News from the AOA's Blog

Investigators are now enrolling patients into two VISUAL Clinical Trials, Phase III double-masked, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of the investigational use of a biologic compound in patients with non-infectious intermediate, posterior, or pan-uveitis. The study drug is currently U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved in the United States for treating other immune-mediated diseases. Read the rest of this entry ?

By Chad Fleming, O.D., AOA Practice Advancement Committee

I remember the day I started second-grade. It was the day I rode my bike to school for the first time, and it was the day I think my mom cried from when I left until I came home. Starting anything new brings with it many mixed emotions. For some, the emotions are exhilarating and for others suffocating. Unlike second-grade, there is more risk involved in beginning a new practice. Read the rest of this entry ?

By Robert E. Prouty, O.D.

Dry eye syndrome is commonly seen in optometric practices. Nearly 10% of the U.S. population has signs or symptoms of dry eye. A wide range of treatment options are available. However, dry eye has varied causes and severities. As a result, it can be difficult to classify after an initial diagnosis, making the condition difficult to treat. Most practicing optometrists would probably acknowledge that dissatisfied dry eye patients are common. Read the rest of this entry ?

By an overwhelming 6 to 1 margin, the Michigan Optometric Association (MOA) voted on May 9 to reject a plan backed by vision plans and their representatives seeking to gain control over how optometric care will be delivered in the state health insurance exchange now being created. Instead, MOA doctors support moving toward integrating vision and eye health coverage and assuring the seamless delivery eye health care by optometrists. Read the rest of this entry ?

Walter Chase, O.D., professor emeritus at the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) passed away Feb. 27, 2011, after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Chase served as a faculty member from 1966 to 2004 and was a gifted teacher; his primary interests were ocular motility and optics of the eye. Read the rest of this entry ?

As part of May’s Healthy Vision Month, the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF) vision programs—Macular Degeneration Research and National Glaucoma Research—kicked off its “See a Better Tomorrow” campaign, during which patients are encouraged to schedule a comprehensive eye exam and learn ways to protect against vision loss. The foundation’s website, www.ahaf.org/SeeABetterTomorrow, refers visitors to the AOA’s Dr. Locator to assist with scheduling exams. Read the rest of this entry ?

Optometry professionals and students from around the world are being offered an exciting opportunity to attend clinical workshops at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) as part of Advancing Optometry Worldwide, the World Council of Optometry’s conference. Read the rest of this entry ?

Southern College of Optometry (SCO) announced a $9.4 million building project that will provide its students with new classroom facilities and state-of-the-art instructional space on campus.

The new building in midtown will be the college’s most ambitious undertaking since the construction of The Eye Center, the college’s public clinical facility, in 2002. Read the rest of this entry ?

Sam Quintero, O.D., Practice Advancement Committee

There is no single commonly accepted method for valuing an optometric practice. No two practices are exactly alike. There are relative and extremely variable economic conditions within a community and the amount and type of local competition that affect the value of a practice. The location, decor, tenure, quality of operation, equipment, management systems in place, and financial health will also significantly determine whether or not a practice should even be considered for purchase. Read the rest of this entry ?

Prevent Blindness America will host “Focus on Eye Health: A National Summit” in Washington, D.C., on June 20 to serve as a key launching pad for newly revised public health data on vision and eye health. 

The event will provide updates of two very significant public health reports from PBA – “Vision Problems in the U.S.” and the “Economic Impact of Vision Problems,” as well as a variety of public health presentations that will address vision and eye health in the United States. Read the rest of this entry ?