On the home front, I am very pleased to announce that we have hired Barbara Bruce as our new executive director. She has been a wonderful person to work with so far and as you get a chance to meet and speak with her, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. I am also Editors, Communications Division IN THIS ISSUE: S eeing is B elieving. . . get a clearer view by visiting our website at www.optomestrists.ab.ca . . . Best regards, Dr. Dan Lowe Member Services Events Coordinator Tanya Lambden, OD
AAO 2007 / ISSUE IV AAO NEWS Editors, Communications Division Tanya Lambden, OD Member Services Events Coordinator Stacey Dominiuk,AAO Executive Director Barbara Bruce,AAO Production Pioneer Press Ltd. Editorial Office: Alberta Association of Optometrists #100, 8407 Argyll Road, Edmonton, AB T6C 4B2 Telephone: (780) 451-6824 Fax: (780) 452-9918 Email: alberta.association@ optometrists.ab.ca Web: www.optometrists.ab.ca AAO News is published by the Alberta Association of Optometrists. All rights reserved. AAO members may use any or all published material in their own publications if source is listed. IN THIS ISSUE: President’s Message............................1 2007 - 2008 Council ..........................2 Welcome,Welcome ..........................2 Membership Has It’s Privilege ........3 WeWelcome Barbara Bruce as the New AAO Executive Director ....4 Nominations Pave way to Election 2008! ................................4 AAO/ACO Open House and Holiday Season Reception............7 Alberta Health and Wellness – Billing and Negotiations ............5 Dr. Jim Asuchak Joins Council..........9 CPR Requirements for Canadian Certified Optometric Assistants (CCOA)..........................................10 Eye Health Month Recap................10 Volunteer Thanks..............................10 AAO Membership Benefits ............11 resident’s P essage M t’s hard to believe that 2007 has already gone by. Every year seems to pass by more quickly than the last. In October I attended the Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists AGM in Regina. The SAO held a Rider party one evening and I’m happy to report that Optometry and Rider Pride are both in excellent shape in Saskatchewan. On the home front, I am very pleased to announce that we have hired Barbara Bruce as our new executive director. She has been a wonderful person to work with so far and as you get a chance to meet and speak with her,I’m sure you’ll agree with me. I am also pleased to announce that Peggy Sloan will continue work- ing part-time for our Association as our government relations con- sultant. Several MLAs will not be seeking re- election so there will be many new politicians who will need to be educated about optome- try. I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and a healthy and happy 2008. Best regards, Dr. Dan Lowe S eeing is B elieving. . . get a clearer view by visiting our website at www.optomestrists.ab.ca . . . I Eye See…Eye Learn Presentations to teachers for the last of the Alberta public and catholic school districts concluded in November. This fulfills our man- date with Alberta Children’s Services and puts the program on auto pilot within these dis- tricts. What this means is that the funding for offering the program is used. The AAO will now be presenting a proposal to the Community Policy Committee on Health and Community Living which will ask for ongoing funding to maintain the current program by providing parent packages each fall to all dis- tricts (approximately $50,000); and options for growing this program to reach new parents before their child enters the school system. In addition, we have had numerous requests from school principals and teachers, asking for ‘awareness information’ they could disseminate to the students through the elementary grades – and this is something the AAO will be look- ing at in the new year. Huge cudos are in order for Karen Hollingsworth who has found/made the time to fulfill our mandate with the school districts, while assuming full time responsibilities within our OVC team. Karen is our Assistant Director, Client Services – which means she is Brian’s right hand…..and the contact person for all client company related processes and issues. Karen embraced the Eye See…Eye Learn pro- gram, understanding the importance of early eye health exams for children from her exten- sive experience managing the optical side of an OD practice. The AAO is fortunate to have someone with Karen’s expertise and unmatched energy! MarkYour Calendars... The 2008 AAO Annual General Meeting, Continuing Education Conference and Optifair will be held in EDMONTON at the Fantasyland Hotel, October 2nd through 4th.
Transcript
AAO 2007 / ISSUE IV
AAO NEWS
Editors,Communications DivisionTanya Lambden, OD
Member ServicesEvents CoordinatorStacey Dominiuk,AAO
AAO News is published bythe Alberta Association ofOptometrists. All rights reserved.AAO members may use any or allpublished material in their ownpublications if source is listed.
t’s hard to believe that 2007 hasalready gone by. Every year seems to pass bymore quickly than the last. In October Iattended the Saskatchewan Association ofOptometrists AGM in Regina. The SAO helda Rider party one evening and I’m happy toreport that Optometry and Rider Pride areboth in excellent shape in Saskatchewan.
On the home front, I am very pleased toannounce that we have hired Barbara Bruceas our new executive director. She has beena wonderful person to work with so far andas you get a chance to meet and speak withher, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. I am also
pleased toannounce thatPeggy Sloan willcontinue work-ing part-timefor ourAssociation as our government relations con-sultant. Several MLAs will not be seeking re-election so there will be many new politicianswho will need to be educated about optome-try. I wish everyone a joyous holiday seasonand a healthy and happy 2008.
Best regards,Dr. Dan Lowe
Seeing is Believing. . . get a clearer view by visiting our website at www.optomestrists.ab.ca . . .
I
Eye See…Eye LearnPresentations to teachers for the last of theAlberta public and catholic school districtsconcluded in November. This fulfills our man-date with Alberta Children’s Services and putsthe program on auto pilot within these dis-tricts. What this means is that the funding foroffering the program is used. The AAO willnow be presenting a proposal to theCommunity Policy Committee on Health andCommunity Living which will ask for ongoingfunding to maintain the current program byproviding parent packages each fall to all dis-tricts (approximately $50,000); and options forgrowing this program to reach new parentsbefore their child enters the school system.In addition, we have had numerous requestsfrom school principals and teachers, asking for‘awareness information’ they could disseminate
to the students through the elementary grades– and this is something the AAO will be look-ing at in the new year.
Huge cudos are in order for KarenHollingsworth who has found/made the timeto fulfill our mandate with the school districts,while assuming full time responsibilities withinour OVC team. Karen is our Assistant Director,Client Services – which means she is Brian’sright hand…..and the contact person for allclient company related processes and issues.Karen embraced the Eye See…Eye Learn pro-gram, understanding the importance of earlyeye health exams for children from her exten-sive experience managing the optical side of anOD practice. The AAO is fortunate to havesomeone with Karen’s expertise andunmatched energy!
MarkYour Calendars...The 2008 AAOAnnual General Meeting, Continuing EducationConference and Optifair will be held in EDMONTON at the
Fantasyland Hotel, October 2nd through 4th.
2 AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
Welcome,Welcome!!The Alberta Association of Optometristswould like to welcome the following newmembers to our Association:
Dr. Julie Dien
Dr. Daryl Berger
Dr. Dayna Jones
Dr. Julie Lee-Ying
Dr. Shikha Garg
Dr. Shane Groeneweg
Dr. Anne-Michele Larocque
Dr. Celina Shih
Dr. Doug Stefanyk
Dr. Shmyla Chaudhery
Dr.Alina Gupta
Dr. Karen Feng
Dr.Tapasya Ranjan
Dr. Lara Draper
Dr. JulieTheng
Alberta Association of Optometrists2007 - 2008 Council
Dr. Dan Lowe, President, Inter-professional Relations
Dr. Steve Larsen, Past President, Leadership & Awards
Dr. Neepun Sharma, President Elect, Planning Session
Dr. Jason Pearce, Secretary/Treasurer, Director, Executive & Administration
Dr.Allan Jones, CAO Councilor
Dr. FemidaVisnani, Director, Member Benefits
Dr. JimAsuchak, Director, Conference & Special Projects
Dr.Tanya Lambden, Director, Communications & Public Relations
Dr.Aaron Patel, Director, Government Relations/Insured Services
3AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
Membership Has It’s PrivilegeYour 2008 professional dues to maintain membership with the AAO, are due January 1,2008. Notices, along with an invoice and a copy of your current registration information,went out to the membership in November. Returns have been brisk – and we thankyou for giving this your early attention.For those who have not joined for 2008, or may be contemplating foregoing your mem-bership…..please consider the following in your decision making process. There arenumerous benefits to membership, not the least of which is the demonstration of sup-port for your chosen profession. The AAO continually looks for ways to add value forits members – and Dr. Femida Visnani is your Director of Member Benefits. Dr.Visnaniwelcomes your comments and suggestions – so if you have an idea which would be ofinterest and benefit to all or the majority of AAO members, please share these with her.Some key benefits for Members Only include:� Membership in the CAO. Only members of a provincial association can enjoy thebenefits of membership with the national association.
� Name and clinic included on website(s) for Find an Optometrist NearYou (bothprovincially and nationally)
� Access to AAO Manual, which includes direction and updates for billing for yourservices in Alberta
� Personal assistance resolving all your billing needs� Inclusion in the Optometric Desk Reference – a national publication� Eligibility for professional liability insurance through the group program withCooks McCallum
� Participation in all negotiated government grants, i.e. Professional Liability InsurancePremium Rebate program
� Billing Number with Health Canada� Eligibility to participate in the AAO Occupational Vision Care Programs� Eligibility to participate in the AAO Eye See…Eye Learn program� Access to CAO and AAO promotional materialsThese are but a few of the benefits you enjoy with membership in the AAO. Get your2008 dues and updated registrations into the office before January 1st and avoid anylate penalties.For more details, please see page 11.
Welcome to Jackson AndrewLaansoo who was born onSeptember 27th weighing inat 7lbs and 3 oz.Congratulations toDr. Kim Bugera andDr. Peter Laansoo!
Nathan Chen was born onOctober 6th weighing in at6lbs and 15 oz. His oldersister Jaelyn is very excitedand happy for the newaddition. Congratulations toDr. Mira Chen and herhusband!
Dr. Neepun Sharma andhis wife Manisha, welcometheir first child, EshaanNaresh Sharma born onNovember 12th weighing7.1 lbs. Congratulations tothe Sharma Family!
RecentArrivals
4 AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
5AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
On November 13th Barbara Bruce joined the AAO team, takingthe reins from Peggy Sloan who is making a transition at the endof the year to the position of Government Relations consultant.Barbara comes to us from AlbertaFirst.com where she served in
the position of ExecutiveDirector for the not-for-profiteconomic development organi-zation. At AlbertaFirst.com shewas responsible for overalloperations, including govern-ment relations, financial manage-ment, strategic planning, boarddevelopment, member relations,and coordination of website anddatabase development projects.
Barbara’s knowledge of associa-tion management grew overtime from working in a varietyof not-for-profit organizations in
fields as diverse as children’s health care, education, arts and cul-
ture, as well as municipal government and economic develop-ment. A strong believer in continuous improvement, Barbara isin the midst of a series of courses offered by the CanadianSociety of Association Executives towards her accreditation as aCertified Association Executive.
About this new position she says:“I am really excited to havethe opportunity to take on this new challenge. I obviously havesome big shoes to fill, but I know there’s a great team in placeto help me learn about the field of optometry and the needs ofthe AAO membership. I’m keen to dive into all of it and do mybest to bring value to the association and its members.”
In her leisure time, Barbara enjoys the outdoors, and spendsmany hours happily puttering in her garden or out hiking orclimbing in the mountains. Music has always been a big part ofher life as well, and most Tuesday evenings she can be foundsinging with the Alberta Heartland Chorus, a lively, women’s bar-bershop harmony group. She lives 20 minutes west of Edmontonon a small acreage that she shares with her husband Michael andtwo rambunctious hound dogs.
The Capri Centre in Red DeerAlberta, has secured a BusinessTraveler Rate for all members ofthe Alberta Association ofOptometrists!
The following rates have beenagreed upon (subject to availability)for all members of the AAO uponchecking in. Simply present yourAAO Membership card at check in!
Standard Rooms - $90/per nightSuperior Rooms - $130/per night
More great benefits to being anAAO Member!!
Deals, Dealsand More Deals
WeWelcome Barbara Bruce as theNewAAO Executive Director
6 AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
Alberta Expands Eye-care Coverage
Nominations Pave way to Election 2008!
Alberta will now pay for patients’ visits to the optometrist’soffice for everything from pink eye to diabetes checks – but notfor routine visits.
The province announced Friday it will cover medically necessaryoptometrist visits for people who are 19 to 64 years old. It wasalready covering those visits for children and seniors, but thisextends the coverage to all age groups.
The new coverage took effect October 1 and means anyoneneeding treatment for an eye problem can walk into anyoptometrist’s office instead of the emergency room.
The move is intended to reduce emergency room waiting timesbecause patients will be sent directly to the doctors most suitedto treat them, Health andWellness Minister Dave Hancock saidFriday in Calgary.
“It makes so much more sense to stay with your optometristfor services the optometrist is well-qualified to deliver, ratherthan access emergency (rooms) or go to an ophthalmologist,”he said.
The coverage includes visits for diabetes, hypertension, cataracts,glaucoma and retinal disease. It also takes care of people whoneed a foreign object removed from their eye.
Optometrists have been cleared to treat those ailments since1995, but Alberta only recently reached a deal with the AlbertaAssociation of Optometrist to have the government pay for thetreatment instead of the patient.
Neither Hancock nor Alberta Health could provide estimateson how much more the move would cost.
Peggy Sloan, the association’s executive director, said otherprovinces had already brought in similar coverage, but Alberta’sis the most comprehensive in Canada.
Friday’s announcement doesn’t change the way routine visits arecovered. Patients must still pay for themselves or through otherinsurance.
By Peggy SloanNearly all of the 83 Alberta constituencies have completed theirPC Nominations. While the Liberal and ND’s are lagging behind,all indications point to an election this spring (most likely inMarch 2008). Government relations is an important focus ofyour Association – and in order for the program to continue tobe successful — we need your involvement. There are manynew faces who will be seeking election this round. When youconsider the new faces in addition to the 17 new MLAs whocame on board during the last election…..there are numerouscandidates who know very little about your profession or yourissues. Through our GR program, we have developed a matchingprogram, and a process for meeting with and educating ourpolitical masters. This cannot be accomplished by your council,your executive director, or an outside consultant — alone! Itrequires the involvement of optometrists throughout theprovince. The amount of time you can dedicate to the processwill vary — and it need not be great. Watch for the schedule ofregional meetings, to be held in February, which will focus oninvolving optometry in the upcoming election process. Early inthe NewYear, a survey will be sent to all members which willinclude information to help us:
a) Measure the level of support and involvement the member-ship is willing to provide; and
b) Identify doctors willing to be or continue to be ‘matched’with the local MLA
Included with this newsletter will be a list of nominated candi-dates; an indication of whether they are re-nominated or new;and identification of constituencies where we need more ODinvolvement.
Your continued interest and participation in the GR program iscritical for optometry in Alberta. Groups who wait for a crisisbefore they become mobilized, or who only work “with” gov-ernment when they want/need something…..seldom succeed.The AAO has a reputation for having one of the most successfulGR programs, and with your help….this will continue.
List of insured optometry services grows By Joel Kom CALGARY HERALD
Medically necessary optometrist visits for people age 19 to64 are now covered by the Alberta government.
Dr. Norman Stuart Boyle ofTaber,AB has passedaway at the age of 89 years. He passed away inLethbridge surrounded by his family on November13, 2007. He was a member of the AlbertaAssociation of Optometrists for 28 years and he wasa Lifetime Member.The AAO has made a donation toCOETF in memory of Dr. Boyle.
In Memory
7AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
More than 40 guests visited the new home of the Association and College on Thursday November 15th kicking off the festive sea-son for 2007. Representatives from Alberta Health andWellness, other Colleges and Associations, along with many of our businesspartners enjoyed an array of delicious food, refreshments served by Brian Furman in a festive atmosphere decorated by StaceyDominiuk. A few member OD’s dropped by to see the ‘new digs’ and members of both councils were in attendance. This annualevent gave many of our suppliers and partners the opportunity to meet our new Executive Director, Barbara Bruce….who servedas the ‘welcome’ and ‘thank you for coming’ committee. Several ophthalmologists dropped by as well – presenting opportunities todiscuss how our two professions might work more closely together. The staff of both the AAO and ACO helped to organize andorchestrate this function.
AAO/ACO Open House andHoliday Season Reception
L - R: Carl Shields, Gayle Stevens - Guille,Al Gibb, Rick Carter
L - R: Bonnie Sniedze, Brenda Pisko
L - R: Dr. Dan Lowe, Dr. Stanley Chan
L - R: Stephania Duffee, Barbara Bruce,Peggy Sloan
L - R: Karen Hollingsworth, Charles Couch,GailWald
L - R: Maureen Hussey, Scott Smith
8 AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
Alberta Health andWellness– Billing and NegotiationsBy Peggy Sloan
Many changes to several patient populations happened simulta-neously this fall. Most were predicated on the new contractnegotiated with Alberta Health andWellness – as other govern-ment departments normally mirror fee increases set by AH&W.Members and staff have been keeping us busy with questions —-and we welcome this activity. To some degree, we are all learn-ing, when it relates to the new coverage for the 19 – 64 agegroup. Timing was an issue for the implementation of this pro-gram- and all of the billing bugs had not been worked out forthe October 1 start up. We continue to work closely withAlberta Health andWellness to iron out the wrinkles andensure the governing rules are supportive of the ‘intent’ of thediscussions during negotiations. As new situations are presentedand resolved, the AAO will keep members updated via the web-site, bulletins, and this newsletter. Accessing the website atwww.optometrists.ab.ca is your quickest reference!
Earlier this month, the AAO Negotiating Team sat down againwith the representatives from Alberta Health andWellness tostart the process all over again.Why? The current contracttook a long time to negotiate because of the unstable politicalenvironment Alberta experienced for nearly two years, whilePremier Klein stepped down and a new leader, PremierStelmach, was chosen. Therefore the contract the membersapproved in August of 2007 actually expires in March 2008.This is why so many of the negotiated increases were retroac-tive – the previous contract expired in March 2006.
The goal of this upcoming round is two fold:
1. To rewrite the Master Agreement. The current Agreement,signed in 1987, still refers to the Optometry ProfessionsAct, which was repealed some years ago when optometrymoved under the Health Professions Act. This means arevisiting of the founding principles which will guide futurenegotiations, and includes discussion on such issues asArbitration…..Co-pay abilities…..opting out clauses…etc.
2. To negotiate a new contract which would be for 3 years,taking us to March 31, 2011. These talks will include discus-sions around harmonizing the programs, now separate anddistinct, for children/seniors and the 19 – 64 adult group.We will be negotiating fee increases and working togetherto better clarify what is insured and what is uninsured.
Council appointed the members to the AAO Negotiating Teamat its December meeting, and they include Dr. Larry Gies, Dr.Steve Larsen, Dr.Aaron Patel, Dr.Alan Ulsifer, Mrs.Peggy Sloan and Ms. Barbara Bruce. On the Alberta HealthandWellness side of the table will sit Mr. Bruce Jones and Mr.Paul Victor – for starters. These two gentlemen, particularlyBruce Jones, have been involved in negotiations with theAssociation for approximately 5 years. Over this time we havehad the opportunity to educate Bruce about optometry, famil-iarize him with what you do, what you are qualified to do, how
and where you are educated, and most importantly the role youshould play in eye health care delivery. While we don’t necessar-ily always agree on everything during the process – at least weknow there is a greater degree of understanding and respectacross the table.
We welcome the opportunity to enter into this process again,and hope to be able to have something for the members tovote on sometime in February 2008. That is our goal!
Billing Update
Here are a couple of hints to help you in your billing challenges:
� Use 4.1 and 4.2 of the General Rules Governing Optometrydocument when deciding on your diagnostic code and needfor text. All diagnostic codes listed under 4.1 require textwhen billing a 901 through 904 within 90 days of the ini-tial visit (B900).
� The diagnostic codes under 4.2 do NOT require text
� One of the “government wishes” is for all providers towork together for the betterment of the patient.Therefore, for both 4.1 and 4.2 codes — when you are co-managing the patient — there are unlimited visits as long asthe PRAC ID (practitioner identification) for the OMD islisted.
� The B900 codes are your Billing Codes; the codes underrule 4.1 and 4.2 are your diagnostic codes. Using thediagnostic codes help your Association and Alberta HealthandWellness to identify why the public seeks eye care froman optometrist. Diagnostic codes are mandatory for allthe new codes, except B900. However, it is advisable touse a diagnostic code for the first visit as well.
Most unusual question…..goes to Dr. Gerry Leinweber, whois providing follow up care for a patient who went to Manitobafor her eye surgery. Dr. L wasn’t sure how, within this new con-tract, he could bill for the number of visits this patient requires,because the Manitoba physician does not have an Alberta PracID number. Here is the answer we received from AlbertaHealth andWellness:
Answer: The process for the Alberta Optometrist: Send claimto AH&W through regular channels. Complete the Person Datasegment or submit text with the name and address of theManitoba ophthalmologist.The claim will be presented to a staffmember who would then create a PracID for the Manitoba oph-thalmologist, insert the PracID on the claim and process same.
Rejected Claims: Included with the documents from AlbertaHealth andWellness are Explanation Codes. When you have aclaim rejected, there should also be an explanation code. While
9AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
Dr. JimAsuchakJoins Council
Contined from Page 8
there were some “system problems” in the beginning; mosthave been resolved — and we are now finding that most reject-ed claims stem from:
� Lack of text
� Absence of diagnostic code
� Absence of Prac ID
� Inaccuracy of Prac ID
� Confusing the billing for 19 – 64 with the billing proce-dures for children and seniors. These are separate and dis-tinct programs right now — and the TPAC and TPAFBcodes used for children and seniors, are NOT applicable tothe 19 – 64 age group.
We encourage you to check the explanation code and reviewthe claim to ensure it was submitted accurately. If everything isright from your end….then call me (Peggy Sloan) and we willhelp to resolve the situation.
Diabetic Care continues to be the greyest area of the new con-tract. Discussions are already planned for the upcoming round,to try and clarify more definitively, how doctors should bebilling for this patient population. Government understandsthat for many people, their diabetes is stable, and the reasonthey are seeing you is for their routine eye exam. They alsowant this program to encourage people with diabetes to havetheir eye health ‘monitored’ more regularly as a preventativemeasure. We hope to be able to provide clearer direction afterthis round of talks.
AISH/SFI/WIDOWS/HEALTH CANADA programs were alsoaffected by this new contract. Because Alberta Health andWellness were unwilling, up until this round, to discuss fundingfor the 19 – 64 age group, the other provincial and federaldepartments had stepped up and expanded their insured serv-ices over the past few years. The other departments, whetherprovincial or federal, are “insurers of last resort” – in otherwords…..they try to provide coverage to their clients for serv-ices which are uninsured by Alberta Health andWellness.Therefore two things happened as a result of the decision byAH&W:
1. The fee for the eye examination was increased by theother funders, to mirror the seniors fee provided byAH&W ($52.75); and
2. The need for the supplementary coverage (diabetic andglaucoma care) is no longer applicable.
Therefore when you are treating First Nations, widows, thoseon AISH, SFI, etc – you should be billing Alberta Health andWellness, under the new program, for their medically necessaryeye care. We have been assured these patient groups shouldhave AHCIP numbers. Let us know if you have problems billingAlberta Health andWellness for these patient groups.
Thank you to every member and your staff for your patiencethroughout the implementation of this new program. I wishyou and yours a very safe and happy holiday season…..and aprosperous and healthy 2008!
Dr.Asuchak was acclaimed as a mem-ber of AAO Council at the OctoberAGM, and has agreed to assumeresponsibilities as Director ofConferences and Special Events.Providing quality CE for our membersis an important goal of the Association,and Dr.Asuchak will bring a renewedenthusiasm and energy to this portfo-lio. Right off the mark, Jim is workingwith the BCAO to work out details fora joint AAO/BCAO conference in Banff
in 2010. The BCAO was unable to find a suitable venue in BCbecause of the Olympics, and the AAO welcomed the opportunityto work with our colleagues on the other side of the mountain toplan a first class event bringing members of both organizationstogether. We asked Jim to share a little of his background with you,and he writes….
I grew up on a farm in Fort Macleod.After attending University ofLethbridge, I went toWaterloo. I graduated in 1999, knowing I definitelywanted to return to Alberta to practice.With TPA’s and a progressive out-look, it was an easy decision. I have been in solo practice for seven yearsnow, recently moving my office and expanding my space.
I met my wife Sandra inWaterloo, and have been married for four yearsnow. Our home has changed significantly lately with the addition of ourseven month son,Tyler. He has an endless supply of energy and providesan equal amount of enjoyment.
I felt joining Council would be a great way to get involved in shaping thefuture of our profession. I look forward to serving the members of a pro-fession that has provided me with so much opportunity.
Welcome Jim…..we look forward to having you around for manyyears to come!
As some of you are likely aware, this past October brought newownership of our most utilized safety frame line, On-Guard. Wehave enjoyed a long standing relationship with the company andexpect that partnership to continue in the future.
However, as I’m sure you can understand, the turnover of a compa-ny this size to it’s new owners, Hilco, is a huge undertaking.Implementation of a variety of existing contracts across NorthAmerica as well as shipping and supply demands bring many chal-lenges. We are currently working very closely with them to helpthem better understand how our business works and I would liketo request and thank you all for your cooperation and patience dur-ing this time.
For those of you that do a large amount of safety business, I wouldbe remiss if I didn’t take this time to remind you that for urgent,quicker turnaround jobs we do have other safety frames lines avail-able for you to augment your selection and utilize, such as Titmusand Tek. For information regarding fitting kits for these suppliers,please contact me directly at the AAO’s office: Brian Furman,1-800-272-8843.
On-GuardSafety Frames
10 AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
CPR Requirements for CanadianCertified Optometric Assistants (CCOA)As of December 31, 2009, every CCOA must submit proof of attendance at a valid CPR course (Canadian Red Cross, St. JohnAmbulance, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, etc.) during every three year renewal period.The course must include a practi-cal, hands-on component, in other words, online CPR courses are not sufficient.The length of the course (in hours) must be includ-ed in the documentation and is counted towards the total of 18 hours for the renewal period. If the certificate of completion doesnot include the length of the course, a letter by the employing OD on practice stationary will suffice.If you have any further questions abut continuing education for CCOA’s, please contact Terry Theiss at the Canadian Association ofOptometrists at [email protected].
ByTanya LambdenWith the help of Fleishman-Hillard (FH), one of Canada’s largest public relations firm, eye health month 2007 was the most success-ful ever. One of the components of this years initiative was to do media training and media outreach leading up to October.As well,FH developed a survey that examined awareness among Canadians of serious eye disease and the role of optometrist in preventa-tive eye care.The results of this survey and the impact of strong, optometry positive, patient stories captured the interest of nation-al and local media to broaden this years outreach.According to FH, this years eye health month campaign reached over 33 millionCanadians. Some of the top media involved were CTV, CBC, Readers Digest,Today’s Parent, Flare, Chatelaine, Breakfast TV, Shaw, theHerald and many more.
This year’s Eye DareYou contest was won by BC for the second year in a row. I am looking forward to an even more successful EyeHealth Month next year and perhaps a chance for Alberta to regain the title of the Eye DareYou challenge winner.
ByTanya LambdenThroughout the year there are many events thatcome up where various groups request anoptometrist presence. Big or small, each of theevents is an opportunity to increase public aware-ness and improve public opinion of optometry’s veryimportant role in eye care.AAO attempts to attendas many of these events as possible, but there seemto be more events coming up every month.AAO isalways looking for volunteers that are willing to giveeven an hour of their time for various causes.
In a recent national survey,Albertans were the mostlikely Canadians to say they “don’t have time” foreye appointments and I think we can all identify withthat statement. Over the past few months, therehave been several optometrists that managed to finda few hours to help out and AAO is very grateful fortheir time. Dr. Sarah Cooper, Dr.Andrea Saetre, andDr. Lori Jaffray helped out with kindergarten classvisits, Dr. Jill Bridges opened her office to CBC for amedia visit, Dr. Carolyn Fyffe appeared on BreakfastTV and did a fantastic job, Dr.Aaron Patel helpedout with Diabetes Compass and finally OptosCanada donated man hours and their imaging equip-ment for Breakfast TV and a very successfulDiabetes Fair in Calgary.
Thank you again for all your help and please let meknow if I left anyone out.
Eye Health Month Recap
VolunteerThanks!
11AAO News / 2007 / Issue IV
The Alberta Association of Optometrists(AAO) is your Professional Association.Weoffer a wide range of services to members,and want to make sure these services areuseful and of value to you.Your Director ofMembers Benefits is Dr. Femida Visnani. Ourgoal is to serve you and meet yourneeds…..so we must know what thoseneeds are. Please feel free to call theAssociation office for ANYTHING related toyour practice….if we don’t know the answer,we will try and direct you to the appropriatesource.
YourAAO Membership includes:AVoice in Legislative Affairs: The AAO isthe designated body representingoptometry and meets with the provincial gov-ernment on your behalf for a variety of rea-sons. The AAO is your voice when we meetwith Alberta Health andWelfare to negotiatefees, and discuss optometric billing codes andprocedures.The AAO continues to fight onyour behalf for ‘adequate’ funding for cover-age of clinical conditions.We monitor provin-cial legislation, attend workshops, and ensurethat optometry’s needs and concerns areconsidered by government.The AAO orches-trates a Political Action Plan which involvesmembers in the process and ensures our visi-bility at Premiers Dinners, MLA Banquets,Political Fund Raisers, Conferences etc.
Recommended Schedule of ProfessionalFees:The AAO prepares a comprehensiveguide recommending fees for all services per-formed for optometric patients, which ismade available to you and third party visioncare administrators.
Public Information Materials andAids:Information pamphlets, brochures, posters,tear sheets and stickers are produced by theAAO and made available to members. Someof this promotional material is made availablefor purchase, and some is distributed free ofcharge.AAO members have access to twodisplay booths, which can be used at tradeand career fairs. Provincial ad and mediacampaigns are orchestrated through theAssociation office to promote optometryand raise awareness throughout the province.Non-members cannot purchase AAOproducts.
Professional Communication:AAO mem-bers receive a bi-monthly newsletter contain-ing updates and pertinent information. In addi-tion, the Association produces the Optomart,which is a classified ad publication, free toAAO members.The AAO staff are trained toanswer member inquiries and provide sup-port to individual members and/or regionalsocieties. Both can be viewed online atwww.optomtetrists.ab.ca
Group Plans offering special rates, andnegotiated by the AAO include disability andlife insurance, credit card rates,AlbertaMobility, courier services, Quikcard,Telephone-On-Hold Messaging, and ournewest addition “Maxopia.” Maxopia offersexcellent discounts to AAO members foroffice supplies and equipment.AAO membersdon’t pay a sign up fee! The Association isconstantly on the lookout for group benefitplans which would be of interest to the mem-bership.
Regional Meetings andWorkshops areorganized and facilitated by the Associationannually.These offer continuing educationcredits and social interaction with fellow AAOmembers, and provide a forum for informa-tion exchange between the elected Counciland the field practitioner.
AAOAnnual General Meeting,Continuing Education Conference andOptifair are organized each year and AAOmembers attend at a much reduced rate. OurOptifair is one of the most successful inCanada, attracting large numbers of suppliersand doctors.
AAOVision Care Programs are availableto members only. Our industrial safetyeyewear program is the flag ship for Canada,and provides substantial non dues revenues.Participating doctors’ names are circulated toclient companies, thus increasing theirvisibility within their practicing community.
Member Manuals are provided by the AAOto be used as a reference tool.They containinformation on provincial and federal thirdparty programs, members benefits, copies ofour bylaws, plus the current recommendedfee schedule.
New Benefit: Power Point Presentations –covering subjects such as Glaucoma, Diabetes,Children’s Vision, etc. available online tomembers only!
Membership with the CanadianAssociation of Optometrists is only opento members of the provincial association.The CAO represents the national interests ofoptometrists in Canada, and works on yourbehalf with government, industry, vision carepatients, the public and other health profes-sionals. A significant benefit providedby the CAO has been the effective publicawareness campaign, administered by NPEC.In addition CAO supplies your annualOptometrist’s Desk Reference.The lastsection of the ODR is an excellent policyreference and should be kept within easyreach in every optometric office!
BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP INAAO(Non Members cannot purchase AAO products or services)
