Eyeworld Daily News

30 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | MAY 4, 2019 ASCRS NEWS ASCRS ASOA ANNUAL MEETING patients typically have finite, often solvable clinical problems, and we have amazing technology to offer. We continue to attract the best and the brightest to ophthalmology. Our patients generally do well, and for the small minority that have poor outcomes or untreatable vi- sion loss, most of us welcome the opportunity to console and offer compassionate care to those who need it, buoyed by the energy we receive from the grateful masses that we serve every day. EyeWorld: How will you continue to stay active in ASCRS? Dr. Samuelson: I will continue to serve on the Executive Committee for another 2 years. I will remain a member of ASCRS, I suspect, for the rest of my life, and will contin- ue to teach and participate in the wonderful educational programs within ASCRS. EyeWorld: What do you see for the future of ASCRS? Dr. Samuelson: I think that the future of ASCRS is strong. As the technology in our field continues to advance, ASCRS will have an important role in skills transfer and development. ASCRS will continue to foster collaborative interaction among all parties involved, including surgeons, ad- ministrators, technical and nursing staff, and industry to innovate and improve outcomes and patient well-being. partners to innovate? There is no better convener than ASCRS. ASCRS is innovative, internation- al, diverse, and collaborates well with industry. ASCRS also spans the entirety of ophthalmology practice, including expertise in practice management and techni- cians and nurses education. In this respect, ASOA is a tremendous partner. EyeWorld: Over the next few years, what do you think will be the biggest challenges and op- portunities for ASCRS and for ophthalmologists? Dr. Samuelson: Financial solven- cy of the entire healthcare system will be the topic that dominates our professional lives for some time. It is evident that the coveted trifecta of affordable, universal, and high-tech/high-touch health- care, no matter how noble and just, is an elusive if not unattain- able goal. We must circle the wag- ons and rethink our methods to contain cost and improve efficien- cy while maintaining innovation and our high standards of care. Every time I staff a resident clinic at the county hospital in Minneap- olis, I gain critical perspective on the scope of the problem. Even with the wonderful social support structure within our public health programs in Minnesota, people get lost in the cracks of the sys- tem. We must find a way to cover everyone. While immigration is con- troversial and beyond our scope, once patients show up in our clinics, our very nature is to take care of them regardless of their status. It isn't in our DNA as phy- sicians to pick and choose who we care for. We need a mechanism to care for everyone in our country, period. How we accomplish that is complex and will require bipar- tisan cooperation. On the bright side, in my opinion, our field remains the best in medicine. Our of ASCRS as a convener for all parties interested in advancing an- terior segment surgery—from the patient, to the surgeon, to the ad- ministrator, clinical staff, and our industry partners. Education is the society's most fundamental calling, and while the Annual Meeting remains the crown jewel of this effort, online enduring content has been greatly expanded, and webi- nars have been routinely added to round out the ASCRS curriculum. EyeWorld has been redesigned and reformatted to better communi- cate with our membership. ASCRS also responded in a very expedi- tious fashion to the CyPass (Al- con) withdrawal/recall, forming an advisory task force and playing a vital role in guiding surgeons and patients through this unex- pected upheaval. Finally, as always, ASCRS has continued its leader- ship role in advocacy for our field and for our members. A pending large-scale intracameral moxiflox- acin study, drug pricing, and drug availability remain critical future initiatives for ASCRS leadership. EyeWorld: Can you talk about the new comprehensive branding ini- tiative that ASCRS will start soon? Dr. Samuelson: Another initiative that we have spent considerable energy on this year is rebrand- ing and redefining the identity of ASCRS. For too long, many ophthalmologists have had the im- pression that ASCRS was primari- ly for high-volume, elite surgeons. ASCRS is for surgeons, period. No matter where one is on the spectrum of surgery experience, just beginning a career, a master surgeon, or in the twilight of a career, ASCRS is the society that can fulfill your needs. There is no more cutting-edge surgical society in ophthalmology. Learning a new technique? ASCRS has that curriculum. Interested in teaching? ASCRS has the format. Interest- ed in working with our industry I n the past year, ASCRS Pres- ident Thomas Samuelson, MD, Minneapolis, has been part of large-scale changes within ASCRS and ophthal- mology in general. Before passing the baton to ASCRS Vice President Nick Mamalis, MD, during today's ASCRS Opening General Session, Dr. Samuelson spoke with EyeWorld about accomplishments and high- lights from the past year. EyeWorld: What do you think are ASCRS' biggest accomplishments from the past year? Dr. Samuelson: The past year has been one of significant transition and introspection for the society. In many ways, simply maintaining stability has been a significant accomplishment as arguably the most compelling challenge to ASCRS during the past year has been transitioning from 35 years of stability, familiarity, and comfort inherent to the continu- ous leadership of David Karcher to the "post-Karcher era." This transition was especially formida- ble because it coincided with fiscal transition as regulatory changes have reduced doctor mobility to meetings, especially internation- ally. Our international colleagues comprise a very important con- stituency of our Annual Meeting attendance. Steve Speares and his team have done an incredible job during this critical period. I am very proud to have played a small part in this transition. We have strived to continue the aspirational efforts of my predecessor, Bonnie Henderson, MD, to ensure that the compo- sition of ASCRS leadership, the very heart and soul of the soci- ety, reflects the make-up of our specialty in terms of gender and ethnic diversity. This transition coincides with a society-wide rebranding pro- cess that will emphasize the role ASCRS evolves and expands to reach more anterior segment surgeons Thomas Samuelson, MD

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