Johnson & Johnson Vision Care president Laura Angelini cut the exhibit hall ribbon along with AOA leadership.

SEATTLE—Some opening day changes, including a new presentation format and opening general session sponsor, were in store for the optometrists and other allied professionals who attended Optometry’s Meeting, held June 24 to 28, 2015, in the Washington State Convention Center, and hosted by the American Optometric Association  and the American Optometric Student Association.

A new feature called OD Talks had “top futurists in the industry” predict what’s in store for optometry. In his presentation on “The Borderless Office,” Rob Foster, vice general manager of Topcon, said that we can expect optometrists of the future to work from a high tech cockpit, analyzing diagnostic data retrieved remotely from patients at other locations. ClearVision Optical president David Friedfeld, in his presentation on 3D printing, said that using technologies available today will allow eyecare professionals to print customized frames and even lenses right in their offices. Bryan Wolynski, OD, FAAO, concluded the first-ever OD Talks session discussing wearable technology for the visually impaired. Moderator, Tara DeRose, OD, concluded the new presentation format with her own prediction of “different topics at future OD Talks.”

Another change was the sponsorship of the opening general session. For the first time this year it was Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (JJVCI) that the AOA and AOSA thanked for its generous support, and company president Laura Angelini was brought on stage for a one-on-one interview with outgoing AOA president David Cockrell, OD. He thanked JJVCI for its support over the years, specifically for the Optometry Cares InfantSEE program. “We couldn’t have started and continued InfantSEE without Johnson & Johnson Vision Care,” he said about the cause that is celebrating a decade of operation this year and has provided care to some 118,000 infants.

Following tradition, the AOA honored a group of outstanding eyecare professionals during the opening general session’s award presentation. Outgoing president Cockrell presented the 2015 Optometrist of the Year award to Louisiana state senator David Heitmeier, OD; Young Optometrist of the Year to Tamara Petrosyan, OD; Optometric Educator of the Year to Tammy Than, OD; and the Paraoptometric of the Year to Marilyn Beeson, CPOA. In addition, Leland “Lee” Carr III, OD, was named the 2015 Distinguished Service Award Recipient, and low vision nonprofit, NewView Oklahoma received the Apollo Award, the highest award presented to the general public by the AOA.

A presentation by former Navy SEAL Team Leader Rob O’Neill concluded the opening general session with lively descriptions of his participation in some well-known missions including the Bin Laden raid and the rescues of the famed “Lone Survivor” and Captain Phillips after he was kidnapped by Somali pirates. His four-step recommendation for any successful mission: be prepared but don’t over plan, perform under fire, trust your people and never quit.

Others honored during Optometry’s Meeting were the inductees into the National Optometry Hall of Fame—Paul Ajamian, OD; Kenji Hamada, OD; and Earl L. Smith III, OD, PhD.

For the second time while Optometry’s Meeting was in session since the signing of the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Supreme Court announced a major decision regarding the landmark health care reform law. The AOA’s success at lobbying is well documented, such as the organization’s influence on the Harkin Amendment and on the ACA’s pediatric vision care benefit itself. So it was a timely coincidence that SCOTUS again upheld the ACA during Optometry’s Meeting as it did in 2012.

In a statement following the decision, the AOA said, “While this was the first major challenge reviewed by the Court to the meaning of an ACA provision central to the law’s foundation, this case is only one of many legal challenges. While the ruling removes much of the remaining uncertainty about the overall fate of the ACA in the courts, the AOA believes that it has also cleared the way for new Capitol Hill activity aimed at making small or larger changes to the law. AOA-backed provisions—including the Harkin provider nondiscrimination law, the designation of pediatric vision care as an essential health benefit embedded within health plans sold under the law, and the exemption for eyeglasses and contact lenses from a medical device excise tax—remain in full effect. However, the AOA is now preparing for the increasing likelihood that these and other provisions could be targeted in any future efforts to make changes to the law.”

Many other meetings, social events, receptions, presentations, and educational opportunities took place over the course of Optometry’s Meeting. The Essilor-sponsored Varilux Optometry Student Bowl attracted students from all schools and colleges of optometry who answered optometry-related questions while their fellow classmates energetically cheered them on. In addition to bragging rights, the winning school, Pennsylvania College of Optometry, took home $1,000 and the coveted crystal trophy. Second place winner, Sarah Gliniecki, class of 2016 at Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University, received $750. Other events included the Hoya-sponsored Celebration of Optometry featuring comedian Sinbad and performance painter Brian Olsen, the Signet Armorlite-sponsored “Taste of Seattle Experience” culinary tour of Seattle, and the 5K Run/Walk sponsored by The Vision Council and Transitions.

For more highlights of Optometry’s Meeting, see VisionMonday.com.