Eyeworld Daily News

62 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | MAY 4, 2019 ONSITE ASCRS ASOA ANNUAL MEETING in 1969 to offer certification and continuing education opportu- nities to ophthalmic allied health personnel. Since then, more than 26,900 people in the U.S., Canada, and around the world have earned IJCAHPO certification. T he Technicians & Nurses Program, sponsored by the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Person- nel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO), presents innovative sessions on clinical and surgical/ambulatory surgical cen- ter (ASC) topics. Participants can select from more than 40 courses offered during the 3-day event. Eyecare teams will hear prominent faculty speak on topics that span ophthalmology, focusing on cur- rent trends, research, treatments, surgical procedures, technologies, and practice operations that tech- nical teams address. "The Technicians & Nurses Program is designed to advance clinical staff performance on the day-to-day operations of a medical practice and improve patient care," said William Astle, MD, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, IJCAHPO pres- ident. "The program emphasizes state-of-the art training for your eyecare team's comprehensive growth and development." Sessions cover 13 content areas including disease, treatment, new technologies, and surgical procedures. Course topics include glaucoma, laser, refractive, retina, corneal crosslinking, MIGS, uve- itis, orbital/ocular plastics, Graves' disease, astigmatism, neuropathies, and palsies. Sessions on anesthesia and sterilization quality controls will look at updated standards and recommended practices. The latest updates and research will be pre- sented on stem cell therapy, med- ications, toxic anterior segment syndrome, sterile techniques, and blue light complications. Accredi- tation for ASCs and liability issues will also be addressed. Imaging and medication courses round out the wide-ranging program. Key clinical sessions will feature practice operations that technical teams address on a daily basis. Christine McDonald, COA, will present "Optimizing Patient Flow for Technicians & Nurses" and will discuss chal- lenges facing the technical staff and how applying a systematic approach can achieve the practice's goals. She will focus on how team collaboration can formulate simple solutions to complex problems, such as improving patient flow, increasing morale, thinking outside the box, and learning how to use simple project management tools and techniques to achieve success. Additional important clinical topics on practice operations will address EHR, billing and cod- ing, disaster preparedness, and value-based payment and how it applies to technicians and nurses. Sharon Alamalhodaei, COMT, will highlight "How to Be the Tech Your Doctor Can't Live Without." Daniel Chang, MD, D. Brian Kim, MD, and Yuri McKee, MD, will lead a subspe- cialty session on advances in cata- ract surgery, specifically femtosec- ond laser-assisted cataract surgery, miLOOP (Carl Zeiss Meditec), Zepto (Mynosys Cellular Devices), and phacoemulsification. Intraoc- ular lens calculations and options will be presented by Rhonda Waldron, COMT. The Technicians & Nurses Program will take place in rooms 32AB and 33ABC. The joint reg- istration between the ASOA and Technicians & Nurses Program allows for crossover. Those regis- tered solely for either the ASOA or Technicians & Nurses Program will not be allowed to cross over. All registrants in either category are welcome to attend the ASCRS Program. Continuing education credit for select courses has been ap- proved by IJCAHPO, OPS, AOC, and CA BRN. The program offers 42 IJCAHPO Group A credits with a maximum of 21 credits per person for the 3-day track, 40 CA BRN contact hours with a maximum of 19 per person, 11 OPS credits, and 32 AOC credits. Additional IJCAHPO Group B credits are available for techni- cians attending physician sessions designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. IJCAHPO was established as a not-for-profit organization Ophthalmology experts speak at Technicians & Nurses Program on current clinical, surgical and ASC topics T he ASCRS Skills Transfer Labs give surgeons hands- on practice with tried-and- true techniques and newer surgical approaches. This year's Skills Transfer Labs include: • Advanced Phaco • Corneal Suturing Techniques • Phaco Refinement • Surgical Management of Astigmatism • Anterior Vitrectomy • ECCE/SICS • Iris Suture • Iris Prostheses • MIGS There are sessions for all levels of surgeons, including beginners, experienced, or those who need a refresher. It's hard to find skills transfer sessions nowadays, and that makes this year's offerings even stronger, said Jonathan Rubenstein, MD, Chicago, who is the chair of the ASCRS Skills Transfer Subcommittee. "It's one thing to learn through a lecture or online, but this is actual learning of a skill. Surgeons should take advan- tage of this opportunity," Dr. Rubenstein said. Several new opportunities have emerged for this year's sessions, including the addition of Phaco Refinement Labs, which branched out from the Advanced Phaco Labs, Dr. Rubenstein said. The Phaco Refinement Labs are designed for people who have some background already but want to have extra time to practice with new phaco technology or techniques. Some of the most popular sessions will be held multiple times to accommodate more attendees. Other sessions were added due to the U.S. FDA approval of new technology, such as the Iris Prostheses Lab, Dr. Rubenstein said. "We're always trying to add more courses. This is quite an impressive list," Dr. Ruben- stein said. Each Skills Transfer Lab requires a separate registration fee. Some of the labs have prerequisite courses, and some are already sold out, so sign up while space is still available. Hone your techniques: Skills Transfer Labs provide hands-on practice

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