LEADING OFF
TIPS, TRENDS & NEWS YOU CAN USE
VISION EXPO ANNOUNCES EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES/VISIONARIES
Vision Expo East, held April 14 to 17 in New York, will offer 325 hours of education
To start, it will provide three new education tracks for on-the-go attendees: (1) Lightning Rounds (a rapid-fire format that includes five views on one topic), (2) Crash Courses (COPE-approved 30-minute courses on varied topics, such as retinal treatment) and (3) Fashion-Focused Education (trends, tips, tricks, etc.)
Further, the conference will provide a new Dispensing Essentials Track, enabling optical team cross-training through 11 hours of courses, and the new Corcoran Coding Academy, which will afford “valuable take-home reference materials.”
Updated this year: the Business Solutions Track, which will include more than 100 hours on topics such as profitability and growth, and the Global Contact Lens Forum, which will include a patient-perspective session.
To help you choose your courses, Conference Advisory Board co-chairmen, Mark Dunbar, O.D., F.A.A.O., and Ben Gaddie, O.D., F.A.A.O., have created the Chairman’s Top Picks list, which is sponsored by Optometric Management. Visit visionexpoeast.com/Education/Highlights for their selections.
International Vision Expo announced its 2016 Visionaries. The list includes: Ron Melton, O.D., and Randall K. Thomas, O.D. (Dynamic Duo); Alan Glazier, O.D. (Community Builder); Kristin O’Brien, O.D. (Next Generation Innovator); Diana Shechtman, O.D. (Inspirational Professor), and Ryan Parker, O.D. (Aspirational Mentor). For a complete list, visit visionexpoeast.com/meet-the-visionaries.
OPTOMETRIST NAMED ONE OF 25 BEST JOBS IN U.S.
Optometrist was named No.12 under “The 25 Best Jobs of 2016” article published in “U.S. News & World Report.” The criteria to make the list: high wages, low unemployment and good work-life balance. Median salary was listed as $101, 410, unemployment rate was found to be 0.7%, and expected job openings was listed was 11,000. ■
Research Notes
• IOP measurements recorded for 24 hours with a contact lens sensor were linked with the degree of visual field progression in treated eyes with glaucoma, reveals a study in the Feb. 4 online issue of “Ophthalmology.” As a result, the researchers say the contact lens sensor may be useful in detecting eyes at higher risk of glaucoma progression while undergoing treatment. ■
• Aside from poor glycemic control, MetS (a cluster of metabolic risk factors), is a strong and independent indicator of diabetic retinopathy, even to the same extent as glycemic control, reveals January’s “PLoS One ■”
• The prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is greater among children who have vision problems that can’t be corrected with glasses or contact lenses vs. children who have normal vision, reveals February’s “Optometry & Vision Science ■”
TRANSITIONS RECOGNIZES EYE CARE PROFESSIONALS, PROVIDES EDUCATION
At its 20th annual Transitions Academy, held in Orlando, Fla., last month, Transitions Optical recognized five eye care organizations as part of the new Transitions Innovation Awards program.
The awards:
• 2015 Best in Patient Experience award: VisionArts Eyecare Center, Fulton, Mo.
• 2015 Best in Marketing award: New Look Eyewear, Canada
• 2015 Best in Training award: Visionworks
• 2015 Best in Growth Achievement award: Henry Ford OptimEyes
• 2015 Transitions Brand Ambassador award: Eric White, O.D., owner of Complete Family Vision Care, San Diego.
With regard to the educational, the courses presented at Transitions Academy included, “Leadership Authenticity and Agility,” “Millennials at Work,” “Effective Negotiating,” “Optics Test Force” and “Changing Product Perceptions for ECPs.”
In addition, Transitions Optical launched an educational video, which summarizes the hazards of blue light and how Transitions Signature VII, Vantage and XTRActive lenses can help protect the eyes. The new video can be viewed at facebook.com/transitionsoptical. ■
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