The FSO Clarity Report - Fall 2024
President's Message
Raquel Goldhardt, MD, FACS
President, Florida Society of Ophthalmology
It’s an honor to write my first message as President of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO) following a successful 90D Lens workshop for medical students from the University of Miami and South America. This workshop truly reflects my deep commitment to education and our profession. I love what I do, and my passion for teaching, serving my community, and caring for my patients drives me every day. My journey in ophthalmology began in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and has taken me through São Paulo, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and finally to Miami, my home for the past 15 years.
As physicians, our lives are shaped by the demands of our profession, whether in academia or private practice, alongside the personal choices we make. Balancing these responsibilities requires thoughtful and deliberate action. Dr. Rita Charon wisely noted, “To be a true healer, one must care as much about the human being as about the human body,” and I would add, not forgetting to care for yourself. This insight deeply resonates with the challenge of balancing our professional duties with our personal lives. Once we make our choices, it’s essential to commit to them wholeheartedly.
My commitment to medicine and ophthalmology is deeply rooted in service to the profession, but this service is only effective when our community works together. The former presidents and staff of the FSO have built the framework of Advocacy, Education, and Outreach that serves as a model for the nation. I am incredibly grateful to the members of the FSO who dedicate their time to advancing our field. Whether you serve on the Board, attend or speak at our Masters in Ophthalmology meeting, advocate locally with state legislators, or simply renew your membership, your contributions are invaluable. I’m especially thankful for our new members and those who actively recruit and retain them. These efforts, though uncompensated, are deeply appreciated.
Advocacy: Patient safety is the cornerstone of the FSO’s advocacy efforts. Our members and leader statewide continually meet with state legislators to address critical issues for our patient population. I encourage all of you to meet with your state representatives to educate them on the importance of ensuring patient safety during the delivery of quality eye care. I also urge every ophthalmologist to contribute to FSO’s FOCUS Political Committee, the anonymous SOS Advocacy Fund, the AAO’s OPHTHPAC and the Surgical Scope Fund. Even a small contribution from each member can significantly strengthen our position and ensure that legislators hear our collective voice.
Education: As Dr. Charles H. Mayo said, “The glory of medicine is that it is constantly moving forward, that there is always more to learn.” We had another outstanding Masters in Ophthalmology 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grand Lakes this past June, featuring renowned speakers like Judy Kim, MD and Peter A. Quiros, MD. If you missed the Masters 2024 meeting and would like to view the meeting highlights, please click here.
We’re excited to return to Orlando and experience the Waldorf Astoria for the Masters in Ophthalmology 2025 meeting, with more nationally recognized faculty, including Drs. Jeff Pettey and Davinder Grover. We will continue to offer subspecialty breakout sessions focusing on anterior segment, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics, pediatrics and retina. The Young Ophthalmologist Seminar is one of the most exciting sessions, providing young ophthalmologists the chance to interact directly with experienced colleagues in private practice and academia. The Masters meeting is one of the country’s best-attended state ophthalmology meetings, and we look forward to seeing you there next June.
Outreach: The For Eye Care Foundation, Inc. (FECF), the FSO’s charitable arm, continues to host vision screening events throughout Florida. Under the late Dr. David Cano's leadership, the foundation continues to make a significant impact, helping those most in need in our state. We thanks those who have volunteered at these events, and I encourage each of you to volunteer at an outreach event near you and contribute to the FECF. These screenings are vital for detecting ophthalmic diseases in patients who might not have been identified otherwise.
It is an honor to serve as your president over the next year. Please feel free to contact me at rgoldhardt@med.miami.edu to become more involved and to champion the cause of your patients.
Thank you for your dedication to our profession and to the FSO, and for keeping the passion for medicine alive as you remember what made you choose to become a physician in the first place.
Legislative Update
Monica Rodriguez
Legislative Consultant, Ballard Partners
Hello FSO! Following an excellent convention in June, your lobbying team is knee-deep working on elections. We have crisscrossed the state, raised money for candidates, attended candidate forums, and walked in the sweltering heat. Election years are tough after term limits. With members allowed to serve 8 consecutive years in the House and Senate, every two years there are a large number of people looking to be elected to the legislature. We try and get to know them before they come in. These members come from diverse professional backgrounds. We have highlighted some of the key primaries in the report you can access once logged into mdeye.org. Following the primaries, we will advise the FSO of the results. In many cases, whoever wins the primary will likely win the general because of how the districts are drawn.
We anticipate the Senate to be focused on Agriculture but will take on other issues such as looking at the system of autism care. The House will be very focused on persons with disabilities. We anticipate discussions on condo associations as well. We have general ideas on who will be a part of the respective leadership teams; however, committee chairs will not be announced until after the elections. We anticipate the Senate President Designate to keep most if not all of President Passidomo’s Senate senior staff. We think the House will keep key staffers on including Krista Calamas, the HHS Committee chief staffer. We anticipate Matt Bahl to return as Chief of Staff to the Speaker. As you may recall, he was Chief of Staff to former Speaker Richard Corcoran.
Now is the time to do the grassroots work! There have been a lot of changes in politics, but the one thing that has not changed is what former House Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” We are all busy balancing work, family, and other obligations, but taking some time to connect with your local Representative is so helpful. They all face the same challenges balancing life as we do, but the resources that FSO can provide them can be very helpful in achieving that balance.
To read more, please log in to your FSO profile and download the report at the bottom of this page.
For Eye Care Foundation Report
Laura B. Sims, MD
Chair, For Eye Care Foundation
For Eye Care Foundation (FECF), the charitable arm of the Florida Society of Ophthalmology (FSO), has continued to raise awareness on the visual impact of Amblyopia by recognizing August as Amblyopia Awareness Month. Over the past year, our dedicated volunteers and vision partners have held free Amblyopia vision screenings throughout Florida. Early pediatric screenings are crucial for detecting visual issues that may affect development and quality of life. Despite clear benefits, many children are not regularly screened for vision problems and 1 in 20 children will be diagnosed with Amblyopia. The FECF remains committed to educate parents on the benefits of early screening, as Florida does not have a mandate requiring vision screening of preschool children.
In August of 2023, the FECF held a vision screening at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, during their "Stroller Daze" event, in West Palm Beach. The affair attracted preschool children to a fun and interactive environment. We evaluated a total of 44 children and identified eight which needed further evaluation. The parents of these children were educated on potential risks and given a list of resources. They were also instructed to follow up with local Pediatric Ophthalmologists.
Participants in the screening event included various members of the Lions Club from the Palm Beach County area, members of the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, as well as three Ophthalmology residents from the Larkin Hospital program in Miami. Other volunteers included the late David Cano, MD, Lauree Manning, MD, members of the Cano-Manning staff, and me. We are very grateful to Professor Marc Wiskoff and Kristina Holt for their invitation and look forward to returning next year, following their renovations.
On Saturday, June 15, 2024, the FECF participated at the Caridad Center Family Festival, in Boynton Beach. The Caridad Center is Florida's largest charitable clinic where volunteer physicians staff the various clinics providing free services and surgery for underinsured families of Palm Beach County. The vision screening event was a great success and allowed the FECF, and our vision partners, to screen 101 children. Of the total number of children tested, 31 were referred to the Caridad Centers Ophthalmic Clinic and local ophthalmologists for additional follow up. Parents were also educated on the findings, importance of visual health, and potential risks.
The FECF wish to thank Brenda Lopez and the Caridad Center for the invitation to participate and look forward to returning soon. I am very grateful for our volunteers: ophthalmologists Lauree Manning, MD, Cecilia Artegas, DO, and Christine Greer, MD; Lisa Stella and Mary Allen from the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches; Felisa De Kler, Elise Chang and Stephanie Deshommes, from the Delray Beach Lions Club and the dedicated staff from the Cano-Manning Eye Center.
Our most recent Amblyopia Awareness Month screening was a new pilot community outreach event. It took place at In The Pines, located in Delray Beach. This facility provides affordable housing and education for migrant farmworkers and their families, who are integrating into American culture. The FECF is excited to volunteer with this nonprofit agency that addresses the underserved community in Delray and Boynton Beach. We screened 17 children and referred four children with visual concerns to Pediatric Ophthalmologists and to the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches.
The FECF partnered with volunteers from the Delray Beach Lions Club, including Felisa De Kler, Stephanie Deshommes, and office staff from the Cano-Manning Eye Center of North Palm Beach. We are very grateful to Mary Allen, from the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, for providing an additional SPOT Vision Screener, and to Ninfa Calderon for accommodating our staff. It was a truly rewarding experience.
I am incredibly fortunate to share in the experiences of our foundation and so proud of our volunteers and vision partners who offer their time and inspire others to join our mission. The FSO is also very grateful for supporters of the FECF whose generosity has had a profound impact and has allowed us to secure the purchase of additional screening tools to help improve the outcome of our efforts.
The success of the FECF over the previous 14 years is a testament to the vision of its founder, David B. Cano, MD. David was a dedicated advocate for vision health whose commitment to accessible care and early Amblyopia detection never faltered. He inspired his colleagues and profoundly impacted countless lives. The void left by David's passing is greatly felt by all those who knew him. His influence endures and his legacy lives on in the lives that were forever altered by his efforts.
We invite our FSO members to join us in raising awareness and create a brighter future for Florida's children. Please, consider supporting our mission by volunteering or donating to the For Eye Care Foundation. To make a contribution, please visit https://www.mdeye.org/support/contribute.
Third-Party Liaisons Report
L. Neal Freeman, MD, FACS
Chair, Third Party Liaison
2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
- 3% Payment Cut - The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a conversion factor of $32.36 in its 2025 proposed rule, which is a decrease of almost 3% from the 2024 conversion factor of $33.29. This would have a major negative impact on physician practices if implemented, and efforts are in place to contest this action.
- Global Surgery Payments - Payment from Medicare for surgical procedures that carry a postoperative period from Medicare includes payment for the postoperative visits. Unfortunately, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services fails to include the 2021 payment increases to evaluation and management services in the calculation of surgical reimbursement.
Aetna Medicare Advantage Preauthorization
Aetna has still not lifted its existing preauthorization requirements for cataract surgery in Florida, although it has done so in all other states. A survey of FSO attendees was taken at the Annual Meeting. Respondents indicated a large majority of preauthorization requests were eventually approved, suggesting that the preauthorization exercise was unnecessary. The extra work and expense to practices caused by this program was frequently noted. FSO and the American Academy of Ophthalmology will take this information to Aetna in our effort to have this policy eliminated.
MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) for Ophthalmology
CMS is proposing a “Complete Ophthalmologic Care MVP” which will dramatically impact reporting of quality measures by ophthalmology practices. There are a number of concerns with this proposal, which would limit the quality measures and activities that ophthalmologists could report. The American Academy of Ophthalmology is actively opposing this proposal.
Announcing Leadership Development Program XXVI, Class of 2025
Chris Albanis, MD
Director, Leadership Development Program
The Academy is very pleased to announce that twenty ophthalmologists have been chosen via a competitive selection process to participate in the Academy's Leadership Development Program (LDP) XXVI, class of 2025.
A sincere thanks to all state, subspecialty and specialized interest societies who submitted nominations for consideration. We are also excited to welcome our international participants, Awni Aburamadan, MBBCH from Egypt and Milad Moddaber, MD from Canada. Based on program evaluations, we are committed to maintaining a small class size to maximize interaction and collaborative learning.
Congratulations to the LDP XXVI, class of 2025 and their nominating societies:
- Awni Aburamadan, MBBCH - Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology
- Zachary Balest, MD - Georgia Society of Ophthalmology
- Angela N. Buffenn, MD, MPH - California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
- Cat Burkat, MD - American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
- Benjamin C. Chaon, MD - Delaware Academy of Ophthalmology
- Katrina C. Chin Loy, MD - Washington DC Metropolitan Ophthalmological Society
- Steven Ross Cohen, MD - Missouri Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
- Raquel Goldhardt, MD - Florida Society of Ophthalmology
- Grant A. Justin, MD - American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma
- Natasha Nayak Kolomeyer, MD - American Glaucoma Society
- Rebecca S. Leenheer MD - New Mexico Academy of Ophthalmology
- Andrew Melson, MD - North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
- Milad Modabber, MD - Canadian Ophthalmological Society
- Kristen M. Nwanyanwu, MD - American Society of Retina Specialists
- Rachel Simpson, MD - Utah Ophthalmology Society
- Elliott H. Sohn, MD - Macula Society
- William M. Watkins, MD - Mississippi Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
- Basil Williams, MD - National Medical Association, Ophthalmology Section
- Kimberly Mei Winges, MD - Women in Ophthalmology
- Anne Wishna, MD - Kansas Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons
The class will first meet at the LDP Orientation Session at AAO 2024, the Academy's annual meeting in Chicago. Next they will travel to San Francisco on January 16-19, 2025 for a joint session with the European Society of Ophthalmology's (SOE) Leadership Development Programme, the EuLDP Class of 2023-2025.
If you have questions about the Academy's Leadership Development Program, please contact Gail Schmidt (gschmidt@aao.org), Vice President, Ophthalmic Society & Global Relations.
Congrats again to all participants and nominating societies.
Welcome 2024-2025 FSO Officers
Raquel Goldhardt, MD, FACS, renowned for her expertise in cataract surgery, uveitis, and retina care, assumed the presidency of the FSO at the Florida Society of Ophthalmology Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, June 22. She has been a longstanding member of the FSO Board of Directors, previously holding positions as Vice-President of Outreach and Vice-President of Education since 2020.
Zelia M. Correa, MD, PhD was installed as president-elect. Dr. Correa is a Professor of Ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, and the Director of Ocular Oncology and Echography at the same institution. Dr. Correa specializes in ocular oncology and vitreoretinal surgery.
Rishi P. Singh, MD was installed as the Vice President of Advocacy. Dr. Singh is a staff surgeon, vice president, and chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic, Martin Health and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio.
Courtney Bovee, MD was installed as the vice president of education. Dr. Bovee is a Harvard fellowship trained glaucoma specialist and cataract surgeon in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Ahad Mahootchi, MD was installed as the vice president of outreach. Dr. Mahootchi has been in private practice for the last 26 years in the Tampa Bay area. He trained at Vanderbilt University for medical school and residency.
Allister Gibbons, MD was installed as the secretary/treasurer. Dr. Gibbons is an associate professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the University of Miami. He specializes in cataracts, corneal transplants, intraocular lens surgery, dry eye and ocular surface.
Congratulations to the 2024 FSO Awardees
Rishi P. Singh, MD received the John R. Brayton, Jr., MD Leadership Award, established in honor of John R. Brayton, Jr., MD, and recognizes a Florida-based ophthalmologist who exemplifies leadership and dedication to the profession.
The late David B. Cano, MD and his wife Lauree Manning, MD received the inaugural David B. Cano, MD Volunteer Award. This award was established in honor of the late David B. Cano, MD, who was the co-founder and chairman of the For Eye Care Foundation. This award recognizes a Florida-based ophthalmologist who demonstrates volunteerism and goes above and beyond to serve humanity.
Joseph T. Nezgoda, MD, MBA received the Florida Society of Ophthalmology’s Shaler Richardson, MD, Service to Medicine Award, established in honor of Shaler Richardson, MD, and recognizes an ophthalmologist who has made the greatest personal contribution to quality patient care by coordinating, participating, collaborating, and integrating ophthalmology into the great body of the medical profession on a local, state, or national level.
Michelle M. Falcone, MD, received the James W. Clower, Jr., MD, Community Service Award, established in honor of James W. Clower, Jr., MD, and recognizes those who have made the greatest contribution of time and service to his or her community.
Alison Lauter, MD, received the Michael R. Redmond, MD, Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Award, established in honor of Michael R. Redmond, MD, and recognizes a Florida-based ophthalmologist younger than 40 years old, who has demonstrated organizational leadership, service, competence, and devotion to the high ethical and professional standards of the FSO.
2025 Membership Renewal Update
It is dues renewal time again. Please be sure to check your inbox & mailbox in late October for your FSO 2025 dues renewal invoice. As a reminder, FSO membership dues are due by January 1, 2025. To pay your dues online, please visit mdeye.org/membership/dues.
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