ASCRS hits ‘La La Land’ for 2017 annual meeting

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The 2017 meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) will be held May 5 to 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, but at least one guest speaker will be sharing his “out-of-this-world” experiences.

Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly-who spent nearly a year on the International Space Station-will give the ASCRS Lecture on Science, Medicine and Technology at the annual meeting’s Sunday Summit, May 7, from 10 to 11 a.m. 

Kelly is known for spending more time in space than any other American. He served two long-duration space station missions and two shorter-duration shuttle missions between 1999 and 2015. On his yearlong mission (March 2015 to March 2016), Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko conducted experiments, reconfigured station modules, and educated the world from space.

Kelly will share life lessons and personal stories that provide valuable advice on pushing one’s limits, the leadership and teamwork required in demanding conditions, and the challenges of his experiences, according to ASCRS.

The Lecture on Science, Medicine and Technology is designed to be a forum for expanding and enriching appreciation of fields of science and medicine beyond ophthalmology.

Meeting overview

The annual meeting--held in conjunction with the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA)--is promoted as the largest U.S. meeting that integrates a scientific program dedicated to the needs of the anterior segment specialist with a leading practice management program for comprehensive ophthalmology and subspecialties.

Registration brings attendees access to 1,300 ASCRS and ASOA presentations and online post-meeting resources.

The 2017 annual meeting also will be a joint meeting with the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons and will include a Technicians and Nurses Program from May 6 to 8, as well as special programming and events for Young Eye Surgeons--a group for residents, fellows, and surgeons with less than 5 years in practice. In addition to traditional presentations and sessions, attendees also have access to roundtables, consultations, and legislative/regulatory updates.

The exhibit hall provides an additional opportunity to interact with more than 300 exhibitors. Visit Ophthalmology Times at booth 1803.

Other meeting highlights

Other meeting highlights

The Opening General Session

The Opening General Session will be held Saturday, May 6, from 10 to 11:45 a.m. The welcome will be given by ASCRS Program Chair Edward J. Holland, MD, followed by the Presidents’ Addresses. Kerry D. Solomon, MD, will give the outgoing address and Bonnie An Henderson, MD, will give the incoming address. The Binkhorst Lecture, “Cataract Surgery in Small Pupils: Building The Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” will be given by Boris Malyugin, MD, PhD, during this session. Dr. Malyugin is a professor of ophthalmology at the European School for Advanced Studies in Ophthalmology and is a board member of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.

Honored guests at the session will be Luther Fry, MD, (ASCRS) and Y.C. Lee, MD (APACRS). Inductees into the ASCRS Ophthalmology Hall of Fame Ceremony also will be honored. These include Karl Koller, MD, (deceased) and Gullapalli Rao, MD (India).

An ASCRS Foundation update also will be given at the opening session.
 

•  In addition to Kelly’s presentation, The Sunday Summit will include a segment on “50 Years of Phaco: Origins, Obstacles and Acceptance.” This will be moderated by Dr. Holland.

•  The Innovators General Session, set for Monday from 10 to 11:30 a.m., will include the 2017 Charles D. Kelman, MD, Innovator’s Lecture. “Overcoming Resistance: Making Glaucoma a Surgical Disease” will be given by Reay H. Brown, MD.

•  The Best of ASCRS 2017 General Session will be held Tuesday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This wrap-up session will highlight some of the most interesting papers from the annual meeting.

Pre-meeting programming

Several specialized programs are offered before the official start of the meeting. Separate registration is required.

On Friday, May 5, three full-day (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) programs include:
 

•  ASCRS Glaucoma Day: Topics scheduled for this event include “Special Considerations for Phacoemulsification in Patients with Pre-Existing Open-Angle Glaucoma,” “Medications and Lasers: Practical Concepts for Enhancing Glaucoma Care,” and “Making Sense of the MIGS Revolution: A Practical Guide to the Surgical Treatment of Glaucoma.” The 2017 Stephen A. Obstbaum, MD, Honored Lecture, “The Holy Grail: Monitoring IOP 24/7,” will be given by Marlene R. Moster, MD. Glaucoma Day is sponsored by the ASCRS Glaucoma Clinical Committee.

•  ASCRS Refractive Day: Topics for this day will include cornea refractive surgery, refractive cataract surgery, and refractive lens surgery. The Steinert Refractive Lecture, “Challenges in IOL Calculations with Post-Op and Ectatic Cornea,” will be given by Douglas D. Koch, MD. Refractive Day is sponsored by the ASCRS Refractive Surgery Clinical Committee.

•  Cornea Day: This event, sponsored by the ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee and the Cornea Society, will provide an overview of anterior segment surgery and corneal issues in cataract and refractive surgery. Topics include corneal controversies and complications in cataract and refractive surgery, cornea ectatic and ocular surface dilemmas, and cutting-edge corneal surgery.
•  Practice Management: A half-day practice management program, The John Pinto Intensive Program for Surgeons: Regaining Control Over Your Practice’s Business Affairs, also will be held on Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. This program promises to address pressing and practical aspects of ophthalmic practice management from the ophthalmologist’s perspective.

ASOA annual meeting

ASOA annual meeting

Administrators and staff who attend the ASOA meeting will be able to choose from more than 150 hours of presentations and educational courses in topics that include MACRA and MIPS, coding, reimbursement, human resources, information technology, marketing, and business operations.

Here are some highlights (some activities require separate registration):

•  Opening General Session: Achieving Peak Performance: The keynote address in this 8 to 10 a.m. session will be given by Dan Thurmon, an author, entrepreneur, workplace performance expert, fitness advocate, acrobat, unicyclist, and drummer. His address will focus on breaking the office culture out of the comfortable “box” of complacency. Thurmon reportedly uses gravity-defying feats as visual aids to help deliver his message.
•  Practice Management Bootcamp, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Learn the basics of ophthalmic practice management in core areas, including chart documentation and audits, quality measures and government regulations, financial management, working with technicians, risk management, meeting today’s challenges, and flow and efficiency to improve practice performance.
•  COE Review: Parts 1 and 2, Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Learn about the six COE exam domains.
•  The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center: Excellence in The Patient Experience and Memorable Customer Service, Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Learn how to develop a patient-centric culture and gain insight into key processes including onboarding, and employee and patient empowerment.
•  Dale Carnegie Training: Building a Culture of Engagement--Achieving and Retaining Success, Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This session is recommended for employees at all levels who seek to maximize their performance, become stronger leaders, and add more value to the organization.
•  The annual ASOA celebration will be held Sunday from 8 p.m. to midnight at Exchange LA, 618 S. Spring St., Los Angeles.