May 2010 - President's Message

As our Mid Atlantic springtime weather begins to heat up, so does the MOA events calendar. Here at MOA Headquarters, we are planning some great events for the warm months ahead.

Most of our local societies will be hosting a spring meeting in the next several weeks which will give all members the opportunity to catch up with their colleagues practicing next door as well as hear about the most current optometry news at the state and national levels. These local meetings are the cornerstones of our association, and I encourage every member to bring a new graduate or a colleague who may not yet be an MOA member. By opening this door, we can reinforce the value our AOA and MOA membership provides - And show our guests the importance of becoming engaged early and staying involved in our professional association.

Also on the calendar is our next CE event, scheduled for June 13 at the BWI Marriott. We are pleased to host the AOA program on the Implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR). This is a sought-after course that the MOA has secured for our summer meeting and will outline everything an optometric practice needs to know about implementing EHRs, demonstrating meaningful use and taking advantage of the government stimulus plan to earn an incentive bonus starting next year.

In addition, June 12 marks the day for The Special Olympics Summer 2010 games to be held at Towson University. The Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes will be conducting their extensive eye screenings for the athletes, going far beyond acuity testing. Auto-refraction, full refraction if necessary, internal and external health evaluations as well as tonometry are done on each athlete. If deemed necessary, the athlete will receive a pair of spectacles or Rec Specs. The Maryland Board of Optometry ruled that "pro bono" activities done by Maryland licensed OD's may count toward general continuing education. The Maryland Summer Special Olympics vision screening is in the process of being approved for credit.

While this is not an "official" MOA event, I encourage anyone available to consider giving your time and talent for this wonderful cause. Last year, it was necessary to cancel the screening due to lack of personnel. Corporate sponsors for SOLCIOE are Safilo, Essilor, Santinelli and the local lab, New City Optical. Contact Diane Serex-Dougan, O.D. at dr.diane@verizon.net. Join us on Facebook: Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes-Maryland.

Don't miss these great events and be sure to keep your eyes on your inbox and watch for more upcoming events that the MOA is planning this summer. We promise to provide our members with great venues for networking with colleagues, meeting up with old friends and taking great CE courses. I look forward to seeing you there.