Practice Tip: Evaluate Your Practice Brand Before Buying New Technology
In the June OM article “Consider These Criteria for Purchasing New Technology,” Aaron Lech, OD, FAAO, suggests first assessing how well a technology aligns with your practice brand. For example, a practice may be known for cutting-edge technology that allows patients to consume their health care data and information on a mobile device. “If this is the case, would it make sense for the owner of that practice to invest in a device that doesn’t provide such connectability?” asks Dr. Lech. For the entire article and the other intangible items to consider, visit https://www.optometricmanagement.com/issues/2023/june-2023/consider-these-criteria-for-purchasing-new-technol.
ABB Optical Group Names Board of Directors Member
ABB Optical Group appointed Daniel Liberman to the company’s board of directors. Mr. Liberman was most recently the chief commercial officer of Essilor of America. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Trustees of Salus University.
Bausch + Lomb Launches Multifocal Silicone Hydrogel Daily Disposable Contact Lens and Lens Rehydrating Drops
Bausch + Lomb (B+L) Corporation launched the Infuse multifocal silicone hydrogel daily disposable contact lens. Specifically, the lens features ProBalance Technology for all-day comfort, and the company’s 3-Zone Progressive design to address the vision needs of presbyopic patients, according to the press release. In other news, B+L announced the U.S. launch of Biotrue Hydration Boost Contact Lens Rehydrating drops, a preservative-free rehydrating drop indicated to lubricate and rewet soft contact lenses, including daily disposable and rigid gas permeable contact lenses, according to a press release.
Catalyst Award Recognizes Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD
Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD, was recently recognized by Research to Prevent Blindness and the International Retinal Research Foundation with the Catalyst Award for Innovative Approaches for age-related macular degeneration. As a principal investigator at Doheny Eye Institute and associate professor of ophthalmology at the UCLA Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Ghosh is currently working on novel ways to understand or treat AMD. The Catalyst Award brings a grant of $300,000 for Dr. Ghosh to continue his research.
Envision University Invites ECPs to Grand Rounds
Envision University is inviting eye care professionals to Grand Rounds on June 15, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST, the topic of which is: “Unilateral visual neglect (UVN): Beyond buzzwords; an evidence-informed approach to screening, evaluation, and intervention” by Keith Gentry, EdD, MS-OTR/L, SCLV. The event will take place live at Envision and will be simulcast via a live streamed webinar. Registration and further information can be found here.
EssilorLuxottica Partners with Harvard Business Publishing for Digital Learning Platform
EssilorLuxottica and Harvard Business Publishing have joined forces to provide EssilorLuxottica’s employees, as well as eye care professionals with access to curated eye care business and leadership content via the company’s Leonardo platform. The content will be divided into two main sections: Harvard ManageMentor (three learning tracks) and Harvard ManageMentor Spark (+22,000 articles from the Harvard Business Review, +1,500 videos, +1,600 podcasts, +700 case studies and more), according to the press release.
Florida Governor Vetoes Health Care Practitioner Title Bill
Florida Governor and 2024 Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis vetoed CS/CS/SB 230 on June 2. Specifically, the state bill would have prohibited health care practitioners who are not osteopathic physicians or who have not attended medical school from referring to themselves as physicians when seeing patients or using advertisements regarding their services.
Glaukos Corp Phase 3 Trial on Corneal Collagen Cross-linking Therapy
Completes Enrollment
Glaukos Corp. announced the completion of enrollment and randomization of its second phase 3 confirmatory pivotal trial for Epioxa, its corneal collagen cross-linking therapy for the treatment of keratoconus. The multi-center, randomized, placebo and sham procedure-controlled confirmatory pivotal trial randomized 312 eyes to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Epioxa therapy in impeding the progression of, and/or reducing maximum corneal curvature based on corneal topography, where an increasing Kmax denotes corneal steepening and keratoconus disease progression.
Organizations Partner to Expand Tissue Donation
BioTissue’s Sharing Miracles has announced a partnership with Dakota Lions Sight & Health to enable more mothers to donate birth tissue used in the restoration of sight and health. The collaboration will bring the Dakota Lions birth tissue donation program to additional hospitals spanning more than 250,000 square miles across the Northern Great Plains, according to the press release. The organizations provide the opportunity to donate the placenta and umbilical cord for use in regenerative healing products.
Transitions Academy Showcases “Lights on Tomorrow”
Transitions Academy 2023 brought together over 1,100 industry experts from 50 countries last week at the J.W. Marriott Grande Lakes, in Orlando, Fla., for a three-day, invitation-only event themed “Lights on Tomorrow.” Specifically, the event provided industry professionals with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and a wealth of informative speakers to learn from, according to the press release.
Visionary Contact Lens Presents 2023 Visionary Award
Visionary Contact Lens gave its 2023 Visionary Award to Angelo Shimada, a graduating student from Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University. The annual $1,000 award is presented to a graduating student who shows exceptional interest and proficiency in fitting GP contact lenses. Dr. Shimada’s long-term goal is to apply his expertise in specialty contact lenses to improve the quality of life in patients who have challenging ocular disease and complex cornea conditions.
World Sight Day Theme: Love Your Eyes at Work
World Sight Day, led by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) will emphasize the importance of prioritizing eye care in the workplace with the theme #LoveYourEyes at Work. World Sight Day will be celebrated October 12, 2023. From employee productivity and safety, to businesses taking the necessary steps to ensure their workforce, at all levels, the theme aims to raise awareness of the measures to protect their eyesight and access eye care wherever and whenever they need it.
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.