2025 Annual Meeting - Technician & Nurse Program
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Hilton Columbus at Easton
HERE
AGENDA
For each time period/session, choose ONE Lecture (L) or Workshop (W)
8:00 am • SESSION 1
L1: MIGS Updates
Ang Li, MD
This lecture will help improve understanding of when to consider surgical glaucoma treatment and provide an overview of the types of available glaucoma surgery options.
L2: Difficult Cataract Outcomes (Pre/Post-Operative Testing)
Jack Shao, MD
This lecture will help educate clinical staff on challenging cataract scenarios and provide pearls on management.
W1: Ocular Motility & Alignment (same as W3)
Andrew Pedrotti, COA
This course teaches technicians how to capture measurements and testing required to aid physicians in the diagnosis of diplopia and ocular alignment disorders. Demonstration of ocular motility and alignment testing will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The class will be divided based on experience level (Beginner and Intermediate levels)
W2: OCT and Fundus Photography (Heidelberg & Zeiss OCT and Clarus & Optos FP) (same as W4)
Cory Sutphin, CRA, OCT-C, COA; Melissa Zarate, COA
A demonstration of the Zeiss Cirrus HDOCT and the Heidelberg Spectralis OCT, as well as, Clarus and Optos Fundus photography will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The OCT and Fundus Photography workshop will cover how to capture retina, macula, and optic nerve imaging. Review of best practices and common trouble shooting tips will also be shared.
9:05 am • SESSION 2
L3: Did You Bring Your Crystal Ball?
Amy Kopp-Miller, MD
This course will help facilitate a smooth clinic flow and maximize patient care and doctor happiness. By attending this session, you should be able to identify tests/images that may be needed for correct diagnosis and formulate a problem checklist for different visual complaints.
L4: Let there be light! Slit Lamp (a variety of findings, with various illumination techniques)
Swarupa Kancherla, MD
This course will review interesting corneal conditions that may not be readily observed by the naked eye. We will review simple slit lamp techniques that can help identify them.
W3: Ocular Motility & Alignment (repeat of W1, see above)
Beth Colon, Rachel Maglionico
W4: OCT and Fundus Photography (Heidelberg & Zeiss OCT and Clarus & Optos FP) (repeat of W2, see above)
Cory Sutphin, CRA, OCT-C, COA; Melissa Zarate, COA
10:05 am • BREAK / EXHIBITS • See exhibitor list, coming soon >
10:25 am • SESSION 3
L5: Neuro: VF changes, Pupils, Ptosis
James Johnston, MD
This lecture will review various components of the neuro-ophthalmological examination and the clinical application of the exam will be explored.
L6: Lessons Learned from Glaucoma Claims
Michelle Pineda, MBA
Proper safety protocols and documentation help to ensure patient safety.
W5: A-Scan Ultrasound Workshop (same as W16)
Joan Wilson, COMT
The A-Scan Ultrasound Workshop is an interactive educational experience designed for eye care professionals seeking to enhance their understanding and practical skills in performing and interpreting A-Scan ultrasound examinations of the eye. This hands-on workshop will provide participants with the knowledge necessary to utilize ultrasound technology effectively in clinical practice for diagnostic evaluation and management of various ocular conditions.
W6: Slit Lamp Techniques/Angles Assessment (same as W8)
Nicole Smith, COT, CTC; Amanda Middleton, COA
NOTE: Prerequisite of Slit Lamp Lecture 4 at 9:05am required.
A demonstration of the slit lamp exam techniques and how to assess angles will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The slit lamp workshop will cover how to adjust the oculars, lighting, focus, and magnification. Review of best practices and common trouble shooting tips will also be shared.
11:30 am • SESSION 4
L7: Practice Management Panel
Latrice Jones-Bey, COT, MBA; Brooke Flint, COA; and Veronica Plessinger, BA, COMT
The practice management panel should provide clinical supervisors, managers, and administrators the resources and tools to effectively manage their teams as well as provide options for dealing with tech shortages, turnover and generational gaps that could create dysfunction among the team.
L8: Ophthalmic Shortcuts: A Fine Line between Efficient and Lazy
Amy Jost, COMT
The instructor will discuss various good and bad shortcuts during ophthalmic exam workups. Examples will be provided that show how sometimes while attempting to be more efficient, the technician may create scenarios with missing, outdated, or inaccurate documentation.
W7: Optical Biometry Workshop (same as W9)
Joan Wilson, COMT
A demonstration of the IOL Master 700 and the Argos optical biometry units will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The optical biometry workshop will cover how to capture the biometric values needed in order to calculate accurate IOL Powers. Review of best practices and common trouble shooting tips will also be shared.
W8: Slit Lamp Techniques/Angles Assessment (repeated, see also W6)
Nicole Smith, COT, CTC; Amanda Middleton, COA
NOTE: Prerequisite of Slit Lamp Lecture 4 at 9:05am required.
12:30 pm • LUNCH
1:30 pm • SESSION 5
L9: Tips & Tricks for the Exam Lane: Managing Difficult Refractions
Kody Lecurgo, OD
This lecture will help to make refractions in the exam room for technicians easier and more streamlined. Techs should be gain more knowledge in contact lenses and materials.
L10: A Technician’s Perspective on Diagnostic Testing & Imaging
Latrice Jones-Bey, COT, MBA; Cory Sutphin, CRA, OCT-C, COA
The presenters will review proper techniques in performing Anterior and Posterior testing and imaging. Participants will become familiar with various tips on how to differentiate a poor result or scan, an abnormal anterior or posterior segment, how to troubleshoot to overcome challenges in image capture, and how to maximize accurate test results.
W9: Optical Biometry (repeat of W7, see above)
Joan Wilson, COMT
W10: Tonometry (Applanation, Tonopen, iCare) (same as W13)
Veronica Plessinger, BA, COMT; Amy Jost COMT
A demonstration of TonoPen, iCare tonometry, and applanation tonometry will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The intro to this tonometry workshop will cover how to prepare the equipment and the patient for tonometry. Instructors will demonstrate and encourage best practices and provide common trouble shooting tips.
2:35 pm • SESSION 6
L11: Dry Eye Issues & Management
Kristina Thomas, MD
This lecture will review the latest diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in the management of dry eye disease.
L12: How to Become an Effective Scribe
Veronica Plessinger, BA, COMT; Joan Wilson, COMT
This course will outline what a scribe needs to know to be successful and efficient. The instructors will review common ocular anatomy terms and abbreviations, describe effective history taking techniques, review the diagnostic testing and imaging the scribe may need to perform, and describe chart documentation requirements.
W11: Pentacam/Pachmetry (same as W14)
Latrice Jones-Bey, COT, MBA; Melissa Zarate, COA
A demonstration of manual lensometry will be followed by hands-on practice with trainer guidance and feedback. The instructors will cover how to adjust the oculars, lens table and lens holder, power drum, axis wheel to measure the power of the lenses. A brief overview of measuring prism will also be discussed. Review of best practices and common trouble shooting tips will also be shared.
W12: Lensometry Workshop (same as W15)
Kali Wassenich, COA; Elaine Johnson, COA
W13: Tonometry (Applanation, Tonopen, iCare) (repeated, see above W10)
Veronica Plessinger, BA, COMT; Amy Jost, COMT
3:40 pm • SESSION 7
L13: Uveitis and IMT therapies
Reece Bergstrom, MD
This lecture will describe fundamental concepts of uveitis and IMT to help educate those who are actively involved in the care of these patients.
L14: Infection Control in the Ophthalmic ASC in 2025
Elethia Dean, RN
Infection Control has become paramount for every ophthalmic ASC. With COVID, SARS, and Influenza it is not only imperative to prevent infections such as endophthalmitis and TASS, now more diligence is needed to ensure communicable diseases do not enter the facility.
W14: Pentacam/Pachmetry (repeat of W11, see above)
Latrice Jones-Bey, COT, MBA; Melissa Zarate, COA
W15: Lensometry Workshop (repeat of W12, see above)
Kali Wassenich, COA; Elaine Johnson, COA
W16: A-Scan Ultrasound Workshop (repeat of W5, see above)
Joan Wilson, COMT
