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The American Academy of Optometry is pleased to present four days of quality enrichment and education in a safe and socially distanced venue at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The event will feature workshops, a robust lineup of lectures, popular ACE courses, Section and SIG Symposia, and scientific program papers and posters. We offer our attendees the opportunity to obtain CEE(TQ) credit by attending select CEE approved lectures throughout the meeting.
No need to register for individual courses. Every lecture (with the exception of Workshops, ACE, & Leadership) is open to registered participants on a first come/first served basis. Workshops & ACE courses require registration and an additional fee. While these two options may be added at a later date, they sell out quickly. Attendees are encouraged to secure their spot early.
The Academy is accredited by COPE to provide continuing education to optometrists.
Education Grid
Need Special Credit?
CEE Courses
GL-01 – Dry Eye, Defects, and Dropout: Dealing with Dry Eye in Glaucoma
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 01:00pm – 03:00pm
LP-02 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 1: YAG Cap & YAG Vitreolysis
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 01:00pm – 03:00pm
GO-04 – Differentiating Function From Pathological Vision Loss
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 02:00pm – 04:00pm
PH-03 – Current Trends in Medical Management
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 02:00pm – 04:00pm
NO-03 – Infant and Pediatric Neurology
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 03:00pm – 05:00pm
NO-01 – Management of Nystagmus
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 08:00am – 10:00am
PO-01 – Navigating Modern Cases of Refractive Surgery
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 08:00am – 10:00am
PH-05 – Ocular and Systemic Biologics: Why They Make Sense for Our Patients
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 01:30pm – 03:30pm
GO-09 – The Optometric Year in Review
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 02:30pm – 04:30pm
NO-07 – Navigating Neuro-Op: Nightmares and Nonsense
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 02:30pm – 04:30pm
NO-04 – Managing Chronic Intracranial Hypertension
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 09:00am – 11:00am
LP-03 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 2: SLT and Laser PI
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
TD(AS)-13 – Uninvited Guests of the Cornea: Rare Corneal Infections
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 03:00pm – 05:00pm
SD-10 – Ocular Nutrition Tying Structure, Function, and Molecular Altogether
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 04:00pm – 06:00pm
GL-06 – Actionable Takeaways in Glaucoma Management
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
GO-13 – Innovations in Eyecare Today and Beyond
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
CL-23 – Demystifying Myopia Management
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 01:00pm – 03:00pm
PH-10 – Pain Management in Optometric Practice in an Era of Opioid Abuse
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 02:00pm – 04:00pm
FV-18 – Prescribing Pearls for the Pediatric Population: Oral and Topical
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 08:00am – 10:00am
NO-13 – An Organized Approach to the Diagnosis and Management of MS
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 09:00am – 11:00am
GO-24 – Diabetes and the Eye: Comprehensive Management of Ocular Manifestations of Diabetes
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
All courses above are pending CEE approval. Course descriptions will be accessible within the Academy.23 Mobile App once available.
IPE Courses
Please reference the Education Grid for course dates and times. Course descriptions will be accessible within the Academy.23 Mobile App once available.
LP-02 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 1: YAG Cap & YAG Vitreolysis
LP-03 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 2: SLT and Laser PI
NO-11 – Neuro-Ophthalmic Emergencies Co-Managed by Optometry, Neurosurgery, and Neuroradiology
NO-13 – An Organized Approach to the Diagnosis and Management of MS
PH-05 – Ocular and Systemic Biologics: Why They Make Sense for Our Patients
PH-08 – What’s My Beef With Pharmacists
PO-01 – Navigating Modern Cases of Refractive Surgery
SD-10 – Ocular Nutrition Tying Structure, Function, and Molecular Altogether
TD(AS)-06 – ACE: Botulinum Toxin Update and Hands-on Dosing ACE Workshop
GO-07 (No CE) – Set It and Forget It: Stay Current, Automate Literature Reviews, and Organize Your Research Projects with Ease
GO-17 – Pediatric Eye Examinations: Perspectives from a Child Life Specialist
GO-25 – How Optometrists Put Themselves in Legal Jeopardy
LV-12 – An In-Depth Review of Accessibility Features & Apps for the Low Vision Patient
TPA Courses
Please reference the Education Grid for course dates and times. Course descriptions will be accessible within the Academy.23 Mobile App once available.
CL-04 – Rapid Fire: Challenging Myopia Management Cases
CL-07 – Rapid Fire: Advanced Myopia Management: Integrating the Latest Research to Challenging Cases
CL-11 – Contact Lenses for Everything…But Vision
CL-12 – Scleral Lenses: Corneal Tales from the Trenches
CL-19 – ACE: A Challenging Clinical Contact Lens Grand Round
CL-23 – Demystifying Myopia Management
FV-03 – Rapid Fire: Pediatric Ocular Trauma
FV-11 – ACE: Head Scratchers: Diagnostic Challenges in Pediatrics and Binocular Vision
FV-13 – 12 Common Errors in Amblyopia Diagnosis and Management
FV-14 – Pediatric Uveitis
FV-18 – Prescribing Pearls for the Pediatric Population: Oral and Topical
FV-25 – Pediatric Ocular Disease, Common Pediatrician Referrals
GL-01 – Dry Eye, Defects, and Dropout: Dealing with Dry Eye in Glaucoma
GL-06 – Actionable Takeaways in Glaucoma Management
GL-07 – Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome and Glaucoma: An Update
GL-12 – Rapid Fire: Detecting Glaucoma Progression After Treatment: How Best to Determine IF and WHEN
GL-13 – The Marriage of Coding and Clinical Cases in Glaucoma
GO-01 – ACE: Challenging Cases in Myopia Management – Those You Do Not See in RCTs
GO-02 – Understanding Your Challenging Geriatric Cases: Gerontology Insights For the Eye Care Professional
GO-03 – Telehealth Rounds for Remote Patients with Eye, Vision, and Life Threatening Presentations
GO-05 – Rapid Fire: An Approach to The Uveitides: Standing Rheum Only
GO-09 – The Optometric Year in Review
GO-13 – Innovations in Eyecare Today and Beyond
GO-20 – Management of Digital Eye Strain: Comprehensive Strategy and A Nutritional Approach
GO-22 – Ocular Surface Disease Diagnosis, Management, & Beyond
GO-24 – Diabetes and the Eye: Comprehensive Management of Ocular Manifestations of Diabetes
GO-28 – Learn To Do More With Ocular Prosthetics
LP-01 – Causes for Pauses: Lasers and Minor Surgical Procedures
LP-02 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 1: YAG Cap & YAG Vitreolysis
LP-03 – Laser Procedures from the OD to the DO Perspective Part 2: SLT and Laser PI
LV-05 – Diplopia and Confusion in Visual Field Rehabilitation
NO-01 – Management of Nystagmus
NO-03 – Infant and Pediatric Neurology
NO-04 – Managing Chronic Intracranial Hypertension
NO-07 – Navigating Neuro-Op: Nightmares and Nonsense
NO-08 – Neurologic “Dry” Eye
NO-09 – Typical and Atypical Demyelinating Optic Neuritis
NO-11 – Neuro-Ophthalmic Emergencies Co-Managed by Optometry, Neurosurgery, and Neuroradiology
NO-12 – Eye-1-1: Ocular Emergency and Trauma Grand Rounds
NO-13 – An Organized Approach to the Diagnosis and Management of MS
NO-14 – Unexplained Vision Loss: Where Do I Go From Here?
PB-10 – Wake The Health Up: The Impacts of Diet & Nutrition on Systemic Ocular Health
PH-01 – Optometry’s Role in Cancer Treatment: New Cancer Medications and their Most Common Ocular Side Effects
PH-02 – Fight Against Ophthalmic Antibiotics Resistance: Are We A Victim or Accomplice?
PH-03 – Current Trends in Medical Management
PH-04 – ACE: Pharm Hour: Side Effects of What OD’s Commonly Prescribe
PH-05 – Ocular and Systemic Biologics: Why They Make Sense for Our Patients
PH-06 – High Risk Medication Monitoring
PH-07 – When You Have the Diagnosis, Look for a Better One
PH-08 – What’s My Beef With Pharmacists
PH-09 – Pharmacology A to Z
PH-10 – Pain Management in Optometric Practice in an Era of Opioid Abuse
PM-01 – The Perfect Marriage Between Clinic Cases and Accurate Coding and Billing
PO-01 – Navigating Modern Cases of Refractive Surgery
PO-04 – Managing the Premium IOL Patient
PO-06 – Pre-Operative Management of Cataract Patients: How to Best Treat Your Patients on the Front End to Avoid Undesired Outcomes
SD-02 – New Era of Retinal Imaging in Hematological Disorders
SD-07 – Maximizing Blood Laboratory Diagnostics for Ocular and Systemic Diseases
SD-08 – Unmasking the Silent Killers with Retinal Imaging
SD-09 – The Role of Ocular Diagnostic Technology in Neurodegenerative Disease
SD-10 – Ocular Nutrition Tying Structure, Function, and Molecular Altogether
SD-11 – What to Expect When Your Patient is Expecting
SD-15 – Pediatric Ocular Conditions with Systemic Associations
SD-16 – Autoimmune Disease and The Eye
SD-17 – Caring for Your Cancer Patient
SD-18 – Systematic Approach to Review of Systems
SP-01 – Introducing Chalazion Injection and Removal to Your Practice
SP-02 – Cut That Out: When and How to Remove Benign Lesions
TD(AS)-02 – ACE: Dry Eye Jeopardy!
TD(AS)-03 – Recognizing and Managing Infectious Uveitis
TD(AS)-04 – Unexpected Suture Situations
TD(AS)-05– Rapid Fire: Sunny with a Chance of Tears: What’s in the Forecast for Ocular Surface Dryness Therapies
TD(AS)-06 – ACE: Botulinum Toxin Update and Hands-on Dosing ACE Workshop
TD(AS)-07 – Pediatric Anterior Segment
TD(AS)-08 – Sustained Drug Delivery Devices for the Eye
TD(AS)-10 – ACE: Clinical Corneal Concerns
TD(AS)-11 – Pain Without Stain: Managing Neuropathic Corneal Pain
TD(AS)-12 – Rapid Fire: Dry Eye in 2023
TD(AS)-13 – Uninvited Guests of the Cornea: Rare Corneal Infections
TD(AS)-14 – Corneal Injuries, Dystrophies and Catastrophes – Using Anatomy to Improve our Strategy
TD(AS)-15 – Rapid Fire: Emerging Medical Therapies in Allergic Conjunctivitis
TD(AS)-16 – Rapid Fire: There’s Something in the Water: Acanthamoeba Rapid Fire
TD(AS)-18 – The Many Faces of Stem Cell Deficiency
TD(AS)-19 – ACE: Jumpstart your Dry Eye Practice
TD(AS)-21 – Rapid Fire: Under Pressure: Extreme IOPs
TD(AS)-22 – Painless Eyes That Don’t See – A Review of Neurotrophic Keratitis
TD(AS)-23 – Rapid Fire: A Discussion of Facial and Ocular Trauma and the OD’s Role
TD(AS)-24 – The Gut Microbiome and Dry Eye
TD(AS)-25 – Better Together: Contact Lenses and Corneal Surgery for Keratoconus
TD(PS)-01 – Occult Retinal Diseases: A Clinical Approach to White-Dot Syndromes
TD(PS)-02 – Imaging Techniques and Emerging Therapies for Geographic Atrophy
TD(PS)-07 – An Update on Inherited Retinal Diseases
TD(PS)-09 – Flashing Lights: Land Mines & Peril Ahead
TD(PS)-11 – ACE: Mastering OCT Interpretation Through Case Discussion
TD(PS)-14 – Exercise as a Significant Modifiable Risk Factor in Ocular Disease
TD(PS)-16 – An Update on Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
TD(PS)-18 – Rapid Fire: Dissect and Diagnose the Complex: Posterior Segment Edition
Registration Add-ons
ACE Courses
Academy Classroom Exchange (ACE) Courses offer attendees a small group learning experience with emphasis on maximizing discussion and interaction with the course presenter(s). Registration for each course is limited to 36 attendees at an additional fee of $25 per course. See below for the Academy 2023 ACE Course offering.
GO-01 – ACE: Challenging Cases in Myopia Management – Those You Do Not See in RCTs
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 8:00am – 9:00am
Maria Liu, Sarah Singh
This interactive session will discuss 5 complicated cases commonly presented in clinic but not representative to most cases seen in the RCTs for myopia control. The course will focus on the considerations in standard and special testing utilized, the detailed interpretation, and the clinical implications of those findings, as well as the caution in applying knowledge learnt from the RCTs in those atypical cases.
PH-04 – ACE: Pharm Hour: Side Effects of What OD’s Commonly Prescribe
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 9:00am – 10:00am
Blair Lonsberry, Mitch Ibach
With a breadth of newer and legendary medications within the optometrist’s prescribing scope, practitioners should feel armed to utilize these medications where appropriate. Confidence in prescribing a medication requires a general understanding of the medication’s method of action, the desired efficacy, and importantly the possible adverse side effects. This lecture aims to review the most prescribed anterior segment medications for optometrists with a focus on labeled side effects but also the speaker’s experience in patient hands. By reporting key clinical trials, this lecture will give attendees valuable prescribing information with a background in evidence-based medicine.
TD(AS)-02 – ACE: Dry Eye Jeopardy!
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Lisa Hornick, Melissa Barnett
Dry Eye Jeopardy! is a fast-paced and fun interactive game where participants compete for the winning title! Participants are placed in groups and given questions relating to various dry eye disease categories such as diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, at-home treatments, in-office treatments, therapeutic contact lenses and new innovations. Questions will increase in difficulty in each category from basic to challenging, just like the real game. Come and test your dry eye disease skills, you may be the winner!
CL-03 – ACE: Corneal and Scleral G.P. Multifocal Fitting
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Susan Gromacki
The learning curve for fitting GP corneal and scleral multifocal contact lenses can be steep. An optimal way to learn is by utilizing an A.C.E. course format, where there is ample opportunity for discussion and interaction between the instructor and attendees. This course will provide fitting pearls from an experienced practitioner and provide personalized instruction in fitting these specialty contact lenses. Cases will be presented to facilitate group discussion and interaction.
GO-06 – ACE: Assessing Visual Fields in Clinical Practice
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023| 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Michael Kalloniatis
Visual field testing continues to be one of the major visual function tests. Further, newer algorithms such as SITA-faster provide for a more rapid assessment. This ACE course will set the scene for interpreting visual field results caused by different lesions in the visual pathway, including factors that modify the results. It will include examples of common artefacts to help the optometrist to assess whether to repeat or accept the results. Although SITA-faster provides the opportunity to undertake multiple visual fields (frontloading), there are several errors that clinicians should be aware off to maximize the usefulness of the use of this algorithm.
GO-26 – ACE: Using Art Training to Develop Clinical Observation Skills
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Ryan Bulson
“How can I improve the clinical observation skills of my student clinicians?” Observation skills are a critical component of clinical success; however, these skills are often lacking in optometry students. This interactive course will discuss the value of art training in optometry, including reviewing several studies demonstrating a positive influence on students in other graduate/professional level healthcare-related programs. The presenter will discuss the implementation of a novel art training course in an optometry curriculum as well as a concurrent study to determine the course’s effectiveness at improving observation skills. The intrinsic benefits of art training are also discussed.
GL-03 – ACE: Tips and Tricks to Differentiate Glaucoma from Other Causes of Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer Loss
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 9:00am – 10:00am
Henrietta Wang
While approximately 50% of glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed, it has also been suggested that over half of patients diagnosed with glaucoma may not require treatment or are over-treated. Given the detrimental impact of overtreatment on a patient’s quality of life and unnecessary added cost to an already over-burdened healthcare system, optometrists play a critical role in accurately diagnosing glaucoma. This course will engage attendees in a high-level interaction discussion through cases studies of patients with RNFL loss. Following this course, attendees will be able to apply a systematic approach to differential diagnosis.
GO-08 – ACE: The Nuts and Bolts of Myopia Control
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 10:00am – 11:00am
Jeffrey Walline
This course will allow audience members to interact with the presenter and each other to discuss the latest information on myopia control. Information will include current and future treatments of myopia progression, including soft multifocal contact lenses, orthokeratology, low concentration atropine, and myopia control spectacles. All of the information provided by the presenter will be evidence-based, both from experience and from knowledge of the literature. The information will be presented in a clinically relevant manner that will help practitioners treat young myopic patients to the evolving standard of care.
CL-09 – ACE: Scleral Lens Troubleshooting: Fitting Diagnostically vs Utilizing Advanced Technology
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 11:00AM – 12:00pm
Jamie Kuzniar, Jason Jedlicka
How to elevate your scleral lens fitting to the next level in various clinical settings – ranging from a “bare bones” cold start private practice to a fully equipped academic institute. This course will present rapid fire interactive cases showing how to fit challenging patients diagnostically vs empirically utilizing advanced new technology while still resulting in fantastic patient outcomes.
PB-06 – ACE: Integrating Culture into Optometric Treatment Plans
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Matthew Pearce
Culture influences individuals’ understanding of health and wellness and the world around them. Culture encompasses more than ethnicity/race. It includes socioeconomic status, religion, gender, age, place of birth, sexual orientation, gender, and more. The majority of optometrist-patient encounters are, therefore, culturally discordant. This discordance can lead to incongruence in the understanding and acceptance of treatment plans. This course will consist of a series of discussions designed to: encourage attendees to define their culture(s); reflect on how their culture(s) influences the care they give; explore implicit biases; explore how the culture of the patient influences their care seeking, experience within the health system, and acceptance of treatment plans; encourage optometrists to take specific steps to address any cultural mismatch.
FV-11 – ACE: Head Scratchers: Diagnostic Challenges in Pediatrics and Binocular Vision
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Alexandra Williamson, Diane Tucker
This course aims to review and discuss cases in pediatric optometry and strabismus involving difficult decision making. Complex cases will be reviewed and discussed in an interactive exchange in which clinicians can learn from the presenters and share their own clinical pearls as well. At the conclusion of the session, a systematic workflow will be provided which attendees can further adapt to use in their own settings to use as a medical decision-making guide for the pediatric and strabismic patient population.
TD(AS)-06 – ACE: Botulinum Toxin Update and Hands-on Dosing ACE Workshop
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Leonid Skorin
This course reviews the ophthalmic uses of botulinum toxin. The six FDA-approved botulinum toxin medications will be compared. Clinical indications of botulinum toxin therapy will be addressed. Precautions and potential adverse effects of these medications will be presented. The participants will demonstrate through hands-on application both knowledge and skill in dilution and dosing of botulinum toxin. Attendees will not be doing tissue injections of botulinum toxin.The instructor has been using botulinum toxin clinically for 33 years.
SD-06 – ACE: A Brief Overview of Common Indications for Lab Studies
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 11:00am
James Fanelli
This course covers some of the more common indications seen in an eyecare setting that require laboratory studies. The course presents details on how to incorporate lab studies and ordering of these studies into the primary eye care office, as well as what options are available for obtaining such studies. Current clinical guidelines are presented for these more common indications, and incorporation of various medical specialists are discussed.
TD(AS)-10 – ACE: Clinical Corneal Concerns
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 11:00am – 12:00pm
Joseph Sowka, Greg Caldwell
This course details in a case-based format several common clinical corneal conditions. Entities discussed included bacterial and viral corneal infections, corneal toxicities, topical and oral therapeutics, and proper microbiologic identification. There will be an exposure of the audience to polymerace chain reaction identification of microbial infectious agents.
CL-14 – ACE: Multifocal Fitting Tips for Soft, GP, Scleral and Hybrid Lenses
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Shalu Pal, Melissa Barnett
Multifocal designs are improving but the fitting can still be a challenge. In this course the fitting process will be simplified. The essential tips and tricks needed to fit our patients successfully will be shared. A new way to explain presbyopia, how to set expectations, how to charge appropriately and what to do when a fit fails will be discussed. Audience participation will be needed to demonstrate the importance of a binocular distance over refraction. A comparison of strategies for Soft, GP, Scleral and Hybrid lenses will be discussed. Cases will be used to explain fitting tips with interactive small group discussions and interactive polling questions to engage the audience.
PB-08 – ACE: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fundamentals in Action
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Janette Dumas Pepper, Keshia Elder
Building on the concepts introduced in the diversity, equity, and inclusion building blocks course to apply the terminology to interactive optometric scenarios. This application session will foster the tools necessary to improve patient/staff interactions with a cultural lens. Although recommended, attending the lecture on DEI Building Blocks is not a prerequisite for gaining valuable experience in this ACE session.
FV-16 – ACE: Prescribing for Hyperopia in Infants, Toddlers and Preschool Age Children
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Reena Patel, Kristine Huang
This ACE course provides an interactive case-based discussion on the topic of prescribing for hyperopia in infants, toddlers, and preschool age children. Important research studies related to this topic will be presented to provide an evidence-based approach to prescribing. Pertinent clinical tests that should be considered when making prescribing decisions for hyperopia will be reviewed. Thought-provoking clinical cases, particularly “gray area” cases, will be presented for active discussion.
GL-09 – ACE: OCT Interpretation of Optic Nerve Head and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Scans
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Lee Vien, David Yang
This course will introduce clinicians to OCT printouts for optic nerve head scans and retinal nerve fiber analysis. The instrument has become an important diagnostic tool in clinical practice particularly for glaucoma management. However, there is still a gap in knowledge on how to best utilize and interpret OCT results among clinical providers. The ACE course will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions that would otherwise be difficult in a large lecture setting and have a better understanding on how to maximize the use of their OCT instruments.
CL-19 – ACE: A Challenging Clinical Contact Lens Grand Round
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 8:00am – 9:00am
Langis Michaud, Daniel Brazeau
This course is made for practitioners in the field, asking for their participation to determine the best treatment plan. They will have to consider every options. This interactive course presents 3 challenging cases. The majority of these cases can benefit from specialty lenses, advanced technologies, but there are several considerations that can limit the options available. This lecture is an invitation to think outside the box.
TD(AS)-19 – ACE: Jumpstart your Dry Eye Practice
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 9:00am – 10:00am
Erin Rueff, Elaine Chen
With continued advancement and innovation in dry eye diagnostic tools and treatment options, it can be overwhelming to determine how to establish a meaningful, effective dry eye practice on its own or within an already functioning clinical setting. This lecture will describe how eye care providers can begin to incorporate dry-eye-specific care into a practice with minimal initial investment. Taking a step-wise approach, options for expanding a dry eye practice with in-office diagnostic and treatment tools will be described to allow the practitioner to continuously up-level and improve care provided to patients strugglingwithdry eye. Case examples will be presented to open the discussion about how different clinical presentations can be managed with varying resources.
GO-23 – ACE: Performing an Eye Exam in Spanish
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 10:00am – 11:00am
Alexander Martin
When was the last time you had to perform an eye exam in Spanish? How did it go? Did it take too long? Did you and the patient actually understand one another or were you both just guessing at what those had motions meant? A better, more efficient exam is possible with just one Spanish class! The purpose of this highly interactive course is to review Spanish in a way that will be helpful for performing a basic eye exam. All levels of Spanish fluency are welcome to attend. The course will focus on helpful vocabulary, phrases, pronunciation, and understanding of both patient and language.
TD(PS)-11 – ACE: Mastering OCT Interpretation Through Case Discussion
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 11:00am – 12:00pm
Jessica Haynes, Carolyn Majcher
This interactive OCT interpretation course will begin with an OCT review including interpretation of the normal retinal anatomy layer by layer. It will then break into small groups to discuss abnormal OCT cross section images, coming together at the end to discuss each OCT along with its case presentation, diagnosis, and plan.
Workshops
Workshops offer attendees a hands-on experience in techniques and procedures. Registration for each workshop is limited to 24 attendees at an additional fee of $50 per hour. See below for the Academy 2023 Workshop offering.
WK-01 – How to Treat Amblyopia with Vision Therapy
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 8:00am – 10:00am
Angela Chen, Kristine Huang, Silvia Han
This workshop introduces various vision therapy techniques and discusses appropriate sequencing of the techniques in treating patients with anisometropic, strabismic, or combined mechanism amblyopia. It is designed to provide hands-on experience to work with different vision therapy procedures.
WK-02 – Orthokeratology for Myopia Control
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 8:00am – 10:00am
Daniel Fuller, Susan Gromacki-Lathrop
Participants will receive hands-on instruction in the basics of fitting GP lens orthokeratology for myopia control, including candidate selection, informed consent, baseline testing, empirical v. trial fitting, lens parameter selection, fit evaluation, progress evaluations, troubleshooting and complication management.
WK-03 – Sports Vision Enhancement and Performance Training for Youth and Collegiate Athletes
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 1:00:00 PM – 4:00pm
Amar Sayani, Katherine Green, Mickinzee Combs
This workshop serves to provide hands-on training in sports and performance vision. The course will cover basic to advanced topics pertaining to sports vision evaluations and vision training activities for performance enhancement, including considerations when evaluating and treating the concussed athlete. After a brief overview, participants will rotate through two stations to receive hands-on experience with tests and techniques. One station will focus on providing a sports vision evaluation. Asecond station will covertreatment and training options to enhance sports vision performance.
WK-04 – How to Perform a Strabismus Evaluation in a Primary Care Setting
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 2:00:00 PM – 5:00pm
Reena Patel, Kristine Huang, Allegra Burgher
This workshop is designed to provide practitioners hands-on experience at performing strabismus evaluations in a primary care setting. A brief overview of the components of a strabismus evaluation will be given at the beginning of the workshop. Attendees will then perform these tests using basic equipment that is readily available in most practices.
WK-05 – Treating Ocular Surface Disease with Intense Pulsed Light Therapy
Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | 2:00:00 PM – 4:00pm
Anna Tichenor, Hin Cheung
Intense pulsed light (IPL) has been used to treat skin conditions including acne, vascular lesions, and rosacea. It was observed that patients undergoing IPL therapy had improvement in signs and symptoms of dry eye. Now, IPL is an effective therapy used by optometrists and ophthalmologists for treating ophthalmic conditions like dry eye, ocular rosacea, and chalazion. This workshop will provide in depth, scientific knowledge of the mechanisms by which IPL is effective for treating ocular surface disease and equip each clinician with hands-on training with applying IPL and utilizing IPL protocols. This workshop will compare protocols, discuss selection of patient candidates, review potential side effects, and build each clinician’s confidence in utilizing this novel therapy.
WK-06 – Injectable Medications in Primary Eyecare
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Andrew Rixon, Michael Dorkowski, Jason Duncan, Scott Ensor, Jennifer Sanderson
This workshop provides hands on administration of periocular and additional parenteral injection techniques commonly utilized by the primary eyecare practitioner. It is taught by practitioners who employ these techniques on a routine basis in the daily clinic setting. There are four available stations; subconjunctival, intra-lesional, intravenous, intramuscular (Optional). Additionally, there will be an intracameral, intravitreal and retrobulbar video station on display to better familiarize attendees with these procedures their patients may require.
WK-07 – The Art and Science of Fitting GP Scleral Contact Lenses
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Stephen Byrnes, Ronald Watanabe
This three-hour grand-rounds lecture/workshop is for optometrists desiring to add scleral GP contact lens fitting to their practice. Scleral lens fitting utilizing the slit lamp, keratometer, trial lenses and other basic optometric equipment is discussed. Fitting issues and physiological challenges are discussed. Volunteers will have scleral lenses applied to their eye to demonstrate application and removal strategies/techniques. Scleral lenses fit during the workshop will be evaluated on eye using a video slit lamp. Pre-recorded scleral lens fits are discussed in grand rounds style.
WK-08 – Punctal Plug Drug Delivery Systems and Adjunctive Treatment of Dry Eye Workshop
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Walter Potaznick, Irwin Shwom, Jeffrey Ho, , ,
With recent FDA approval of Punctal Plug modulated, time released drug delivery systems it is wise that every practicing optometrist develop skills necessary for the use of these new techniques. Punctal plugs are a key adjunctive therapy in the treatment of clinically Dry eyes. This workshop trains each practitioner to insert the models of these new plugs as well as classic collagen, extended duration and semi-permanent silicone plugs. Each practitioner hones their chair-side skills with a deeper understanding of the indications and hands-on application of these useful devices.
WK-09 – Foreign Body Removal and Patching Workshop
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Walter Potaznick, Irwin Shwom, Elena Biffi
A new medium of agarose, sand, iron filings and glitter are presented in a housing mounted in the slit lamp. Multiple methods of ocular patching is presented. This workshop provides hands-on experience to safely remove non-penetrating ocular foreign bodies, as well as reviews ocular patching technique.
Foreign body removal has become part of optometric in many settings. This workshop provides information and hands-on experience to enable the experienced practitioner to evaluate and safely remove non-penetrating ocular foreign bodies.
WK-10 – Fitting Peripheral Prisms for Hemianopia
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Eliezer Peli
Theoretical basis and background information about the peripheral prism is covered. The clinical trials and laboratory experiments with the device are described. Advanced knowledge about secondary aspects and side effects of the prisms is addressed. Novel designs and fitting options are introduced. Hands-on experience in fitting the press-on version of the peripheral prisms and in fitting and ordering the permanent high power prisms is provided, as well as training patients in prisms use, measuring the field expansion. Practice with actual patients provided.
WK-11 – Running and Interpreting Electrodiagnostic Testing- Workshop
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 | 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Wendy Harrison, Sarah Gleason, Sherry Bass, Suresh Viswanathan
Electroretinograms (ERG)and Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) are underutilized techniques in clinical practice. This may be because the opportunity to try these technologies, to assessif theymay fit into a practice setting, isn’t easily available. This course will provide guidance on running and interpreting ERG and VEP along with hands on experience with each of the technologies.
WK-12 – Visual Information Processing: A Hands-on Approach
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Pamela Schnell, Marc Taub, Melissa Zarn
This workshop provides a hands-on experience with testing and therapy for Visual Information Processing disorders. Attendees will learn about the role of optometrists on the educational team, including IEP and 504C. Components of VIP will be reviewed, along with the implications for deficits on academic performance and learning. Attendees will rotate through 3 stations and practice diagnostic tests and therapies appropriate for ages 4 and older. A basic framework for vision therapy programs will be included.
WK-13 – Sutureless Amniotic Membranes: How to Properly Insert and Remove Them
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Nicholas Colatrella, Jeffrey Varanelli, Stacy Hinkemeyer, Jeanette Varanelli
The amniotic membrane is a biologic tissue that promotes healing of the ocular surface. This two-hour workshop will discuss the newer sutureless amniotic membranes available for optometric use, and discuss their current indications, while allowing the participant to insert and remove the various tissues on one another.
WK-14 – Gonioscopy: Let’s Do It
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Kelly Thompson, Amila Herbert, Hye Seon Yoo
Gonioscopy is a complex procedure that can be difficult to master. This workshop is designed to enhance the clinician’s gonioscopy skills and confidence, by providing the participant with hands- on instruction for “getting and maintaining the view” and “interpreting views”. Participants will rotate through stations including: applying the lens to the eye (3 and 4-mirror lenses); corneal wedge technique (verify angle structures); recording findings & therapeutic treatment of angle closure; and videography/photographic presentations of normal versus abnormal angle structures.
WK-15 – Laser Learning Workshop: YAG Cap, LPI, & SLT
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Nate Lighthizer
The use of laser energy to treat various anterior segment conditions, including posterior capsular opacification (PCO), angle closure glaucoma, and open angle glaucoma, has been used by optometric physicians in certain states for over a decade now. This interactive lab will review and update these ophthalmic laser procedures. Attendees will get to perform YAG capsulotomies, laser peripheral iridotomies, and SLT’s with actual lasers on model eyes.
WK-16 – Treating Dry Eye with Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and Radio Frequency (RF)
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Andrew McLeod, Amy Nau
Dry eye disease is extremely prevalent and is often caused by eyelid pathology. This workshop will focus on Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) and radio frequency technology. It is designed to help practitioners enhance their understanding of when and how to employ these cutting edge dry eye therapies. Considerations for incorporating IPL and RF into existing practice operations will be reviewed. How these technologies can be leveraged for aesthetic indications to expand services offerings will be covered.
WK-17 – Hands-on Suturing Workshop for Optometrists
Friday, October 13th, 2023 | 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Mark Sawamura, Judy Tong
Peri-ocular lacerations are injuries that may appear in the office of an optometrist. This hands-on workshop is designed to introduce the optometrist to the basics of suturing. Topics include needle shape/size, suture material, suture size, required instrumentation and suture placement, as well as application of sutures. The course is designed for the attendee to put into practice these learned skills with simulated skin models.
WK-18 – Evaluation And Management Of Visual-Vestibular Dysfunction And Dizziness: An Interprofessional Approach With Physical Therapy
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 8:00am – 11:00am
Abby Wicks, Tyler Phan, Kyle Reid
This workshop will provide primary care optometrists the clinical skills and confidence to evaluate and manage patients presenting with symptoms of dizziness and disequilibrium. The workshop will include hands-on demonstrations of high-yield optometric evaluation techniques and effective optical and vision rehabilitation treatment protocols to identify and manage visual-vestibular dysfunctions contributing to dizzy symptoms. An interprofessional approach with a physical/vestibular therapist will demonstrate vestibular evaluation and management in the physical therapy setting. Cases to follow.
WK-19 – The Neurologic Screening Examination
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Patricia Modica, Sweta Das
Accurate assessment of neurological systems is crucial to sorting out ophthalmic manifestations of neurological disease. In this course, participants will learn how to assess mental status, motor, and sensory systems, along with gait, balance, coordination and cranial nerves. Interpretation of findings is also included, enabling better localization of lesions within the visuomotor system.
WK-20 – Examining Infants in a Primary Care Setting
Saturday, October 14th, 2023 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Reena Patel
This workshop is designed to give practitioners hands-on experience at performing eye examinations on infants 6-12 months of age. A brief orientation and overview of the most important visual conditions to look for will be given at the beginning of the workshop. Clinical pearls and tips for working with infants will be shared as attendees perform tests on their patients using basic equipment that is usually found in most practices. The ultimate goal of the workshop is to have attendees feel comfortable with conducting eye examinations on infants.
Diplomate Prep
Academy Fellows! Please add these courses to your registration to deepen your knowledge and understanding in preparation for the Diplomate programs. (Or just to learn more!)
Anterior Segment $75
Thursday, October 12
9 AM-12 Noon
John Conto, Richard Weisenberger Anterior Segment Slide Challenge
Nicholas Colatrella Anterior Segment Jeopardy
Zanna Kruoch Analysis Paralysis: The Selection and Writing of Case Reports
Binocular Vision, Perception & Pediatric Optometry $200/225
Tuesday, October 10
8am (1 hr.) David Cook – Non-Classical Approach to Strabismus Management
9am (1 hr.) Graham Erickson – Classical Approach to Strabismus Management
10am (2 hrs.) David Cook & Graham Erickson – Strabismus Case Management Tips from the Non-Classical Approach vs. the Classical Approach
(Lunch)
1pm-2:40pm Tracy Matchinski Evaluation and Management in Pediatric Vision Rehabilitation
3pm-4:40pm John Tassinari Strabismus Diagnosis & Therapy Open Lab Workshop
Glaucoma $50
Friday, October 13
9 AM Mitchell Dul Incorporating Predictive Value into Your Glaucoma Workup: How Valid is your Assessment?
10 AM Jack Phu Clinical Perimetry in Glaucoma: “Bench to Bedside”
Optometric Education Section SPECIAL EVENT (Capped at 50 people) $50
Thursday, October 12, 1:30-3:30 PM
Adapting Your Teaching to the New iGeneration in a Post-Pandemic World
This will be an interactive session between current medical school educators (speakers) and optometric educators (target audience) and will focus on effective teaching strategies for our current and rising cohort of students, known as ‘Generation Z’ or ‘iGeneration/iGen’. Particularly we will identify literature-based iGen characteristics and learning styles, and compare these to the characteristics of previous generations of students. Prepared classroom-based scenarios will be presented to the audience and we will explore ways in which these can be tailored to the iGen characteristics and learning styles by discussing the scenarios in small groups. The full audience will regroup and debrief on the classroom scenarios while audience members will be encouraged to identify applicable scenarios from their own courses and institution curricula.
Q&A
Obtaining CE Credits
Is the CE COPE approved? The American Academy of Optometry is accredited by COPE to provide continuing education to optometrists. Our CE is COPE accredited.
What happens if I am late to a course? Will I still receive credit? Attendees have a grace period of 10 minutes, which begins at the start time of the course. If they arrive after the 10 minutes, they will still be allowed to enter the class, but will not receive credit.
What happens if I leave a course early? Attendees must attend the course for the entire duration in order to receive credit. Partial credit for the time they were in the course will not be given.
How many CE hours can I earn during the entire meeting? Up to 32 hours of CE can be earned during the entire duration of the conference.
Maximum earnings per day: Wednesday = 8 hrs. , Thursday = 9 hrs. , Friday = 7 hrs. , Saturday = 8 hrs.
There are CE credits missing when I check my CE credits on the Academy.23 mobile app. What should I do? THIS IS NOT YOUR OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT. All official CE certificates will be available within the next 4 weeks, after the Academy meeting. At that time, if you are missing any credit, you will have the opportunity to submit a dispute. Instructions on how to submit a dispute will be sent via email after the meeting. We ask that you please DO NOT visit the onsite Education Desk to dispute CE credit or inquire about missing credits.
How do I get credit for my courses after the meeting? The AAO will report all CE to ARBO and Florida CE Broker about 4 weeks following the meeting. Reporting to all other states/countries must be done by the attendee with submission of their AAO CE Certificate.
When will I receive my CE Certificate? CE Certificates will be ready for download within the 4 weeks following the meeting. Attendees will receive notification that the CE certificates are ready for download via email.
What should I do if a credit is not listed on my CE certificate? Once the certificates are available, attendees may dispute any discrepancies via email. Instructions on how to dispute will be included in the CE certificate notification email.
Papers & Posters
Are the paper and poster sessions COPE approved? All Scientific Program and Residents Program paper and poster sessions are COPE accredited.
How do I get CE credit for the paper/poster sessions? Credit is given in 15-minute increments. 15 min = .25 credit, 30 min = .50 credit, 45 min = .75 credit, 60 min = 1 credit, etc. Be sure to enter and exit through the entrances where the RFID towers are located.
When can I begin receiving credit for the poster sessions? You can receive credit during the following hours:
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Please note, it is dependent on your state’s rules and regulations on whether they will accept CE credit during hours in which the presenter is not present.
What is the maximum amount of credit I can receive for a paper or poster session? 2 hours
Will there be a Residents Day at Academy 2023 New Orleans? Residents Day, which was an offering of papers and posters specifically on Saturday, has expanded into Friday and is now known as the Residents Program. Please reference the Education Grid and/or Program Preview for the expanded schedule.
I’m a poster presenter, when can I put my poster up and when should it be taken down?
- Academy Information posters must be up by Wednesday 9:00 AM and taken down by Friday between 3:00 – 3:30 PM.
- Thursday Posters must be up on Thursday beginning at 7:00 AM and no later than 9:00 AM and taken down on Thursday between 6:30 – 7:00 PM (Can be put up on Wednesday if preferred).
- Friday Posters must be up on Friday beginning 7:00 AM and no later than 10:00 AM and taken down on Friday between 3:00 – 3:30 PM. (Friday posters CANNOT be put up for display on Thursday)
What is my poster board number? Please refer to the email correspondence sent to you from Christina Velasquez, or look in the mobile app.
What if there is a poster on my assigned board? If there is a poster up for display on your assigned board, please remove the poster and safely store it beside the poster board for the author to pick up.
What if my poster is larger than the poster board? All guidelines and correspondence stated that the poster size should not exceed 4×4. If your poster is larger than 4×4 please use the thumb tack provided to secure the poster to the board.
I have a Scientific Program question not answered above, during the meeting. Who can I speak to for further assistance and where can I find them? Scientific Program committee members will be available during all Scientific Program paper sessions to answer questions. Alternatively, if there are no active paper sessions occurring, the Education desk attendant can contact the chair/co-chair of the SP committee for assistance.
CEE/TQ
When will the CEE exams become available? All CEE exams will be available for 6 months beginning the first Monday after the Annual Meeting.
How do I access the exams? The exams are administered through the University of Houston and are taken online ONLY. For additional information, refer to the CEE form on the mobile app, or stop by the Education Desk for a handout.
Is there a fee to take a CEE exam? Yes, there is a fee of $25 per exam.
Miscellaneous
Is it too late to register for a workshop on-site? No, but workshops do have a limited capacity. Visit the registration desk to check the workshop availability. If there is space available, you can register onsite and pay the additional workshop fee of $50/hour.
Is it too late to register for an ACE course on-site? No, but ACE courses do have a limited capacity. Visit the registration desk to check the ACE course availability. If there is space available, you can register onsite and pay the additional $25.
Is it too late to register for the Flom Leadership Academy on-site? Yes – Attendees cannot register for The Flom Leadership Academy on-site. The Leadership Academy is now a year-round program, consisting of virtual components, and requires submission of an application. The application window for the 2023-24 program is May 15-July 14, 2023, 5PM ET.
How long are the course handouts available? Course handouts are available on the mobile app until the app becomes inactive – (usually up to 3 months after the meeting). Course handouts are not available on the Academy website.
Why is there a missing or outdated handout on the mobile app? Handouts are requested by the AAO but voluntarily provided by the presenter(s). Because of the handout submission deadline, the content on the handouts are subject to change between the time of receipt and presentation.
Where can I pick up my speaker check? This year ALL speaker checks will be mailed after the meeting.
Where can I pick up my speaker gift? Education Quality Assurance Committee (EQAC) volunteers will be handing out speaker gifts before each course begins. Please stop by the Education Desk if you did not receive your speaker gift.
What does not count as CE at Academy? Industry breakfast, Vision Theater sessions, Off-site industry events, No-CE enrichment workshops.
Where will the Education Desk be located? It will be located on the 3rd floor of the New Orleans Convention Center, in front of Room 347.
Want to be a part of the program?
Consider submitting to one of our upcoming submission windows!
Scientific Program: Opens May 1, 2023 and closes on May 31, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET.
The Scientific Program offers Scientists, Educators and Clinicians the opportunity to exchange the latest information in Optometry and Vision Science in two formats – Research Abstract or Case Report presentations as either a paper or poster! For more information please visit the the SP webpage.
Residents Program: Opens August 5, 2023 and closes on August 22, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET!
Previously known as “Residents Day”, the Residents Program offers Residents in Optometry the opportunity to submit a Grand Round case for presentation as either a paper or poster. For more information please visit the RP webpage.
