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4 | EYEWORLD DAILY NEWS | MAY 16, 2020 DAILY NEWS ASCRS VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING ASCRS TWITTER @EyeWorldMag LINKEDIN EyeWorld Magazine INSTAGRAM eyeworldmagazine EDITORIAL CO-DIRECTOR Ellen Stodola EDITORIAL CO-DIRECTOR Liz Hillman GRAPHIC DESIGNER Susan Steury GRAPHIC DESIGNER Katherine Beutner PRODUCTION MANAGER Cathy Stern SALES, SPONSORSHIPS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS Jessica Donohoe Joe Dooley Cathy Stern ASCRS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Steve Speares EYEWORLD MANAGING DIRECTOR Stacy Jablonski Find EyeWorld on social media the society for all anterior seg- ment surgeons," he said. Dr. Mamalis also discussed the work being done by the ASCRS Research Council, which was established to help facilitate studies that require large amounts of patients. The first project is the TIME study, chaired by Doug Rhee, MD, which will compare intraca- meral moxifloxacin to topical and will include about 75,000 patients from VA hospitals, academic and university cen- ters, and large private practices in the U.S. The hope for this study would be to establish equal or greater efficacy and safety of intracameral antibiot- ics in the U.S. for an approval from the FDA. "We're hoping this is the first of many large studies that we can help to do," he said. Dr. Mamalis will contin- ue to serve on the Executive Committee for 2 more years. Beyond that, he said he will continue to stay active in the society. "We're coming up with ways to get some of our past presidents to stay involved and work on different projects. … I think there are roles that insti- tutional memory can take, and previous presidents with all of their experience can continue to contribute to the society," he said. The COVID-19 pandem- ic will have short-term and long-term effects on the oph- thalmic profession. The health and economic impact of the pandemic might change how practices are run and how patients are seen, Dr. Mamalis said. "Just like the two sessions we're doing in the virtual continued from page 1 ASCRS Program Chair previews virtual offerings by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director T he ASCRS Virtual Annual Meeting is taking place this weekend, with lives- treamed content, on-demand options, networking oppor- tunities, and content that attendees can access for up to a year. Edward Holland, MD, chair of the ASCRS Program Committee, shared what attendees can expect from the virtual meeting. He first emphasized a two-part special session on Saturday and Sunday morn- ings, "Turning the Lights Back On," which will offer information on getting back to practice. Another special session on Sunday morning will feature former FDA com- missioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, and a panel discussion. meeting, there will be mul- tiple sessions down the road where we get experts involved to guide people through the changes, not just restart- ing your practice but going forward from here; how is practice going to be different? I think there are many ways practices may change," Dr. Mamalis said. "ASCRS will be invaluable in helping surgeons restructure the way they prac- tice ophthalmology." Meeting attendees will be able to select CME education or non-CME education, then they can browse available of- ferings, Dr. Holland said. Many sessions will be presented in real time, but there will also be a large section of on-demand content including papers, post- er, films, and a skills library that attendees can view any time. "We have two main meet- ing rooms," he said. "One room will have a series of our major symposia put on by our Clinical Committees, and in the other room, we've selected some of our top instruction courses, so attendees can go back and forth in those throughout the day." There's also a networking area, and attendees can meet one-on-one with other attend- ees, faculty, or industry, Dr. Holland said, adding that there are options for virtual meet- ing rooms and video chats. There will be a virtual exhibit hall, so attendees have access to the latest news on devices and phar- maceuticals and can make appointments to interact with industry partners. "We had an incredible educational meeting and a lot of fun social events planned for Boston, and we put an enormous amount of work into it. But everyone is facing challenges, and we re- alize that," Dr. Holland said, adding that he gives tremen- dous credit to the ASCRS staff and Program Com- mittee who, in a very short amount of time, put together a great educational meeting. "Given the limitations and the time constraints, I think it's going to be a very worth- while endeavor," he said.

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