News from the AOA's Blog

Formally certified office staff is rapidly becoming the norm in optometric practices, according to Mary Jameson, CPOT, chair of the AOA Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC).

More than 5,000 paraoptometrics across the United States and Canada currently maintain certifications with the CPC, according to the commission’s 2009 Year in Review report.

That number will continue to grow steadily over the coming years, Jameson believes. Read the rest of this entry ?

Surescripts, The Nation’s E-Prescription Network™, announced the release of its 2009 National Progress Report on E-Prescribing. The report, “Advancing Healthcare in America,” is the third in an annual series that tracks the status of e-prescribing adoption and use in the United States. Read the rest of this entry ?

The AOA Sports Vision Section (SVS) will be conducting free vision evaluations Aug. 1-2 for athletes competing in the 2010 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games in Hampton Roads, Va., thanks to a generous sponsorship grant from Vistakon®, Division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

 The program, co-chaired by Steven Hitzeman, O.D., and Stephen Beckerman, O.D., provides volunteers the opportunity to establish testing protocols, gather data, and aid in identifying the best types of sports vision evaluation equipment. Read the rest of this entry ?

The AOA Paraoptometric Section now offers tools to aid speakers with paraoptometric “career day” presentations at local high schools or community events. “Envision a Future in Paraoptometry” is a PowerPoint presentation with audio that includes topics such as:

• Who are paraoptometrics?
• What does a paraoptometric do?
• How to receive training and certification?

Read the rest of this entry ?

The AOA recently announced its new partnership with Lockton Affinity and ProAssurance Insurance Group for its endorsed professional liability program.

The current contract with Marsh will end on June 30, 2010. This is simply a notice that change is coming on July 1, 2010, and is not an offer of insurance at this time.

Selection of a new insurance provider followed a thorough review process designed to assess the marketplace and determine what partners made the most sense for members, the AOA, and the profession over the long term. Read the rest of this entry ?

In Washington, D.C., policymakers are considering health care reform. Across the nation, optometric practices are growing in importance as providers of primary eye and vision care.

That means the American Public Health Association (APHA) Vision Care Section’s (VCS) 30th year is shaping up to be its most important yet, according to section chair Stacy Lyons, O.D. Read the rest of this entry ?