conference at a glance

Paraoptometric Program Grid Detail


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Friday, November 14, 2008

12:00 - 4:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Open

3:00 - 3:50 PM
112 - An Overview of the ANSI Standards

Edward De Gennaro
ABO Basic
ANSI standards still have a great impact on the way eyeglasses and contact lens products are made and dispensed in the US. This seminar will survey the current ophthalmic ANSI standards discussing their development, content and affect on the industry. Emphasis will be placed on practical, retail-related examples and the changes made from the 1995 version.
Sponsored by VSP

3:00 - 4:50 PM
107 - Specialty Contact Lenses in Today’s Practice

Christine Sindt, OD, FAAO
NCLE Experienced
This course will discuss the application of contact lenses for the treatment of pediatric, aphakia, anindia, strabismus, and systemic disease with ocular manifestations. Case reports will be presented.

4:00 - 4:50 PM
113 - Triage in a Contact Lens Practice

Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
NCLE Experienced
Triage is a term used to describe the process of sorting the sick and wounded based on the seriousness of their condition and the urgency of care needed. The principles of triage can be applied to contact lens emergencies. Signs and symptoms of ocular emergencies, including problems that may mimic contact lens-related pathology, will be discussed. This course is valuable not only for contact lens technicians, but also for front desk personnel who handle telephone and walk-in emergencies.

5:00 - 5:50 PM
110 - Topography: From Basics to its Importance in Today’s Contact Lens Practice

Christine Sindt, OD, FAAO
NCLE Experienced
Participants will learn to select topography units/options best suited for their practice, how to appropriately document and bill for topography, and will learn about differential diagnosis and treatment options.

111 - Medical Coding and Reimbursement
Robert Rebello
AOA Approved Only
This seminar details how to properly code for medical exams. This includes differences between medical and vision plans, as well as how to bill properly for maximum reimbursement. This will be followed by course 207 for more detailed medical coding information.

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Saturday, November 15, 2008

6:45 - 7:45 AM
**COURSE CLOSED**
Food for Thought Breakfast Series
F4 - Targeting Patient Types: How to Determine the Correct Contact Lens for Different Patient Needs (OTHER)
Benjamin Chudner, OD, FAAO
AOA Approved Only
Specific contact lenses can be more relevant to particular patient presentations, and different contact lens advantages can be applicable to different patient types. Many manufacturers market their products using this model. In addition, there are a myriad of different patient types. Matching the correct lens design and material with the right patient type is explored in this presentation.
Sponsored by Bausch & Lomb

**COURSE CLOSED**
Food for Thought Breakfast Series
F5 - Addressing Patient Demands with Contact Lens Technology (OTHER)
Steve Klein, OD
AOA Approved Only
Our patients are also consumers, and as such they not only embrace technology, they demand it in every aspect of their lives. Why would we think they would expect anything less in regard to contact lenses? This presentation discusses the newer technological advancements in materials and designs of contact lenses and how utilizing these products will positively impact practice growth.
Sponsored by CooperVision

8:00 - 9:50 AM
216 - Understanding Free-Forms, Polarized and Photochromic Lenses

Edward De Gennaro
Pending ABO
There are three types of lens technologies that have stimulated a good deal of interest with eye care professionals in the last couple of years: free-form technology, polarized lenses and photochromic technology. This course will explore each of these technologies, provide an easy-to-understand explanation of how each works and how best to utilize it.

**COURSE CLOSED**
217 - Triage in an Eyecare Practice

Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
ABO & NCLE Experienced
This course will cover the role of opticians, contact lens technicians, and ophthalmic medical personnel in assisting or referring to the ophthalmologist in emergencies, including identification of emergencies, scheduling patients according to the principles of triage in urgent, priority, and routine categories, eliciting and recording the chief complaint and ocular history, and conducting an appropriate work-up.

10:00 - 11:50 AM
206 - Keratoconus: Diagnosis and Management

Julie Schornack, OD, MEd
AOA Approved Only
Clinical signs, symptoms and assessment techniques will be reviewed in this overview of keratoconus. An approach to contact lens management regarding fitting and problem solving will also be offered. Study results and current updates on contemporary research will also be presented.

207 - Coding and Medical Billing
Robert Rebello
AOA Approved Only
This seminar continues from the foundation covered in Course 111. This seminar covers proper coding techniques, specific case studies, as well as other non-billing requirements for proper medical coding.

218 - Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
ABO & NCLE Basic
This course will cover the structure and function of the various parts of the eye, with particular emphasis on those parts that are affected by contact lens wear. Areas covered include the lids and adnexa, the lacrimal apparatus, the sclera, the conjunctiva, the cornea, the canthi, the uveal tract, the lens, the vitreous, the retina, the optic nerve, the extraocular muscles, and the visual pathways.
Sponsored by Vistakon

12:00 - 4:00 PM
Exhibit Hall Open

3:00 - 3:50 PM
219 - Professional Image Making: A Reflection on You!

Edward De Gennaro
ABO Basic
Everything that a patient hears and sees concerning an optical office reflects on that office’s image. The right image can be very profitable. The wrong image can be disastrous! This seminar will discuss a variety of issues affecting how your patients perceive you and how to create the type of image that will benefit your office the most.

208 - Rigid Bifocal Contact Lens Fitting
Julie Schornack, OD, MEd
NCLE Experienced
This course reviews many common rigid bifocal contact lens designs. Strengths and limitations of specific designs are discussed. Additionally, case examples are used to illustrate fitting principles with various types of rigid bifocal contact lenses.

4:00 - 4:50 PM
220 - AIDS and the Eye

Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
ABO & NCLE Basic
By the end of 2005, over 40 million people worldwide will have been infected with AIDS/HIV, including 1.2 million North Americans who are currently living with the disease. This course will cover the etiology and transmission of the AIDS/HIV virus; its effects on the structures of the eye; Universal Precautions; OSHA standards; preventing the transmission of AIDS in an eye care practice; and preventing the transmission of AIDS among contact lens patients.

5:00 - 5:50 PM
221 - Understanding Optical Patient Expectation

Edward De Gennaro
ABO Basic
Are you interested in satisfying every patient that enters your office for services? If so, the most important thing you need to focus upon is the patient’s expectations. Knowing in advance what their expectations are gives you the insight you need to meet or exceed them… and that’s a formula for success. You don’t need to be clairvoyant or have a crystal ball; this seminar will show you how.

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

6:45 - 7:45 AM
**COURSE CLOSED**
Food for Thought Breakfast Series
F6 - Current Treatment and Management of Dry Eye and Dry AMD (TPA)
Jeffry Gerson, OD, FAAO
AOA Approved Only
For the front of the eye, this course considers the causes of tear film deficiencies in “everyday dry eye” and lid-wiper epitheliopathy and highlights topical emollient eye drop treatments. For the back of the eye, the role of ocular nutritionals in caring for AMD patients is discussed.
Sponsored by Bausch & Lomb

8:00 - 8:50 AM
308 - Art and the Eye: The World Through Blunted Sight

Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
ABO Basic
This course will look at ocular pathology, particularly that of the aging eye, through the eye of the artist. Defective vision can have a profound effect on our lives: our personalities, our interests, our careers, and the means by which we express ourselves in art and literature. This lecture will explore the vision defects of famous artists, spanning the centuries, from El Greco to Georgia O’Keeffe, and how their paintings and sculpture are a result of their visual impairments.
Sponsored by Vistakon

8:00 - 9:50 AM
300 - What’s the Solution?

Kelly Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, Dipl PH
There is confusion about contact lens solutions these days — which should be used for what kind of patient? If you question whether you should alter your solution recommendations, come to this lecture to hear the latest research and market trends.

9:00 - 9:50 AM
309 - Understanding and Recommending Absorptive Lenses

Edward De Gennaro
ABO Experienced
Spectacle lenses, whether clear or colored, control the wavelengths of light that pass through them. The wavelengths that the eye receives from a lens have a great effect on vision and visual comfort. This seminar will investigate both clear and colored lenses and their effect on what the wearer experiences with them. Also included will be polarized lenses, photochromic lenses, anti-reflective coating and ultraviolet coating.

10:00 - 10:50 AM
**COURSE CLOSED**
310 - Five Simple Techniques for Improving Sales

Edward De Gennaro
ABO Experienced
We all want to satisfy our patients and do the best job we can. We also want to have the best possible sales we can too. Here is a seminar that can improve patient satisfaction and your bottom line as well! Five easily utilized techniques will be presented that any dispensing office can incorporate.

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
311 - When a Contact Lens Wearer Needs Spectacles Phyllis Rakow, COMT, NCLE-AC, FCLSA(H)
NCLE Basic
In our society, it is the rare contact lens wearer who can throw away his glasses and rely solely on contact lenses for correction. This course will describe the options available for contact lens wearers who require help with near vision, astigmatic or prismatic correction. It will discuss the procedures involved in refracting patients who desire glasses for part-time wear but have spectacle blur after removing their contacts; differences in image size between spectacle and contact lens correction; sunglass options for the contact lens wearer; and glasses and contact lenses in an industrial environment.

11:00 AM - 12:50 PM
312 - What’s the Latest in Lens Technology? Edward De Gennaro
ABO Basic
With the introduction of new lens materials, designs and coatings coming into the market so rapidly, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with the latest products. This seminar discusses the latest in lens materials, designs and coatings with an emphasis on their features, benefits and how to best utilize them. It also will provide an insight into products that may be in the pipeline, but not yet introduced into the marketplace.
Sponsored by VSP

12:00 PM - 12:50 PM
306 - Rigid Toric Contact Lenses Made Easy Julie Schornack, OD, MEd
NCLE Experienced
Indications and design features of various rigid toric contact lenses are discussed. Case examples of spherical power effect (SPE) bitoric contact lenses and cylindrical power effect (CPE) bitoric contact lenses are reviewed to highlight design concepts.




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