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EW SHOW DAILY 44 "This is another reason ASOA is relevant," she said. "We have prac- tices that are 200 staff strong and others that are 2 people. [We offer help] with government and legisla- tive issues as well as a smorgasbord of services and educational resources to help administrators in their day- to-day management responsibilities. [Our membership] does not fit the 'one size fits all' mold, but they all face the same issues." Mr. Karcher thinks ASOA will continue to be vital in the decades to come. "I think practices are going to change," he said. "I think we're going to see a lot of consolidation, whether it be hospital-related or practice consolidation, and it's going to be even more important that we have well-educated administrators at the helm." He added that regulatory chang- es will continue to impact medical practices. "There are those in the govern- ment who have their own philoso- phies with regard to how they feel practices should be operating, and it behooves us as an organization both as ophthalmologists and administra- tors to stay on top of that," he said. As Ms. Rowland put it, "The business management of a practice has increasingly come into sharper focus. We are seeing a shift whereby business management has become more and more recognized by the physicians as essential to the growth and profitability of the practice. Pro- viding tools and resources to support this need is what ASOA will strive to do tomorrow and in the years to come." EW last year, and the essays are now being featured in the award-winning Administrative Eyecare magazine. The ASOA Annual Congress will also feature celebratory events, in- cluding the debut of a video created specifically for the anniversary. The always popular Sunday night celebration, sponsored by CareCredit will include special cele- brations to mark the 30th anniversa- ry. Mr. Fahel, who organized the first ASOA parties, said he is most excited about that tradition. "I always go back to the party," he said. "I'm looking forward to doing that and reconnecting with all the administrators I have met and worked with over the 30 years." Looking ahead As the ASOA 30th anniversary tagline—Planning for the Future, Learning from Our History—states, moving the organization forward remains a primary focus. "I think it's important because demographics are changing and the practice administration field is facing a lot of retirements," Ms. Rowland said. "Administrators, with increasing regulations and legisla- tive burdens, are becoming burned out, and ASOA needs to continue to provide tools and resources for efficiently and effectively running an ophthalmology business, but also to engage and support the next gen- eration of practice administrators. "ASOA's goals are to continue to be the No. 1, go-to resource for all aspects of practice management," Ms. Rowland said, adding that ex- panding membership to include all management staff, such as market- ing teams, coders, and front office staff, is a goal as well. continued from page 42 AcuFocus Inc. Alcon Laboratories Inc. Avedro Bausch + Lomb Clarity Medical Systems Epsilon USA Haag-Streit Diagnostics Oculus Inc. Shire Pharmaceuticals Thank you for your sponsorship of the EyeWorld Corporate Events: Abbott Medical Optics Inc. AcuFocus Inc. Aerie Pharmaceuticals Alcon Laboratories Inc. Allergan Bausch + Lomb Imprimis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Ocular Therapeutix Inc. Omeros Corporation Shire Pharmaceuticals TearLab TearScience Thank you for providing unrestricted educational grants: Thank you for supporting our ASCRS-Authorized Education Programs: Glaukos

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