacting your eyes’ blood vessels). His findings were published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.

Todd Engel, a 62-year-old man living in Maryland, is one of many patients who have experienced vision loss due to Ozempic. It began shortly after Engel was prescribed the drug to help treat his type 2 diabetes. Within four months, Engel had been diagnosed with NAION and became blind in both eyes.

He and several others have filed lawsuits against Novo Nordisk (the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy), claiming the pharmaceutical company didn’t include vision loss as one of the drug’s potential side effects.

"People are just waking up and developing this [vision] condition," Jason Goldstein, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, told Newsday. "They wake, and they totally can't see. A lot of them lose their peripheral vision. They could lose total vision. I have one client who lost it in both eyes."

The takeaway:

Research shows that long-term usage of GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, can increase patients' odds of developing age-related macular degeneration, which, in many cases, can result in total blindness.



"GLP-1 RAs have had a tremendous role in the care of patients with diabetes, and now those needing additional help with weight management. However, the adage that 'there is no such thing as a free lunch' remains true," Brian L. VanderBeek, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine’s Scheie Eye Institute, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

VanderBeek noted that this shouldn’t necessarily deter people from taking Ozempic, but rather spark an ongoing conversation between doctors and their patients about potential, less common side effects. "While certainly not outweighing the good these medications offer, prescribing physicians need to keep in mind the real and serious ocular adverse events that may occur," he concluded.

Eric Miller: Plan, Don't Sweat, Your Student Loan Payments

Women in Optometry | WO Voices Podcast

June 2, 2025

Optometry school is an investment—often a hefty one. Eric Miller, co-owner of Econologics Financial Advisors, knows how overwhelming student loan debt may feel, and he’s committed to helping new ODs take charge of their financial future. Whether you’re dealing with student loans, business debt, a mortgage, or all three, he offers actionable advice to help you stay on top of it. His bottom line? Don’t stress. Your loans may be big, but your long-term earning power is bigger.

Senate Bill to End 'Silver Loading' in Exchange Plans

Modern Healthcare | By Michael McAuliff 

June 11, 2025

(Subscription Publication)reports that draft legislation of the Republican “One Big Beautiful Bill” released late Tuesday by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee includes “provisions reviving cost-sharing reduction payments to health insurance exchange carriers.” The legislation “mirrors language in the House-passed version of the measure,” which the CBO estimates “would reduce gross Silver plan premiums by 12% but cause 300,000 people to lose health coverage.” The move would no longer allow “companies to engage in what’s known as ‘silver loading’ by focusing rate increases on the Silver-level plans enrollees must choose to receive cost-sharing subsidies.” 

Check out the newest IOA classifieds here!

ODs Wanted:

Northern IL:

Small, Private Practice in Morris, IL seeking Part-time OD (Read more)

OD Needed for Summer Maternity Leave (Read more)

Chicago:

Optometrist Needed for Maternity Leave Coverage (Read more)

Chicago Suburbs:

Full-Time or Part-Time OD Needed in Hodgkins (Read more)

Optometrist Needed in Chicago Suburbs (Read more)

Full-time or Part-time Associate OD Needed (Read more)

OD Needed at Naper Grove Vision Care (Read more)

Seeking OD for Part time, 1-4 Permanent Days or FILL in Only, Summer Fill in Days (Read more)

Optometrist Needed Part-time / Full-time Private Practice (Read more)

Part-time OD Needed at Small Private Practice (Read more)

Optometrist Wanted, Full or Part-time (Read more)

Central IL:

Join the Community Eye Care Family (Read more)

Optometrist Needed in the Peoria area (Read more)

Mobile OD Needed for Senior Living Facilities (Read more)

Looking for Passionate & Community Focused Optometrists in Decatur & Mt. Zion (Read more)

Mobile Optometrist Needed (Read more)

Part-time OD Needed with Full-time Potential in Private Practice (Read more)

Southern IL:

Mobile OD Needed for Senior Living Facilites (Read more)

Part-Time to Full-Time Opportunity at Metro Eye Care (Read more)

Full Time Opening in Swansea IL, Metro East 20 minutes from St. Louis (Read more)

Optometrist Needed in Olney, IL (Read more)

Out of State:

FT Optometrist Needed in Kenosha, Wisconsin (Read more)



OD Needed in Door County, Wisconsin (Read more)

Associate OD in Thriving Michigan Practice (Read more)

Immediate Opening for OD in Wisconsin (Read more)

Practices for Sale:

Practice for Sale on the Fox River (Read more)

Fully Booked Practice for Sale- Southeast Michigan Community (Read more)

Illinois Optometry Practice for Sale- Kane County, IL (Read more)