Practice Tip: “If it’s not in writing, it’s not enforceable,” writes Kristin O’Brien, OD, in this month’s “New OD” column. Specifically, she stresses the importance of reviewing the practice’s current employee handbook to ensure all office policies and procedures (including dress code, how to handle paid time off, benefits, etc.) are current. Why? The COVID-19 pandemic prompted some employee policy changes for some practices: “Some changes may be here to stay. Are they a part of your employee handbook? In my practice, for example, we mandated scrubs in March 2020. This eliminated much of the dress code requirements in my employee handbook.” See https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2022/july-2022/business-new-od.
American Academy of Optometry Launches Search for New CEO; Appoints Interim CEO
The American Academy of Optometry (AAO) has formed a search committee to identify CEO candidates, In the interim, Richard Jones — AAO’s current CFO and deputy CEO — will serve as the AAO’s CEO. The search committee is led by Barbara Caffery, OD, PhD (immediate past AAO president); and includes Susan Cotter, OD, MS; Stacey Coulter, OD, MS; Joseph Shovlin, OD; Jennifer Coyle, OD, MS; and Andrew Mick, OD.
Bausch + Lomb Provides Leadership Update
Bausch + Lomb Corporation, a subsidiary of Bausch Health Companies Inc., announced that Joseph C. Papa has stepped down as chair of the board of directors of the company. The board has appointed Thomas W. Ross Sr. to serve as the chair of the board. The company also announced that the board has begun a search for a new CEO. Mr. Papa will remain as CEO and as a member of the board until his successor is appointed.
British Contact Lens Association Announces Plan for Global Consensus Report on Presbyopia; Factsheet and Consent Form for Myopia
The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is planning a global consensus report that will deliver evidence-based guidance to BCLA members and the wider profession on all aspects of presbyopia and its management to allow for best patient care. Building on the first issue (published in April 2021), BCLA CLEAR Presbyopia will be published in the January 2024 edition of the BCLA journal Contact Lens and Anterior Eye (CLAE). To be considered as a co-author, download the application form (bcla.wufoo.com/forms/bcla-clear-presbyopia-expression-of-interest/) and complete and return by Sept. 30. In other news, the BCLA, in partnership with CooperVision, has created a new factsheet and consent form to help eye care professionals to better manage children who have myopia. The fact sheet and consent form can be downloaded at bit.ly/3Jak5z3.
Children With Vision Impairment Show High Scores of Depression
Vision impaired children demonstrated significantly higher scores of depression (standard mean difference [SMD], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.89; 11 studies) and anxiety (SMD, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; 14 studies) vs. normally sighted children in a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine. In particular, myopic children showed higher scores of depression (SMD, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.36-0.81; 6 studies) than normally sighted children. Strabismus surgery significantly improved symptoms of depression (SMD, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.12-1.06; 3 studies) and anxiety (SMD, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.25-1.14; 4 studies) in children.
Envision Names Date for 2022 Fall Virtual Conference, Asks for Submissions
Envision University’s Virtual Fall Conference will be held Oct. 7 to Oct. 8 via livestream webinar, and Envision is now accepting program submissions for clinical education, panel/symposia, and research presentations (e.g., age-related macular degeneration, practice administration, evaluating pediatric vision loss and interventions, and more). Both submissions and participant registrations, with discounted early registration rates, can be made via www.envisionuniversityevents.com/VirtualFall2022. All sessions offer the opportunity to earn CE credits from such agencies as The Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE), and Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Eyenovia Appoints Senior Vice President of Manufacturing and Operations
Eyenovia Inc. named Bren Kern senior vice president of manufacturing and operations. Mr. Kern has spent his career helping companies transition from research and development entities into scaled commercial manufacturing organizations, according to the company. Over the past 20 years, he honed his skills by leading product optimization, supporting regulatory approvals, and establishing cGMP complaint manufacturing solutions worldwide.
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals Appoints New Board of Directors Member
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals Inc. named Karen Zaderej to its board of directors. Ms. Zaderej is the president, CEO, and chair of the board at AxoGen Inc., and she brings more than 35 years of biopharmaceutical and medical device experience to the role, according to EyePoint
Pharmaceuticals.
LumiThera, Inc. Buys MacuLogix Assets
LumiThera Inc. announced the purchase of MacuLogix assets. MacuLogix, Inc. developed the wearable AdaptDX Pro dark adaptometer to enable eye care professionals to measure dark adaptation, which can be used for the early diagnosis of dry AMD.
LKC Names Vice Presidents of US Sales and Marketing
LKC Technologies appointed Gary VanMatre vice president, US Sales, and Gail Schwartz vice president, Marketing. Mr. VanMatre has worked for Alcon, and MacuLogix, and will lead a geographically dispersed US team of senior sales representatives, all with extensive optometric experience, for LKC. Ms. Schwartz has 28 years of health care marketing experience, with her most recent position as director of Marketing at MacuLogix. She will be responsible for branding, strategic marketing planning and implementation for the company as a whole but will focus on the US optometric market and international marketing support. LKC Technologies manufacturers the RETeval electroretinography device.
Mobile OptiX Appoints President
Mobile OptiX promoted Lorena Brownell to president of Mobile OptiX. She was director of Operations. Ms. Brownell brings 15 years of management, operations, and human resources experience to her position with Mobile OptiX. Previously she was a practice manager with Thrive Behavioral Sciences and an administrative officer with cloudteam.com. Visit www.mobile-optix.com.
Nanoscope Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in Stargardt Disease Trial
Nanoscope Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company creating gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 trial of the company’s Multi-Characteristic Opsin (MCO-010) ambient-light activatable optogenetic monotherapy for Stargardt disease. The Phase 2 open-label trial (NCT05417126) will enroll six patients to receive the same MCO-010 dose, a gene therapy that reprograms healthy retinal cells to make them photosensitive. The therapy involves a single intravitreal injection in a medical office setting.
Safilo Group Invests in Sustainability With Partnership
Safilo Group has joined The Fashion Pact, a global coalition of companies in the fashion and textile industry committed to a common core of key environmental goals in three areas: stopping global warming, restoring biodiversity, and protecting the oceans. This inclusion is part of the company’s purpose-led strategy based on sustainable pillars: planet, product, and people, the company says.
Stuart Therapeutics Receives Positive Indication for Patents
Stuart Therapeutics received a notice of allowance in each of its two patent applications associated with the company’s clinical product candidates, including ST-100, Stuart’s drug candidate for the treatment of DED, by the United States Patent and Trademark office. ST-100 has recently completed a successful Phase 2 trial. The patent covers the company’s proprietary Collagen Mimetic Peptide compounds. Once issued, the claims of the patent are expected to encompass the planned commercial version of the company’s ST-100 product candidate.
Transitions Study Shows Employees Seek Care for Eye Discomfort
Transition’s 2022 Workplace Wellness Survey shows that 73% employees would seek an eye care professional because of blurry vision; 52% would seek care because of light sensitivity; 49% would seek care because of eyestrain from digital device usage; and 30% would seek care due to interest in blue light protection. What’s more 78% of employees report their work productivity has been impacted by eyestrain/eye fatigue (50%), headaches (39%), blurry vision (36%), discomfort looking at bright screens (33%), and difficulty focusing on distance objects looking up from the screen (33%).
Winners Announced for National Optometric Student Association Scholarships
National Vision Holdings Inc. announced the winners of its 2022 National Optometric Student Association scholarships, awarding $7,000 to the next generation of optometrists. Three winners were selected based on their thoughtful perspectives on the benefits of remote care for reaching underserved communities. The winners: Joanna Lopez, UC Berkeley School of Optometry; Renata Simeon, Illinois College of Optometry; and Elizabeth Schaffer, New England College of Optometry.
Woo University, International Keratoconus Academy, and National Keratoconus Foundation to Hold Keratoconus Symposium
Woo University, International Keratoconus Academy, and National Keratoconus Foundation have created a virtual educational event spanning two days, Aug. 6, and Aug. 7, titled “Keratoconus Symposium.” The program will feature experts and thought leaders in the field of keratoconus and is COPE approved for up to 8 hours of CE. Visit www.woou.org to register and view the full agenda.
OD Notebook is published weekly on Wednesdays. Unless otherwise noted, the information presented is based on press releases and/or announcements by the respective organizations. Find earlier editions here. To submit a press release to be considered for publication, click here.