2026 MEGA CE
2026 MEGA CE
Date: September 18-19, 2026
Rocky Mountain University
1800 Novell Place, Provo, UT 84606
Classroom on the 8th floor
Cost: FREE for UOA members | $150 for non-members/$75 for one-day non members
All courses are pending COPE approval.
The Utah Optometric Association invites you to our last continuing education event of the year: the 2026 MEGA CE Conference and Fall Quarterly Business Meeting. This two-day event offers a unique opportunity to earn high-quality CE credit, connect with colleagues, and stay up to date on key issues impacting optometry in Utah.
This year’s event will feature a fun sports team theme! Come dressed in your favorite team shirt or jersey—whether you're repping your college alma mater or your favorite pro team, we want to see your spirit! Let’s have some fun, show support for our favorite teams, and enjoy a relaxed and lively environment while gaining valuable education.
Friday:
12:45 – 1 pm: Welcome and introduction by Dr. Cameron K. Martin, RMU President and Chief Executive Officer
1 – 2 pm: CE Course: Robert Roden OD
Confronting the Diabetic Epidemic: Best Practices and Emerging (Cope Course ID: 1005985-SD)
Course Description: Diabetes mellitus continues to rise at an alarming rate, placing millions of patients at increased risk for vision-threatening complications. Eye care providers play a critical role in early detection, risk stratification, patient education, and interdisciplinary management. This course reviews current evidence-based strategies for improving outcomes in patients with diabetes, with an emphasis on diabetic retinopathy, systemic risk factors, advances in imaging and treatment, and effective communication with patients and primary care teams.
2 – 4 pm: CE Course: Kristin Bretz MD
A Rose By Any Other Name: Glaucoma Subtypes (Cope Course ID: 106320-GL)
Course Description: Optic neuropathy from glaucoma may have the same endpoint phenotype but may be caused by a range of etiologies. Understanding the subtypes of open and closed angle glaucoma is essential in elucidating the underlying cause of disease and targeting treatments appropriately. A deeper knowledge of glaucoma types also helps to identify when a presenting glaucoma suspect may require further work up for a non-glaucomatous etiology of optic nerve damage.
4 – 5 pm: Dinner sponsored
5:15 – 6:15 pm: CE Course: Michael Simmons MD
Diagnosis and management of Geographic Atrophy (COPE Course ID: 104012-TD)
Course Description: Geographic atrophy is a sight-threatening complication of age-related macular degeneration for which, historically, no treatment was available. The way clinicians approach this condition was dramatically altered by the FDA's recent approval of two new treatments: pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad pegol. This presentation will review the diagnosis and management of geographic atrophy. We will review the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging in the diagnosis of geographic atrophy. We will also review the available treatments for GA including injectables, vitamin supplementation, and the potential role of photobiomodulation as well as other developing therapies.
6:15 – 7:15 pm: CE Course: Aaron Waite MD
Therapeutic Refractive Surgery (Cope Pending)
Course Description: TBD
Saturday
9 – 10 am: Business Meeting
9 – 10 am: CE Course: Walker Shaffer OD
Preserving Retinal Reserve: A Practical Framework for Proactive Retinal Care (Cope Pending)
Course Description: This course introduces the Retinal Reserve Framework, an evidence-based clinical model that integrates structural, functional, metabolic, and systemic biomarkers into a practical approach for proactive retinal care. Participants will review current evidence regarding retinal bioenergetics, structure-function relationships, functional biomarkers, systemic health, and emerging therapeutic strategies while developing a practical workflow for preserving retinal function before irreversible vision loss occurs.
10 – 12 pm: CE Course: Reid Cluff OD
When to Treat, What to Prescribe: Evidence-Based Myopia Management (COPE Course ID: 106168-GO)
Course Description: As the evidence supporting myopia management continues to evolve, clinicians must critically evaluate available treatments and determine the most appropriate intervention for each patient. This course reviews the current literature and provides an evidence-based framework for selecting and implementing myopia management strategies in everyday practice.
12 – 1 pm: CE Course: Josh Pratt OD
Reading and Central Scotomas (Cope Pending)
Course Description: Macular degeneration and other central retinal disease can result in central scotomas. It is important to quantify the characteristics of these central scotomas so appropriate patient education, training and prescription of assistive devices can be implemented. Of particular interest to reading is the location of the central scotoma relative to the patient’s preferred retinal locus. In this 1-hour course we will explore clinical cases and review pertinent research to determine best practice for reading rehabilitation in patients with central scotomas.
1 – 2 pm: CE Course: Aaron Waite MD
Marketing to Achieve Practice Growth (Cope Course ID: 106318-PM)
Course Description: Designed for optometric practice owners and associates, this course provides actionable strategies to accelerate practice growth. The presentation is divided into two distinct sections: leveraging modern, authentic marketing techniques to attract new patients, and optimizing internal operations to deliver an exceptional, patient-centered experience that drives retention and referrals.
2 – 3 pm: Sponsored Lunch
2:30 – 4:30 pm: Exhibit hall on the 6th floor. With raffle prize drawing at 4 pm. Must be present to win.
3:30-5:30 pm: Build Your Business Plan Workshop with Dr. Justin Manning (VSP Workshop/No CE Credit)
• Go over the basics of preparing a business plan for your future practice
Bios:
Dr. Robert Roden, OD
Dr. Robert Roden earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Arizona College of Optometry at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. He then completed advanced training in an optometric residency in ocular disease at the Thomas E. Creek Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Amarillo, TX. Dr. Roden then received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Brigham Young University for his research in tear film proteomics and clinical diagnostics.
As the Director of Research for the Rocky Mountain University Optometry program, his research focus lies utilizing mass spectrometry-based proteomics for biomarker discovery and medicinal chemistry. He has clinical experience in a variety of settings, including government, corporate, and private optometry/ophthalmology practices. He is fluent in Spanish and enjoys learning, teaching, helping patients, and research in bioanalytical chemistry. Outside of work, Dr. Roden enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons, writing music, playing ice hockey, and being outdoors.
Dr. Kristin Bretz, MD
Dr. Kristin O. Bretz is a board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, and comprehensive eye care.
Dr. Bretz has been dedicated to ophthalmic research throughout her academic and professional career. She has published and presented on a range of topics, including ocular surface disease, glaucoma risk and management, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS).
Dr. Bretz has volunteered her time and services with several charitable organizations, including Unite for Sight, with whom she served as a Global Impact Fellow in Bihar, India. She currently acts as a director of Working Vision, an organization which is dedicated to treating and preventing work related injuries in developing countries by distributing safety information and equipment and improving access to care. She has performed charity surgeries for those who have no access to care and has traveled to Micronesia, Mongolia, the Navajo community and Sonoma county teaching other doctors and professionals about state of the art ophthalmic procedures and techniques.
Dr. Michael Simmons, MD
Dr. Michael Simmons is a retina specialist who joined Utah Eye Centers in 2026 and is passionate about helping patients manage complex retinal conditions. A Salt Lake City native, he attended BYU before pursuing medical training and research focused on retinal disease and artificial intelligence in medicine. Outside of the clinic, Dr. Simmons enjoys spending time outdoors, coaching his sons’ soccer teams, and cooking with his wife and four children.
Dr. Aaron Waite, MD
Dr. Aaron Waite is a fellowship trained, board-certified ophthalmologist and the founder of Waite Vision. He discovered his passion for ophthalmology while working as an ophthalmic technician and scribe. During this time, he witnessed the life-changing impact modern eye surgery can have on an individual’s life.
Dr. Walker Shaffer, OD
Dr. Walker Shaffer grew up in Ephraim, Utah and is the oldest of five kids. He graduated from Manti High School and served a mission for his church in Managua, Nicaragua. Afterwards, he continued his education at Snow College, while waiting for his high school sweetheart to return home from her mission. Dr. Shaffer married Marissa Hill, and they happily celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2024. After Snow, he continued his education at Utah Valley University. He then went on to complete a Bachelors of Vision Science at Pacific University and his doctorate degree from Pacific University College of Optometry in 2024. After graduating, Dr. Shaffer joined the Eyecare of Lehi team, adding his knowledge and expertise with specialty contact lenses and ocular diseases, with a special interest in glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic eye diseases.
He loves living in Utah, being close to family, friends and the beautiful mountains. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, board games, fishing, sports and spending time with his wife, and their two children.
Dr. Reid Cluff, OD
Dr. Reid Cluff originally hails from Orem, UT. He did his undergraduate studies at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO. He then graduated from optometry school in San Antonio, TX at the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry with his Doctor of Optometry degree. Graduating summa cum laude, he took an active leadership role in the American Optometric Student Association. Additionally, he was inducted into both Beta Sigma Kappa and Gold Key International Optometric Honor Societies. Following graduation, he completed a residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, focusing on corneal disease and specialty contact lenses. With this specialized training, Dr. Cluff enjoys fitting “medically necessary” and “hard to fit” contact lenses on patients with keratoconus, high astigmatism, corneal transplants, dry eyes, as well as many other corneal and ocular surface diseases. Since completing his residency, he has worked in group optometric practice as well as a cataract and refractive surgery center. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters, running, martial arts, and being in the great outdoors.
Dr. Josh Pratt, OD
Dr. Pratt enjoys life and the opportunities each day provides to serve and help others. He has nine years of experience providing routine and medical eye care as well as pediatric and low vision services in a private OD/MD clinic in Aberdeen, WA. His clinical training included rotations through the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center VISOR Clinic in Houston, TX, and the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center Optometry Clinic in Albuquerque, NM. He graduated with distinction from the University of Houston OD/PhD program, where he pioneered a method of vision rehabilitation that allows patients to perceive their central scotomas. His clinical and research interests include low vision rehabilitation and eccentric viewing training, visual perception of field loss, retinal disease, reading eye movements, pediatric optometry, and diseases of the optic nerve and visual pathway. His publications can be found in Optometry and Vision Science and Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science. Outside of clinic, Dr. Pratt enjoys time with family and the great outdoors. He has served in the community as a scoutmaster, a youth mentor, an ecclesiastical leader, a soccer coach, and a foster dad. He is excited to work with students and help them on their path to becoming compassionate, skilled clinicians.