Journal post
January 27, 2012VA names new blind rehab center in honor of fallen Army OD
January 26, 2012After hundreds of AOA doctors and students launched a nationwide grassroots campaign aimed at honoring the service and sacrifice of a respected colleague and fallen American hero, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officially dedicated the Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D. VA Blind Rehabilitation Facility Jan. 25 on the campus of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System in Long Beach, Calif.
- Among those in attendance at the dedication of the Major Charles Robert Soltes, Jr., O.D., Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Facility were, from left, John Townsend, O.D., VA Optometry Service Director; Donald Gagliano, M.D., Director, Vision Center of Excellence; Terry J. Lantz, O.D., Chief, Army Optometry and Consultant to the Surgeon General; Robert A. Petzel, M.D., VA Under Secretary for Health; Hilary Hawthorne, O.D., AOA trustee; Major Jeff Autry , O.D., U.S. Air Force and Armed Forces Optometric Society Vice President; Sally Dang, O.D., Major Soltes’ widow and VA optometrist; and Major Jinjong Chung O.D., U.S. Army.
Friends, colleagues remember Dr. Jerry Davidoff
January 26, 2012
Dr. Davidoff
The Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA) sadly announced the passing of Jerry Davidoff, O.D., on Nov. 29, 2011. He was the immediate past chair of the AOA Vision Rehabilitation Section (VRS).
“Jerry fought a valiant fight against lung cancer and did so with his trademark humor, patience and optimism,” said Ilene Sauertieg, director of education for the POA. Read the rest of this entry »
AOA order department introduces friends and family referral kits
January 26, 2012
“Friends & Family Referrals, Visually Simple” is a turn-key solution that promotes “Word of Mouth” practice growth, with canvas artwork kits being offered by the AOA Order Department. Featuring your choice of four customized designs, learn how easy it is to distribute more referral cards with less time. Read the rest of this entry »
Neb. OD’s new book offers constructive message for children
January 26, 2012
Kristopher T. Hubbard, O.D., with his children, from left, Matthew, 2; Jeffrey, 7; Annelise, 6 months; and Kristina, 5.
Iggie’s Telescope, a new children’s book written and illustrated by Kristopher T. Hubbard, O.D., follows the adventures of Iggie the Eyeball as he works diligently to buy his first telescope.
“This story will inspire and show children that hard work pays off, while educating them on the importance of protecting their eyes,” Dr. Hubbard said.
The 8.5” x 11” full-color children’s paperback is designed to be a good bedtime story for parents to read to their children as well an appropriate addition to a medical or optometric waiting room, Dr. Hubbard said. Read the rest of this entry »
Medicare provider-supplier reports to list partial NPIs
January 26, 2012The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last month that, in response to security concern voiced by health care providers, it will no longer use complete National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers in the ordering and referring reports posted on the agency’s Medicare Provider-Supplier Enrollment Web site (http://tinyurl.com/MedicareOrderReferReports). Read the rest of this entry »
Va. OD helps develop first self-focusing eyewear
January 26, 2012
Gary Meier, O.D., director of primary care services for Illinois Eye Surgeons, a 14-office St. Louis-area group ophthalmology and optometry practice, inspects a pair of the PixelOptics eyeglasses the practice began carrying in its dispensaries last month.
“We are bringing vision correction into the 21st century,” said Ron Blum, O.D., president and CEO of Roanoke, Va.-based PixelOptics, Inc. Dr. Blum believes a new breed of composite lens technology used in his new PixelOptics line of emPower! eyewear – the world’s first electronic focusing eyeglasses – will “revolutionize” presbyopic vision correction over the coming months and similarly advance other fields of vision care over the coming years.
“As the developer of the world’s first and only electronic focusing eyewear, emPower!, PixelOptics is committed to redefining the way people see by improving the current standard of vision correction,” Dr. Blum said. Read the rest of this entry »
Heads Up Part 2! New ICD for glaucoma and new CPT codes have arrived
January 25, 2012Edited by Chuck Brownlow, O.D., Medical Records consultant
As usual, Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases—9th Edition have introduced new codes. Some insurers began requiring the new codes be used as of Oct. 1, 2011; others will begin requiring them Jan. 1, 2012; and still others will straggle along and possibly not recognize any changes until late in the first quarter of 2012. It’s usually best to adopt the new codes as early as possible, Begin using them on your claims and continue to use them unless a specific insurer clarifies that they want you to continue to use the outdated codes. Read the rest of this entry »
Mindset of change: opportunity for staff, practice growth
January 25, 2012We live in a world that is ever-changing. According to futurist Faith Popcorn, change will continue to accelerate as much in the next 10 years as it has in the last 50, and as much again in the five years after that. According to this theory, if one lives another 15 years, he or she will actually live through 100 years of change. Are practitioners and staff prepared to handle such rapid changes? Read the rest of this entry »
Group shares how to analyze practice in purchase process
January 24, 2012By Christopher Wolfe, O.D., Practice Advancement Committee member
Becoming a practice owner through the purchase of a practice can be a daunting task. However, a thorough understanding of the factors impacting the purchase feasibility, practice value, appraisal approaches and tax implications of buying a practice can allow you to proceed with a clear analysis of a practice. Read the rest of this entry »
