2023 UOA June Meeting Speakers and Courses

Mark Dunbar OD

Clinical Decisions in Retina (2 hours)

Interesting cases with important questions when examining the retina will be presented. Do I need to scleral depress my patient with a symptomatic PVD?  Are the medications this patient is taking affecting their eyes?  Is there fluid in the macula?  From the macula to the peripheral
retina, a potpourri of conditions that we routinely see in our clinical practices will be discussed with the answers to the questions that we all ask ourselves.

Hot Topics in Retina (2 hours)

This lecture will discuss the hot topics in retinal disease that dominate the headlines in journal articles and at major meetings.  There is finally a treatment for geographic atrophy (FA), do I need to refer my patient?  Do patients with diabetes need to be treated earlier? How good are the next generation anti-VEGF drugs?   Will artificial intelligence (AI) play a key role for diagnosing retinal disease?  These topics and more will be discussed in this update on hot topics in retinal disease.

Case Challenges in Optometry – Optimizing Ocular Imaging (with Wooldridge) (2 hours)

Interesting cases will be presented in a grand rounds style format. The focus will be on imaging and how it can help in the diagnosis and management of conditions that we all see in our practices.  Topics will include a potpourri of interesting cases from the common to the unusual.  Just when you think you know what it is – you just might be surprised. 

Kelly Malloy OD

Neuro-ophthalmic Presentation in Older Adults (2 hours)

Approved as ASCO course only

A case-based approach is used to discuss neurologic and systemic conditions that commonly demonstrate neuro-ophthalmic manifestations in the older population. Many of these conditions seen in the elderly need urgent or emergent evaluation in order to prevent morbidity and mortality

To Refer or Not to Refer (to Neuro)?... That is the Question (2 hours)

COPE 78909-NO 6/23/23

This case-based course demonstrates several patient scenarios and reminds participants of tools at their disposal to help determine best patient management and need for referral to a specialist, for outpatient work-up, or to the ER.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Ocular Signs and Symptoms of Heart-Related Abnormalities (1 hour)

 79466-SD COPE-Approved as live course through July 2023

This case-based lecture highlights visual and ocular signs and symptoms which lead to the diagnosis of heart-related abnormalities. Optometrists have the skill set to suspect and recognize potential cardiac and vascular issues if they take the time to listen to their patients, routinely monitor blood pressure and pulse, and carefully assess visual function and ocular health. Timely referral to the emergency department and/or cardiology can save vision, prevent stroke, and ultimately save a life.

Papilledema (1 hour)

COPE- 81447-NO 10/20/23

This course reviews the clinical presentation of papilledema, and why it should be considered a medical emergency, even in subtle cases. This case-based presentation will demonstrate various etiologies of papilledema and discuss treatment of the underlying cause in both adults and children.

Bryan Monson MD

Ecosystems of Excellence: How Next-Generation Digital Workflows, Integrated Design, Crowd Sourcing, Protected Data Sharing, and AI are Transforming Top-end Refractive Surgery Delivery (1 hour)

Following this course, the practitioner will understand:
• Integrated designs for the highest standards of excellence, efficiency, patientcare, and privacy.
• Recent advances in digital workflow systems, surgical cockpits, and augmented reality.
• Recent published safety, infection, and outcome data of integrated centers of excellence.
• Improved patient experience: How same-day surgery improves care and builds optometry, significantly increasing co-management profitability.
• Novel hive-mentality technologies.
• Advances in novel phacoemulsification physics, and next-day results.
• Gold-standard modern TORIC astigmatism management.
• The accuracy of the new global crowd-sourcing endeavor and gains in precision.
• Breakthrough crowd sourcing, machine learning, and AI for SMILE, IOLs, phakic IOL, LASIK, RLE for improved outcomes.
• Novel gains in sizing, accuracy and safety of phakic IOL.
• Ecosystems leading to surgical advancements: Circle Cut and intra-‘flap-cut LASIK (case presentation), sequential topo-guided LASIK and light adjustable lens (case presentation), decreasing phakic IOL size outliers to zero (case presentation).
• Introducing: A novel platform

The Future of Refractive Surgery: The Latest 7 Emerging Surgical Advancements in Keratoconus & Post-RK Surgery (1 hour)

Followingthis course, thepractitionerwill understand:
• Recent studies on the safety and efficacy of epithelium-on cross-linking, femtosecond intracorneal segments, phakic and toric phakic IOL, light-adjustable IOL, pinhole IOL, vector-analyzed topography-guided, and ray-traced excimer laser procedures

• Patient selection criteria, post-operative clinical course, warning signs, stability timelines
• Co-management codes and optometry reimbursement (Corcoran Consulting)
• Optometry scope in cross-linking and light adjustable intraocular IOL
• Medicare, commercial and elective crosslinking coverage
• Cross-linking and topography-guided excimer treatment
• Re-immergence of intracorneal ring segments using femptosecond guidance
• Customized ray traced excimer optimization in highly aberrated corneas
• Simultaneous cross-linking and topo-guided excimer ablation: 3-year outcomes review (Case Presentation)
• Simultaneous intracorneal ring segment implantation and epi-on crosslinking (Case Presentation)
• Sequential EVO ICL and TORIC ICL following simultaneous intracorneal ring segment implantation and epithelium-on cross-linking (Case Presentation)
• Sequential Light Adjustable IOL following intracorneal ring segment implantation (Case Presentation)
• Pinhole IOL FDA approval and application (Case Study)

Caitlin Morrison OD

Staff Training for Specialty Lenses (1 hour)

Do you want maximum efficiency in presenting specialty contact lenses in your clinic In this hour-lecture, we will be discussing how to integrate specialty contact lenses scleral lenses prosthetics, etc into your practice by effectively training your office staff to ensure a seamless patient experience.

The Role of Scleral Lenses in Dry Eye (1 hour)

This course reviews scleral lenses as a fantastic treatment option for dry eye patients.

Interesting Applications of Soft Contact Lenses (1 hour)

Beyond the realm of correcting nearsightedness, farsightedness, and presbyopia, soft contact lenses can provide solutions for patients that are unique and interesting. These include soft lenses for migraine relief, double vision, aesthetics, seizures, color deficiencies, and more.

New Technology for Scleral Lenses (1 hour)

As scleral lenses increase in popularity, the technology surrounding designing advances at a rapid rate. In this lecture, Dr. Morrison will discuss the newest technological advances in scleral lenses including machinery, optics, and solutions. 

Scleral Lens Hands-on Workshop (2 hours)

Join Dr. Caitlin Morrison to fit scleral lenses start to finish on a live patient. We review common and advanced fitting techniques to optimize your lens fit on the first order, as well as discuss common complications to design the best scleral lenses for your patients.

John Rumpakis

The Independent Practice in The Age Of Healthcare Reform – Part 1 (2 hours)

Abstract: This course will present the most current and updated information on learning how to comply with the CPT and ICD rules and regulations to properly code and bill encounters, ophthalmic procedures, surgical procedures, and clinical lab testing.  The legalities of creating and maintaining a medical record are a complex mix of regulations, contractual requirements, and ethical obligations.  Many may not understand that there are specific laws that govern how a medical record is created and maintained, and penalties associated with violations can be as significant as imprisonment and loss of license to practice.  Understanding the areas of greatest vulnerability in creating the medical record and how to create and maintain one properly is essential to clinical practice today.

The Independent Practice in The Age of Healthcare Reform – Part 2 (2 hours)

Abstract: This course will present the most current and updated information on learning how to comply with the CPT and ICD rules and regulations to properly code and bill encounters, ophthalmic procedures, surgical procedures, and clinical lab testing.  The legalities of creating and maintaining a medical record are a complex mix of regulations, contractual requirements, and ethical obligations.  Many may not understand that there are specific laws that govern how a medical record is created and maintained, and penalties associated with violations can be as significant as imprisonment and loss of license to practice.  Understanding the areas of greatest vulnerability in creating the medical record and how to create and maintain one properly is essential to clinical practice today.

The Seven Secrets to Hidden Profits & Increased Practice Value (2 hours)

Abstract:  So many times in today’s turbulent world of health care reform, you attend a lecture where you hear about how to improve your practice.  Do this, calculate that, talk like this, move this here, buy this piece of equipment, start this specialty clinic, etc. but rarely do you learn how to learn fundamental concepts of exacting lasting change in your profitability & increase your practice value. This course guides you through the 7 simple steps to higher profitability, better efficiency (without losing effectiveness) and achieving a higher practice value.  Aren’t you ready to achieve more?

Mark Tolman, Employment Law Attorney

Top Ten Ways Managers Get into Trouble (2 hours)

Navigating the world of employment is hard enough but becomes even more difficult when managers make legal mistakes.  Mark will provide an overview of the top ten mistakes made by managers that land their employers in employment law disputes.  Among other important issues, we’ll discuss equal employment opportunity, tips to avoid discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, addressing disability accommodation requests, privacy issues, and how to document employment issues.

Kevin West Healthcare Attorney

Medicare and Commercial Insurance Audits (2 hours)

This course will discuss coding and billing audits and investigations of healthcare providers. The presentation will address what causes these audits, what happens during an audit, the process for appealing overpayment (i.e. clawback) determinations, and best practices to avoid audits. Kevin West is an experienced healthcare attorney who has represented providers in over 1,500 audits during the past 25 years.

HIPAA: What We Have Learned in the Past 20 Years (1 hour)

Twenty years ago, HIPAA became the law and it revolutionized the world of healthcare. Unfortunately, many myths and misunderstandings persist among healthcare providers about exactly what HIPAA does or does not require. This presentation will provide insight and perspectives on HIPAA compliance from an experienced healthcare attorney who has been intimately involved with HIPAA since its inception, and has helped numerous providers develop HIPAA policies and procedures,

Rob Wooldridge

Clinical Decisions in Glaucoma (2 hours)

In this course, we will review clinical concerns and decisions in glaucoma diagnosis and treatment.  Patient care examples from clinical practice will be used in an interactive fashion to aid both experienced and inexperienced doctors in caring for these patients.