TAOP (Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians)

Optometry's Meeting is this week in Nashville! 🎉

Check out a special message from our TAOP President, Laura Sechler, OD, about what to expect when visiting Music City. Don't miss out on the latest updates and opportunities to connect with fellow professionals!

Tennessee Welcomes You to Optometry’s Meeting® Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians President Laura Sechler, O.D., shares how the event drives growth and what to expect in Music City.

AOA sees positives in federal children’s eye health legislation The federal effort to promote early detection of pediatric vision impairments comes as the AOA works toward a multi-year, national eye health and vision mobilization for children.

Cataract A cataract is a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye that can interfere with normal vision. Most cataracts are due to age-related changes in the lens of the eye.

Study underestimates doctors of optometry providing eye care to children Doctors of optometry say they are underrepresented in a recent study, even though they provide the vast majority of eye care in U.S.

Mental Health and Your Eyes The ocular impact of stress may range from mild discomfort to severe, debilitating vision loss.

School screenings provide less than 4% of the information generated during a comprehensive eye exam. Before summer ends, schedule an appointment with an AOA doctor of optometry to help your kids stay up-to-date on their eye health. Find one here. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/find-a-doctor?sso=y

Mountain Dew, Moon Pies and Dolly Parton … oh my! These treasures rose to fame in Nashville, Tennessee—the site of this year’s much-anticipated Optometry’s Meeting®. Check out what to expect from this year’s event in Music City: https://ow.ly/HBj050RYUOU

The U.S. Department of Labor’s new rules regarding eligibility for overtime pay will go into effect on July 1. Review this information to assess the impact of these changes on your business or employment: https://ow.ly/Mj4J50ROH0H

We had an incredible day volunteering with ODs, Paras, and SCO students at the Special Olympics Tennessee summer games! Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Babies ages 6-12 months old needed for a presentation at AOA's upcoming Optometry Meeting in Nashville on June 20th!

When: June 20, 2024
Where: Optometry Meeting in Nashville (Location TBD)
Time: 8:00am - 10:20am

The American Optometric Association is looking for 5 babies between the age of 6-12 months old for the InfantSEE Pop-Up education session during Optometry’s Meeting (June 20th, 8am-10:20am). The idea of this workshop is to provide a fast-paced, interactive, and engaging learning opportunity for optometry students. The workshop is a fun and exciting way for students to learn the very basics of an infant eye and vision assessment and introduce them to the InfantSEE program. After a brief PowerPoint presentation, the presenting optometrists will pair off with a baby and parent to perform the demonstration and the students will divide themselves among the breakout groups. The sessions provide a summary and are not intended to teach students how to exactly perform an infant eye assessment – that is left up to their curriculum. These brief demonstrations are in no way comprehensive eye assessments and the child's eyes will not be dilated.

The AOA will be providing the family volunteers a $200 Amazon gift card.

If you would like to volunteer, or know a qualifying family that would be interested, please contact Molly Brown from Optometry Cares® – The AOA Foundation at [email protected].

Is your staff connected? How peer connections benefit practices Peer connections may be the unsung—or under-sung—hero of professional conferences in a way that only these veteran staff leaders know.

Do you look at a computer for work? Read AOA’s new report to learn about the impact of unmanaged screen time and how you can keep your eyes healthy if you’re someone who spends long hours on screens. Read more here https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-deserve-more/doctor-patient-stories/screen-savvy-an-eye-health-report-for-the-modern-workforce.

We wrapped up our weekend with a breakfast presentation sponsored by Visionix and more CE sessions with Timothy Earley, OD and Jeffry Gerson, OD. Thank you to all who attended our Spring CE! Looking forward to next year!

Day 1 of our Spring CE in Destin is off to a great start! Our attendees were up bright an early for a CE session with Chris Wroten, OD and then enjoyed breakfast sponsored by Alcon.

A message from our sponsor:

We're excited to announce we'll be attending this year’s Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians CE in Destin, FL! 🌴 Join us to explore solutions for outsourced billing, optical ordering, and web scheduling. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your optical practice. See you there!

It takes an alliance of doctors like you and an organization like the AOA to drive toward a better profession. We need YOU on board! Don't forget the AOA's special limited-time offer: Join before May 31, 2024 and they'll send you a $250 Amazon eGift Card to say thanks!

Visit https://go.aoa.org/joinnow2403 and use promo code "2403AQSM" to redeem!

Build your practice and protect the planet Every day is Earth Day at these optometric practices. Celebrate Earth Week with considerations for an environmentally friendly practice.

Looking for what to do with your eclipse glasses? Check out how to share the celestial spirit with Latin America:

When you join the AOA, your membership supports:

-Championing your right to practice full scope optometry.
-Ensuring accessible patient care.
-Striving for fair reimbursement.
-Public outreach, education, and awareness for the profession.

Special limited-time offer: Join before May 31, 2024 and you'll receive a $250 Amazon eGift Card to say thanks! Visit https://go.aoa.org/joinnow2403 and use promo code "2403AQSM" to redeem!

Too much time on screens? Learn about the impact.

If you’re concerned about how often you’re looking at your phone or computer, learn about how prolonged screen time can impact your eye health. Vision symptoms related to excessive screen time, like dry eyes or blurred vision, could be alleviated by regular visits to the optometrist. Find an AOA doctor near you here -https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/find-a-doctor?sso=y

Stand alongside 49,000+ doctors of optometry when you join the AOA, where they are committed to advancing your practice, protecting your standing, and fighting threats and special interests through a strong, collective voice.

Special limited-time offer: Join before May 31, 2024, and they'll send you a $250 Amazon eGift Card to say thanks! Visit https://go.aoa.org/joinnow2403 and use promo code "2403AQSM" to redeem!

How to test your eclipse glasses for safety before April 8 | CNN Worried that you might have bought fake eclipse glasses? Here are tips on how to test the safety of your glasses and what to know about eye safety.