General Optometry

Symposia Highlights:

Optometric Education Section Symposium:
“Blended Learning in Clinical Optometric Procedures Education”
Friday, October 25 4:00 – 6:00 PM
This session will highlight research studies related to blended learning models in education. Speakers are Robert DiMartino, OD, MS, FAAO, Rebecca Kammer, OD, PhD, FAAO, Denise Goodwin, OD, FAAO and Len Hua, OD, PhD, FAAO.

Primary Care Section Symposium:
“Obesity and Eye Care”
Friday, October 25 4:00 – 6:00 PM
During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering. In 2008 dollars, these costs totaled approximately $147 billion. This symposium will bring the primary care optometrist up to date on the obesity epidemic as well as what they should do in their practice to intervene. Speakers include Melvin D. Shipp, OD, DrPH, FAAO, Kimberly Reed, OD, FAAO, and Gregory S. Wolfe, OD, MPH, FAAO.

Public Health & Environmental Vision Section Symposium:
“Integration of Public Health and Primary Care to Improve a Population’s Health”
Thursday, October 24 3:30 – 5:30 PM
This session will address issues of why we should explore the integration of population health and primary care, as well as how the integration can be accomplished and the expected outcomes. This session will also highlight the changes that must occur in clinical practice in order to accomplish these changes. Speakers will include Debbie L. Hettler, OD, MPH, FAAO, Andrew M. Archila, OD, MBA, FAAO, Catherine P. Kaminetzky, MD, MPH, Betty Bekemeier, PhD, MPH, RN, and Beth Kneib, OD.

Vision in Aging SIG Symposium, co-sponsored with the Public Health & Environmental Vision Section:
“Maintaining Independence through Technology”
Thursday, October 24 10 AM – 12 Noon
Older adults are the fastest growing age group using computer and communication technology. We all adapt our devices to suit our needs (change font, contrast, brightness, size). Are adaptations for those who are older a continuum of what younger people do naturally or do older people need specific advice in order to use technology to its best advantage in the face of age-related changes to vision, hearing and dexterity? This symposium will describe some of the aging changes that may present barriers to the use of technologies, and will discuss how adaptations of the technology itself and optometric intervention can enable continued use of technology which is important to the maintenance of independence. Speakers include George Demiris, PhD, FACMI, Douglas Lane, PhD, ABPP, Daniel Hubbell Sr., Dr. Mark Swanson, OD, MSPH, FAAO, and Dr. Irene Yang, OD, FAAO.

Lectures and Workshops: