A summary of summer so far

 Well, here we are…mid-summer and the pandemic emergency has finally been declared over. Though the mask mandate has been lifted, it’s still enforced at healthcare facilities. So, at least for us, the mask saga continues—with the addition of a few more requirements from OSHA. Mask or no mask, the POA continues to move forward and make itself heard. The most recent way? The AOA’s 2021 Optometry’s Meeting that was held in Denver.

The Meeting was all about Pennsylvania! Dr. Michael Mittleman and Dr. Satya Verma were inducted into the Optometry Hall of Fame; Tyler Lesko, a fourth-year PCO student, won the National Quiz Bowl; and the POA Board of Directors’ own Dr. Erick Henderson received the Young Optometrist of the Year award. It doesn’t get any better than that!

The Presidents Council and the Eastern States, through the NEO Forum, brought to light the legislative goals of each state and how they had succeeded so far. The POA led the conversation amongst both groups regarding Bioptic Driving and Children’s Vision. 

There were no surprises at the AOA House of Delegates—the open Board positions were filled by an equal number of candidates. The most controversial motion was to incorporate a diversity statement within the optometric oath. It ultimately passed with strong support of the delegates.

While every state had their own initiatives, they also had common challenges like growing and maintaining membership, adding member benefits, and association income. Here at the POA, we hold the line on dues increases by providing member benefits that produce non-dues income for the association. We have endorsed two new programs for our members over the last few months. The first, Digital on Demand, advises clients on how to most effectively market their business online at the lowest cost. The second is a HIPAA compliance authority, Abyde. HIPAA Compliance violation fines are ridiculously high and Abyde helps to avoid violations. I use them in my own practice and am now confident that we will pass any compliance audit. Bring it on!

Enjoy the rest of the summer, and know that the POA has never stopped working for you…

Edward Savarno, O.D.

POA President

How quickly things can change...

Do you ever notice how things evolve? Take COVID-19, for example. In January, it was all about the vaccine and then March brought us: “Which vaccine did you get? Did you have any side effects?” Now in May, it’s: “I got my vaccination, but I still don’t go anywhere and why do I have to wear this mask?”

The level of sophistication concerning COVID-19 has tripled over the last few months, but Pennsylvania is behind in vaccinating according to the goal set by President Biden. It is now an “all hands on deck” situation to catch up. As I write this message, legislation that would allow optometrists to administer the vaccine has passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and we are waiting for the Senate to return so that they may take up this issue. The Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University stands ready to deliver any education necessary should the bill, HB 63, become law. This is an opportunity for optometry to, once again, be on the front lines and make a difference during this public health emergency. Your participation is vital in moving toward the resolution of this pandemic.

On another front, Representative Zimmerman’s Children’s Vision Bill continues to move forward thanks to the quick action of the Legislative Affairs Committee, Children’s Vision Care Alliance, Clinical Practice Committee, and POA Executive Director Joe Ricci. The language was modified, reviewed, vetted, and resubmitted within hours of the original language coming into question. The teamwork on this bill has been exemplary and is telling of the commitment we have to the children of Pennsylvania. There are an estimated 28,000 children, kindergarten through sixth grade, with an undiagnosed visual disability that are marginalized annually. Their disability will likely be missed in vision screening as the data, in some studies, purports that they miss at least 50% of the maladies. Next, they are labeled for life as learning disabled and provided special education, IEP’s, and reading intervention without ever evaluating for a potential root cause. Optometry is the tip of the spear in attacking this issue. There is no other profession that has the education and training to define and potentially remediate a visual disability in the way that Optometry can. The opportunity to be successful in academics is life-changing for these children. As a doctor and a parent, I bear personal witness to the success of optometric intervention. I am pleased to report that my daughter, who experienced and remediated a vision disability will be graduating with a degree in biochemistry. She will be going for a Master’s in biochemistry/molecular biology this fall. This legislation is all about the children, their academic success, and, ultimately, their future. I am asking for your support by letting your legislator know that you support children’s vision by clicking on this link to send the message: https://pennsylvania.aoa.org/advocacy/poas-legislative-priorities (you will be asked to log in). 

Currently, there are 31 co-sponsors for the Children’s Vision Bill, a remarkably high number. If you have already sent a message and your legislator is still not on the co-sponsor list, please do it again. They need to hear from you.

Co-sponsor list as of April 20, 2021

Zimmerman (Prime Sponsor); Diamond; Mackenzie; Miller, D; Kulik; Kauffman; Gillen; Irvin; Toohill; Guenst; Rozzi; Sturla; Brooks; Hershey; Freeman; Millard; Smith, B; Pickett; Ciresi; Ryan; Howard; Saylor; Webster; James; Pashinski; Stephens; Pennycuick; Boback; McNeill; Hamm; Cook

The 28,000 children, as well as many others, will benefit from a vision evaluation by the best, most qualified professionals in vision, optometrists. 

Until soon,
Ed

COVID's still the word

Well, here we are again… COVID is still the word of the day but now it’s paired with a more positive word: vaccine. Healthcare providers all over the state have been or are in the process of being vaccinated. Like when the pandemic began, unanswered questions have crossed everyone’s minds. Who is eligible? Where do you get it? Are doses available? Why can’t I schedule for it? Pfizer or Moderna? Do I have a choice? Then there is the question of complications that continue to evolve. The POA continues to advocate for and provide information to members in hopes of answering these questions. Members will know when the POA staff knows. Check out the latest information on the COVID-19 Updates webpage at https://pennsylvania.aoa.org/doctors/poa-member-resources/covid-19. Everything from vaccination locations to SBA PPP COVID relief loans are covered on this resource page. 

One thing to know for certain is that the vaccine is highly effective and limits the serious complications of SARS CoV-19. We all know that the pandemic has had a huge effect on the delivery of healthcare, but it is not the only issue that faces Optometry in 2021. The POA is like a duck on a pond, looking tranquil on the surface, but the feet are moving 100 MPH below the surface. The new ground created by the “Modernization of Optometry Act,” Bioptic driving, and the pending Children’s Vision legislation have many committees in high gear. We are aiding in the development of regulations and standards that will carry these initiatives far into the future. Also, other committees are developing public service messages that highlight Optometry and aids to help school nurses better define children with covert binocular vision anomalies. All of this activity is being performed by volunteers with the outstanding support of the POA staff. 

We are the POA: multiple generations of optometrists working together, giving their time, unique skills, and effort to move Pennsylvania Optometry forward! I am asking you to join us in our effort by participating on a committee and use your unique skills to advance optometry. You will find that the rewards are unlimited. After 35 years, that’s exactly my experience.  

Until soon,

Ed 

Edward Savarno, O.D.
POA President

Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021!

What a year! We just started and the pandemic hit. Businesses closed, restaurants were take-out only, and good luck getting a haircut or toilet paper. Slowly, the country re-opened with mask requirements, maximum capacities, and short supplies of PPE. Optometry was not immune to this new normal, but we continued to remain on the front-line serving our patients. To add to the mix, later in the year, the FTC imposed mandatory contact lens documentation. Despite these adversities, the POA forged ahead and was successful in passing a modernization of the Optometric Practice Act. The amended Act removes the Secretary of Health from the pharmaceutical approval process and places the management of the profession where it needs to be: the Pennsylvania State Board of Optometry. Additionally, the new Act allows for Epi-Pen use and removes the 6-week restriction for all forms of glaucoma, dry eye, and allergic conjunctivitis. Who would have ever imagined that 2020, The Year of the Eye Examination, would be so “exciting”?

Despite that excitement and  the challenges it resulted in, the POA has adapted well to these COVID times. The executive director and staff were proactive and prepared well in advance for the work-from-home environment. Committees worked non-stop to modify meetings, offer virtual education, and retain business partners. Zoom meetings and remote access became the norm. Meetings changed from live to remote, and live meetings became sensitive to social distancing. Details, too many to count, have all been handled flawlessly. Thank all of you for your extraordinary effort in keeping the organization moving forward.

Twenty twenty-one may well be the year remembered as, “The Year of the Vaccine.” The POA and AOA continue to advocate for optometrists, as front-line healthcare providers, to be some of the first to be vaccinated. The response from the Secretary of Health is positive as the definition for those initially eligible will be broad and inclusive. We stepped up and have been recognized for the excellent primary care services that we provide to the people of Pennsylvania.

My hope for 2021 is that it is remembered as the year that all of the children of Pennsylvania have the opportunity to be on an even playing field upon entering the realm of academia. Pennsylvania has an estimated 400,000 children in pre-school through the sixth grade. According to public health statistics, 3% to 7% (28,000) of those children will have a visual disability. These vision disorders are the fourth most common disability in the United States and the most prevalent handicapping condition in children. Since vision screenings miss at least half of these maladies, we can no longer ignore this pressing public health issue. Pennsylvania State Representative Zimmerman, with the strong support of the POA, has proffered legislation that will address this inequity by mandating vision examinations for all children entering school and at significant developmental milestones thereafter. 

Additionally, members of the POA’s Children’s Vision Care Alliance (CVCA) are committed to elevating the visual well-being of children by adhering to set standards, intervening at refractive and functional levels when necessary. More details can be found at https://pennsylvania.aoa.org/doctors/poa-member-resources/childrens-vision-care-alliance. The entire POA Board has been charged with working to make this a reality and we are asking for your support. 

Together, let’s make this a year to remember, for the kids and Pennsylvania Optometry.

Edward Savarno, O.D.
POA President

What a year!

 As I write my final President’s editorial, House Bill 2561, the Scope of Practice bill, sits on the Governor’s desk. By the time you read this column, he will have passed it or rejected it. All indications are that he will sign and pass this Modernization of the Optometric Practice Act. Through the incredible work by our Legislative Affairs Committee (LAC), lobby staff, executive director, and keypersons, we have finally passed both the House and the Senate and reached the Governor’s desk for his signature. I would be remiss to not recognize our LAC Chair, Dr. Bob Bittel. Bob and I joined the Committee close to 20 years ago. We worked with many dedicated committee members over those years whose goal was to play offense and pass legislation to advance our profession. Unfortunately, we often found ourselves playing defense and protecting our profession from harmful legislation like the “definition of ophthalmic surgery” our opponents have repeatedly introduced. We learned a lot through those years, cultivated relationships with legislators and gained respect as an organization. With Dr. Bittel’s leadership, countless hours of strategizing, difficult compromises and a pandemic that threatened to derail our efforts, we were successful in getting through both houses with one day to spare. Now we wait for the Governor.

I’d like to thank and recognize all the other committees that make up the POA. The word “unprecedented” is getting kind of old by now but they all faced challenges they never expected. All the committees adapted to the new “normal” and continued to function albeit in a totally different manner. We are a much stronger organization as a result of this pandemic.

The POA Board of Directors had many tough decisions to make this year: providing a forgiveness of two months dues, cancelling the in-person Spring Congress and House of Delegates, approving funds to purchase a platform to provide online CE for our members, planning and then having to cancel the fall meeting at Seven Springs, and modifying our bylaws to allow for a fall House of Delegates to elect our 2021 Board of Directors and approve the 2021 budget. 

The POA staff has been incredible through all of this. Their dedication to our profession is unparalleled. They participated in countless Zoom calls, many in the evening and often on a weekend when they should have been off duty. They found new ways to support the Board and the membership. I can’t thank them enough for their support this year.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as President of the POA. It’s certainly not the year I expected. It’s been challenging and frustrating. I’ve had to make decisions to issues that had no clear answers. When I began my professional career, I couldn’t prescribe an antibiotic or bill Medicare. I owned a visual field instrument but couldn’t treat glaucoma. We are now the primary providers of eyecare due to the hard work of the leaders before me. I joined the Board of Directors because I felt the need to “give back” to a profession that had given so much to me over the years. I hope I have accomplished this and challenge all of you to do the same.

God bless and stay safe,

David Evans, O.D.

POA President

Going with the flow

Who is the Pennsylvania Optometric Association? We are a group of optometrists representing and protecting the interests of our profession for our members in Pennsylvania. We are a member-run organization supported by a staff and executive director in our office in Harrisburg. Our Board of Directors is elected by the membership and is responsible for providing leadership to the many committees that make up the POA and for making the decisions necessary to protect and promote our profession in Pennsylvania 

The POA welcomes all optometrists in the state to belong to our association. All modes of optometric practice are welcome and represented in the POA. You are reading this editorial because you are member of the POA. Imagine what we could accomplish if every optometrist in Pennsylvania was a member. Imagine what we could accomplish if every member was actively involved in the POA. 

The many committees within the POA are staffed by volunteer optometrists who contribute their time and skills to support their profession. Many members, who cannot dedicate time, provide support through POPAC donations and/or act as keypersons with their legislators. Many are available as individuals who are called upon for specific issues that the POA must address. 

We need strength in numbers and involvement by members, especially in these unprecedented times. Please consider getting involved and encourage your non-member peers to join us. Call the POA office and speak to our executive director, Joe Ricci, Esq., to discuss a committee you would like to participate in or a skillset you have that could benefit our efforts. We need members from all demographics to help address the needs of all optometrists in Pennsylvania.

As POA president, I’ve experienced more firsts than I ever imagined. On July 18th, we held the first POA Board of Directors meeting via Zoom. Every effort to replicate a face-to-face meeting was taken and I feel the meeting went well. The Board, local society presidents (or their representatives), POA staff, our executive director, our lobbyists, and our POA attorney were in attendance. At every Board meeting, the actions that the Board has taken since the last official Board meeting are voted on. Each Board member is a DEO (division executive officer) of one or more committees within the POA and is responsible for delivering a written report prior to the meeting for distribution to all parties in attendance. At the meeting, Board members present a verbal report highlighting each committee’s activities and questions from those in attendance are answered. Local society presidents are expected to relay the information in these reports to their respective membership so that our members are well informed. Copies of these reports are available through the POA office by emailing Ilene@poaeyes.org. 

Another first during my presidency will be a Virtual House of Delegates this fall. The Board rescheduled this event from our cancelled Spring Congress to the Fall Educational Conference at Seven Springs this fall. We recently were informed that Seven Springs will be unable to host our event due to COVID-19 limitations imposed on them with regard to group size. The House of Delegates can be attended by any member and I encourage you to join albeit virtually. Information with regard to date and time will be forthcoming.

The continuing education that was scheduled at Seven Springs will now be available via webinars. The schedule and registration are located on the POA website. If you still need the required Act 31 credits, this webinar is being held on September 13th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Stay well and stay safe! Stay informed. Things are constantly changing both locally and nationally. Get involved if you can. Help the POA and AOA protect your profession. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be prepared for unexpected threats to our profession and livelihood.

Sincerely,

David Evans, O.D.

POA President

Our new reality

 When I sat down to write this editorial, I was struck by how similar all of us optometrists are, yet, how different our current situations may be. My office reopened a couple of weeks ago and began seeing the medical eye care patients whose visits were postponed due to the stay at home order. Reopening required attaining PPE and equipping the physical office with sneeze guards, signage, and more. Staff education took place, and the process of contacting our patients and rescheduling them continues. We began and still are at a reduced schedule due to the new disinfection protocol following each patient’s visit to the exam room and optical. My exams are taking longer than usual because every patient wants to talk and catch up on what the last three months have been like for them. Everyone is wearing a mask and all of us hope all of this goes away soon. For many of the elderly, their eye exam was the first they have been out in public since the Governor’s stay at home order. 

Advice on steps to reopen our offices is abundant in our professional journals and online. The POA has provided guidance on a multitude of topics concerning the pandemic and optometry. Like you, some of it makes sense in my personal situation and some of it doesn’t. Some optometrists are now wearing scrubs, I gave up my tie. Some offices are washing every frame after it’s touched, others bought disinfection units. The large group practice in a neighboring town is having patients wait in their cars till the office is ready to see them, we are attempting to have our patients go directly to an exam room and bypass the waiting room. 

Whether you are an OD in private practice, group practice, specialty practice, or commercial practice, please know that the POA is here to support you. We will continue to take steps to protect and promote our profession. We are adapting to the new reality that social distancing may be here for a while. Investment in platforms that allow the POA to provide online CE to our members and Zoom meetings that take the place of in-person events is complete. Our first Zoom Board of Directors meeting with local society presidents has been scheduled for Saturday, July 18th. Continuing education webinars have been very successful and should our fall meeting in Seven Springs not be allowed to take place, the House of Delegates and continuing education courses will still happen, albeit virtually. 

I wish each of you best of luck and success in reopening your practices. Through this pandemic, we have proven that we are essential providers. We should be proud of the contribution Optometry has made to the health and welfare of the citizens of Pennsylvania.