2009 ALAO DUES PAYMENTS
2009 ALAO Dues statments were mailed in late 2008 for tax purposes. If you have not yet paid your 2009 dues, please do so in order that we may update our records and give you credit for 2009.
UAB OPHTHALMOLOGY RESIDENT RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY
The American College of Eye Surgeons recently announced that UAB Ophthalmology resident, Jill Wells, M.D., is the second-prize winner in the Bloomberg Memorial Video Competition for cataract/implant surgery by residents. Nominees for the award are evaluated through specific points established by the American Board of Eye Surgery (ABES) through its sub-specialty certification program in cataract/implant surgery. Dr. Wells is a third-year resident in UAB´s Ophthalmology Residency Program. She is a MD graduate of the Medical College of Georgia and received her BA from Rollins College.
UAB OPHTHALMOLOGY PROFESSOR APPOINTED TO NATIONAL BOARD
Dr. Christine Curcio, UAB Professor of Ophthalmology, was recently appointed to a four-year term to the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Eye Institute (NEI). NEI, one of 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, focuses on research to prevent and treat blinding eye diseases including mechanisms of disease pathogenesis.
TORT REFORM GROUP OFFERS LIST OF WORST JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) has released its annual report listing the ´most unfair
civil court jurisdictions´ (generally against defendants) in the United States. Two of the
jurisdictions listed were:
Montgomery and Macon Counties, Alabama
ALAO NEEDS YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS
ALAO needs your e-mail address to up-date our records.
If you have not yet done so, please send your e-mail address to ALAO ED, Mike Merrill at:
Fax 334-277-2035 or jmm0071@charter.net
AAO ANNUAL MEETING IN ATLANTA NOV. 7-11, 2008
ALAO attended the American Academy of Ophthalmology´s 2008 Annual Meeting Nov. 7-11 in Atlanta.
ALAO was represented by Drs. Tommy Davis, Britton B. Carter, H.C. Semple, and C. Barry Dabbs, along with ALAO Executive Director, Mike Merrill.
Drs. Britton B. Carter was recognized by the AAO as a members of its 2009 Leadership Development Class.
ALAO was recognized at the AAO Presidents´ Elect Luncheon for its Media, Communications and Public Relations
efforts in 2008 to promote Eye Awareness in Alabama.
AAO´S next Annual Meeting is the 2009 Mid-Year Forum April 22-25 in Washington, D.C.
See www.aao.org for information.
2009 SE EYE ANNUAL MEETING SET FOR JULY 23-25 AT SANDESTIN
SE Eye 2009 Annual Meeting registration forms will be mailed in early February.
The 2009 SE EYE Annual Meeting is set for July 23-25 at the Grand Sandestin Hotel and Baytowne Conference Center in Destin, Florida.
The 3-day event will be co-hosted by the Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee Academies of Ophthalmology.
For hotel reservations contact Sandestin at 1-850-267-4457. Reference meeting # 20V224.
TO REGISTER FOR THE MEETING ON-LINE SEE www.regonline.com/SEEye2009
(*IMP NOTE: YOU WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO REGISTER ON-LINE THROUGH ALAO´S WEBSITE www.alabamaeyedoctors.com)
Contact Mike Merrill, ALAO Executive Director at 334-279-9755 or jmm0071@charter.net for information
IN MEMORIAM-DR. WILLIAM R. HEALY, SR.
ALAO lost one of its biggest supporters recently with the death of Dr. William R. Healy, Sr. in Mobile.
Dr. Healy passed away after a long illness.
He was a founding member of the Mobile Eye Surgery Institute and the Premier Medical Group.
ALAO extends its sympathy to Dr. Healy´s wife, Gwen, and their four children.
MASA GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS MEETING FEBRUARY 7-10 IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
MASA will host its 2009 Governmental Affairs Meeting Feb. 7-10 at the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.
All ALAO members are invited to attend.
See www.masalink.org for information.
UAB TO HOST SONGS FOR SIGHT MAY 17, 2009
Songs for Sight is a musical celebration to raise awareness and funding for the UAB Center for Low Vision
Rehabilitation and support research efforts for the Optic Nerve Imaging Center.
Contact Lindsay M. Knox, Director of Development for the UAB Dept. of Ophthalmology, at lmurphy@uab.ed.
ALABAMA LEGISLATURE 2009 REGULAR SESSION STARTS FEBRUARY 3
The Alabama Legislature opens its 2009 Regular Session Feburary 3 in Montgomery. The Session ends May 13.
ALAO will monitor all legislation related to ophthalmology and medicine in general.
MASA FORMS AD HOC COMMITTEE ON NON-PHYSICIAN PRACTICE
The Medical Association of Alabama has formed an ad hoc Committee on ´Non-Physician Practice´
The Committee is seeking input from Alabama´s specialty societies like ALAO.
The Committee will study, inter alia:
1. Whether prescriptive authority for non-physician providers can be expended without jeopardizing patient safety;
2. Procedures non-physician providers are not currently allowed to perform but which may be safely performed by non-physicians;
3. Rules and regulations related to registration, renewal, supervision and collaboration of practices utilizing non-physicians.
ALAO ADDS NEW UAB RESIDENT TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Jill Wells, Chief Resident in the UAB Department of Ophthalmology, has been selected to the ALAO Board of Directors as its
´Resident´ Member. Dr. Wells will serve a one-year term.
CRISIS AVERTED--CONGRESS OVERRIDES BUSH MEDICARE FEE FIX VETO
On Tuesday, July 15, the US Congress in bipartisan fashion voted to override President Bush´s veto of the Medicare Improvements for
Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331) by a 383-41 vote in the House and 70-26 vote in the Senate.
The legislation immediately becomes law, giving physicians a temporary 18-month reprieve from the devastating 10.6 % physician payment
cut implemented July 1 and the 5.5 % cut scheduled for Jan. 1, 2009. Instead, physicians will get a 0.5 % positive payment update through
2008 and a 1.1 % increase in 2009.
CMS hold on claims expired July 15. Claims will now move into the processing queue, and payments will temporarily be processed at the
10.6 % reduced rate that went into effect on July 1. It will take about 10 business days for carriers to implement the 0.5 % positive update
and other changes, once they receive the new fee schedule.
Please contact the American Academy of Ophthalmology´s Governmental Affairs Department at 202-737-6662 with any questions.
EYECARE ALABAMA JOINS BBECC IN MONTGOMERY
ALAO´s EyeCare Alabama community outreach program joined with other members of Governor Bob Riley´s Black Belt Eye Care Consortium at a one-day eye clinic at the Frazer-Asbury
Methodist Church in Montgomery on Saturday, May 31.
Over 75 attendees received free adult eye education, free eye glasses, and free eye exams.
A special word of thanks to ALCON Pharmaceuticals and Church´s Fried Chicken for their participation in and contributions to this event.
Drs. Won Kim, Roy Hager, Jim Izer, and In C. Shin represented our academy along with their technicians and other volunteers.
Dr. Cynthia Owsley and Ms. June Weston from UAB´s Ophthalmology Clinical Research Department offered free adult eye education classes.
ALAO USES STATE MEDIA TO PROMOTE EYE AWARENESS
ALAO continued to promote eye awareness in Alabama in 2008 with television appearances in several of Alabama´s major media markets:
January---WSFA TV (Ch 12) in Montgomery-Glaucoma Awareness Month
March-----WTVY TV (Ch 4) in Dothan-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
March-----WHNT TV (Ch 19) in Huntsville-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
March-----WBRC TV (Ch 6) in Birmingham-Macular Degeneration Awareness Month
October---CBS TV (Ch 6) in Birmingham-Bifocal Implant Surgery
ALAO ATTENDS GRAND ROUNDS
ALAO President, Dr. Thomas M. Davis, Jr., and ALAO Executive Director, Mike Merrill, attended the UAB Dept. of Ophthalmology´s Grand Rounds on Friday, June 13.
Dr. Davis gave his annual State of the Academy presentation while Mike spoke on, ´Where do we go from here?´
Dr. Jill Wells, UAB Resident, spoke about her visit to the American Academy´s Mid-Year Legislative Forum earlier this year.
MASA ADOPTS ALAO´S RESOLUTION DEFINING SURGERY
The Alabama Medical Association (MASA) adopted at its May, 2008, Annual Meeting, an ALAO Resolution which defined ´Surgery´ in Alabama.
This same Resolution/Definition had previously been adopted by the American Medical Association´s House of Delegates.
Co-sponsors of the Resolution were the Alabama Orthopaedic Society and the Alabama Anesthesiologists.
GOVERNOR PROCLAIMS JANUARY 2008 AS GLAUCOMA AWARENESS MONTH IN ALABAMA
Alabama Governor, Bob Riley, issued a formal Proclamation denoting January as Glaucoma Awareness Month in Alabama.
ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, was present for the signing.
ALAO presented the Proclamation to the Glaucoma Unit at the UAB Department of Ophthalmology.
ALAO member Dr. Doug Owens of Montgomery appeared on WSFA-TV (Ch 12) in Montgomery on Jan. 30th to promote Glaucoma awareness.
Dr. Owens is a glaucoma specialist.
2008 MEDICARE FEE SCHEDULES NOW ON ALAO WEBSITE
Medicare´s 2008 Fee Schedules are now posted on the ALAO website www.alabamaeyedoctors.com
Click ´Links´ to see the information
ALAO GETS NEW COUNCILOR
Mobile ophthalmologist, Dr. Christopher Semple, has been named as ALAO´s new ALAO/AAO Councilor. Dr. Semple will replace Dr. John Cox of
Huntsville. ALAO wishes to thank Dr. Cox for his many years of service in this position.
NEXT ALAO BOARD MEETING
ALAO´s next Board Meeting is scheduled for Spring, 2009. TBA
ALAO WEBSITE NOW OFFERS ON-LINE PAYMENTS
ALAO is pleased to announce that you may now pay your (1) Annual Dues and (2) Annual PAC contributions on-line with your credit card.
See www.alabamaeyedoctors.com and click ´Contributions & Fees´
BIRMINGHAM OPHTHALMOLOGIST NAMED TO O.N.E. EDITORIAL BOARD
Birmingham ophthalmologist, Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., has been named to the Editorial Board of the Ophthalmic News and Education Network or the ´O.N.E.´
The new O.N.E. Editorial Board will be comprised of 10 sub-specialty editors to cover the major practice emphasis areas along with 1 editor for the General/Comprehensive Section.
ALAO DUES HAVE BEEN REDUCED
ALAO members have spoken and your Board has listened.
Beginning in 2008, ALAO ´regular member´ annual dues will be reduced from $995.00 per year to $895.00 per year.
All other categories will remain the same. There is no charge for Retired members.
CME CREDITS FROM SANDESTIN ANNUAL MEETING
Our 2008 Annual Meeting offered 12 AMA PRA Category One CME credits for physicians.
All CME documentation is submitted to the American Academy after our Annual Meeting. AAO keeps these records.
ALAO does not.
All physicians who wish to check on their CME status should go to www.aao.org and click on the ´CME´ icon.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ANNUAL MEETINGs
ALAO welcomes your suggestions as to how we may improve our Annual Meetings.
Please submit your comments to Mike Merrill, ALAO Executive Director, at 334-279-9755 or FAX at 334-277-2035 or e-mail at jmm0071@charter.net.
ALAO NEWSLETTER--SEND US YOUR INFORMATION
As most of you know, ALAO publishes a quarterly Newsletter highlighting events that affect our Academy and the practice of ophthalmology.
Please contact ALAO ED, Mike Merrill, if you have any items/stories/information that you would like to have included in our Newsletter.
PLEASE LET ALAO KNOW IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MAILING ADDRESS/TEL/FAX/E-MAIL. THIS IS VERY IMP SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN UP-TO-DATE RECORDS.
LOCAL LEGISLATIVE CONTACTS
It is extremely important that we establish and maintain a relationship with our State and Federal legislative officials.
If you have any close contacts/friendships with State/Federal legislators, please let ALAO ED Mike Merrill know.
Please make an effort to contact and get to know your Local/ State/Federal legislators. Especially when your legislators are not in session.
EDITOR´S NOTE:
This News Page will be updated periodically to keep ALAO members informed of events affecting their Academy.