Sneak preview: the ASCRS Foundation's blockbuster plans kick off in Los Angeles

From April 25-28, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) will hold its annual meeting. At the congress, the ASCRS Foundation will be featured in much of the programming, including a special symposium and an award-worthy opening party. Abby Markward, MBA, is Executive Director of the ASCRS Foundation and the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA). In keeping with the 2025 Annual Meeting's star-studded setting—Los Angeles, California—Markward sat down in front of the camera to give us a glimpse of the feature presentation.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Hattie Hayes, editor, Ophthalmology Times Europe: My name is Hattie Hayes. This year, the Eye Care Network will be going to Los Angeles, California for the ASCRS annual meeting. Joining me today, we have Abby Markward, who is the Executive Director of the ASCRS Foundation [and the ASOA]. Abby, thank you so much for sitting down and telling me what we can expect in Los Angeles later this April.

Abby Markward, MBA: We have a lot of really unique, interesting events coming up. I think I'll lead with the ASCRS Foundation Party for a Purpose. It's our annual fundraiser that also serves as the welcome party for ASCRS and ASOA members. We generally have around 1500 attendees. We have some great party for purpose teams set up that compete this year. We're going to have kind of that Hollywood theme. Each team will dress up from a specific Hollywood movie. Can be any genre, and they'll perform either a skit, a dance, something along those lines. And it will all be competitive to raise money for the ASCRS Foundation. So that will be Friday, April 25 from 8 to 11pm at Novo in the LA Live area, so right near the convention center, JW Marriott, etc.

HH: Great. I have lived in LA before, and that is a really fun place to spend time! Tell me a little bit about your fundraising goals this year for the party, for a purpose. You know, what are those proceeds going towards? Are there any programs that you're really excited to be funding this year?

AM: Thanks for asking that, Hattie. You know, the ASCRS Foundation is not only globally centered, but also we focus domestically. So our major domestic humanitarian program is called Operation Sight, where we provide humanitarian cataract surgery for patients in need. What's really neat about that is, we have over 900 volunteer surgeons across the United States that offer their services again to those patients that need it. We do have a program manager for Operation Sight who actually matches patients and qualifies them for for the surgeons ahead of the surgeries. So that is one area. And then globally, we really look at different areas where we can partner with our global nonprofit partners to establish educational, training, even research projects that the ASCRS Foundation can help fund.

HH: One thing that I remember from last year's ASCRS meeting is how many opportunities there are for young eye surgeons [YES]. It was something that was present every single day at the conference, and this year, I know there's a lot of YES programming, and there's one thing in particular that I think any young eye surgeons who are attending should make sure they check out, which is the ASCRS Foundation Symposium. That's going to have more of a global focus, if I'm understanding that correctly?

AM: Saturday, directly following the Young Eye Surgeon luncheon, which happens at noon, in the same room, we will have our ASCRS Foundation Symposium. This year, it will be focused on safety in humanitarian crisis areas. We have a wonderful faculty lined up with immense experience globally, working in areas of crisis, and also working globally in general, whether that be, you know, actually performing surgeries, or providing education and training to these surgeons in kind of under resourced areas. I think it's going to be a great opportunity for our young eye surgeons to kind of sit back, if they're thinking about doing any global humanitarian work, and to really learn more. It's going to be a really interesting, I hope, interactive experience for everybody. We're really excited about it.

HH: And following that symposium, will there be a place where YES—or more established eye surgeons, for that matter!—can find out more about getting involved in some of ASCRS and the ASCRS Foundation's global initiatives?

AM: Oh my gosh, 100%! And I would like to just mention that the ASCRS Foundation will have a booth, and it will be in the taproom, which is an area on the exhibit floor that's kind of centrally located, so it should be very accessible for people to stop by learn more about the Foundation our efforts, what we're doing in the upcoming months and years. And if they are looking to get involved either with the ASCRS Foundation or other global partners. We're here to network and to make sure those connections are made.