Practice administrators join ACES/SEE seminar

For 20 years, physicians have had an opportunity to update their skills by hearing their fellow surgeons discuss the latest techniques and trends in eye surgery. Now, their administrators and key staff members are invited to join the meeting to discover better ways of managing a practice, handling staff, and boosting the bottom line.

The ACES/SEE Island/Quality Surgery XX Seminar next month in St. Thomas includes an administrative track with sessions that run concurrently with the surgical specialties.

The meeting, which runs Feb. 17 to 21 at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort, features presentations by some of the industry's top surgeons, practical advice from management experts, and an opportunity to network with others who share similar interests. It is sponsored by the American College of Eye Surgeons (ACES), the Society for Excellence in Eyecare Inc. (SEE), and Ophthalmology Times.

Sessions begin Saturday, Feb. 18, with a morning focus on practice management in a session led by Alan Reider, a lawyer who specializes in health care-related legal issues and an expert on fraud, abuse, and compliance-related topics. Additional speakers include Ann Rose, Donna McCune, Michael Brown, Joseph Carroll, Allison Shuren, William J. Voyles, Ron Sterling, and financial advisors John and Traudy Grande.

After that, the lights will be dimmed for two video presentations: the popular, fourth annual Doctor's Choice Award video competition and the second annual Interactive Video Roundtable of Unusual Cases. Both offer a chance to watch how fellow surgeons tackled difficult circumstances, and do a little Monday-morning quarterbacking.

Luther Fry, MD, and Robert Osher, MD, will show eight videos, up to 8 minutes each, from any area of ophthalmology that were submitted for review. Seminar attendees will vote for the most challenging case, and an award will be presented to the winner.

Following the award competition, Drs. Fry and Osher will chair the Interactive Video Roundtable of Unusual Cases. Audience members and a panel will have an opportunity to discuss the cases presented.

During this time, practice administrators will have an opportunity to meet the faculty who will be presenting during the meeting.

Glaucoma

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the day will again begin with a discussion of practice management before turning the focus to glaucoma.

John Kearney, MD, who is one of the session chairs, will talk about "Canaloplasty, a.k.a. Viscocanaloplasty with Catheter and Suture," and Jay Katz, MD, will discuss imaging in a clinical practice. In addition, Lawrence Jindra, MD, will present "Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty as Primary and Secondary Treatment of Glaucoma," and Howard Bruckner, MD, will discuss ways to control glaucoma when an Express Mini Drain fails. Steven R. Sarkisian Jr., MD, will offer his impressions of the EagleVision valved glaucoma drainage implant.

The posterior segment session, chaired by Bert Glaser, MD, and T. Mark Johnson, MD, will feature a discussion of the role of surgical simulation in ophthalmic training and credentialing, presented by Michael H. Grodin, DO. Lance Liota, MD, PhD, will present "Proteomics of Retinal and Other Ocular Disorders: A Revolution in Diagnostic Testing and Discovery of New Treatments," and Barak Azmon, MD, will discuss hyperacuity for early detection of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Dr. Johnson will offer an update on the diagnosis and treatment of AMD variants.

While the doctors are engrossed in glaucoma issues, practice administrators will learn more about dealing with staff and employees, including how to find and keep personnel, compensation, motivation and morale boosters, finding and keeping physicians, and credentialing.

Refractive surgery

On Monday, Feb. 20, the focus turns to refractive surgery-with and without a laser.