- The American Optometric Association is hosting another Virtual Learning Livecast on Oct. 2 that will cover 43 total assorted AOA-, COPE- and CPC-approved CE credits, the organization says. The one- and two-hour courses are scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., all CST. Seats for each course are limited; visit aoa.org/events/calendar-of-events/virtual-learning-livecast?sso=y .
- CooperCompanies and its divisions (including CooperVision and CooperSurgical) were named one of 2021’s Best Large Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production by Fortune magazine. Fortune and partner organization Great Place to Work analyzed survey feedback from more than 220,000 employees from companies holding the Great Place to Work Certification. The surveys evaluated company culture, employee experience and leadership.
- Expertscape, a biomedical website, recently updated its global rankings of contact lens experts, naming Lyndon Jones, Ph.D., DSc, FCOptom, F.A.A.O., the top expert of the past decade. Jason J. Nichols, O.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., editor of Contact Lens Spectrum, a sister publication of Optometric Management, ranked 15th. Expertscape ranks health care institutions and individuals in more than 29,000 topics.
- International Myopia Institute created and launched the “IMI Facts and Findings Infographic” based on the IMI White Papers from 2019 and 2021, with the goal of increasing myopia awareness as a public health issue. The infographic is available for practitioners to use as a chairside reference, including key facts and evidence-based information to share with patients. The complementary infographic can be downloaded at myopiainstitute.org . The 2019 and 2021 White Papers cover a wide range of myopia-related topics, authored by 100+ myopia experts, and are available in many languages.
- An NIH-funded Robotic Cane includes a color 3D camera, an inertial measurement sensor and an on-board computer to facilitate indoor navigation for those who are blind and visually impaired. The robotic cane is not yet market ready. (Additional details can be found at bit.ly/390bMUS .)
- TearClear has filed an Investigational New Drug application with the FDA for its 0.005% latanoprost ophthalmic solution, TC-002. The application is to conduct a registrational study based on other studies’ suggestion that preservative-free glaucoma therapies can improve the ocular health of patients, specifically in resolving ocular surface disease.
- World Council of Optometry and CooperVision created an online resource to help eye care providers apply a standard of care to manage myopia. It addresses the topic through three main pillars — mitigation, measurement and management — and offers access to papers and studies aggregated from independent third-party sources. The site launch comes on the heels of the unanimous approval of a resolution advising optometrists to incorporate a standard of care for myopia management, passed by the WCO earlier this year. To access the source, visit myopia.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/ .
DISASTER RELIEF HELP AVAILABLE
Hurricane Ida and the California wildfires have left many optometrists reeling from their onslaught. The good news: O.D.s can help their colleagues by donating to Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief (OFDR), which, incidentally, was started in 2005 on the heels of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall. “The optometric family is a small group, relatively speaking, in all of health care,” says Catherine Amos, O.D., chair of OFDR. “We care for each other and our well-being. We know what happens to an office when we can’t see patients because of flooding, loss of power, equipment damage, etc.” The fund provides immediate assistance to O.D.s and optometry students who are victims of disasters via grants of up to $4,000 each. To donate, https://aoafoundation.org/ofdr/ . To apply visit https://aoafoundation.org/ofdr/ .
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