The San Diego View

Inside this Issue:

• President’s Message
• Retina Corner
• Tech Corner
• Eye See
• The vital conversation most ECPs aren’t having with their patients
• Practice Improvement Ideas from Vision West
• CE Corner
• Classifieds
• Volunteer Corner
• SDCOS Announcements
• Upcoming Events

President’s Message April 2016

Join us for Legislative Day!

Legislative Day is just around the corner!  On April 20th, California optometrists will gather at the capitol to discuss with our local lawmakers who we are, what we do, and how we take care of their constituents.  We need YOUR help to support the bills that help optometry and defeat those that would hurt us.  It is a proven fact that lawmakers’ opinions are swayed by their constituents who reach out to them.  Legislative Day is a perfect opportunity to either build or fortify your relationship with lawmakers, which is critical for optometry’s legislative success.  If you feel intimidated by the idea of discussing legislation with your local lawmakers, please don’t!  COA will walk you through all critical legislation beforehand.  Primarily, you are there to put a face to our profession and allow your local legislator to know what you do on a day to day basis so they can make educated decisions on our behalf.

Here is a summary of current state bills affecting optometry:

SB 622:  This is the big one folks!  This is a COA sponsored bill by Senator Ed Hernandez that will aim to redefine the practice and scope of optometry in California.  The bill would:

• Delete certain requirements that an optometrist refer a patient to a medical doctor, including when a patient has been diagnosed with a central corneal ulcer and the central corneal ulcer has not improved within 48 hours of the diagnosis.
• Authorize optometrists to use nonsurgical technology to treat any authorized condition.
• Authorize a TPA certified optometrist to collect a blood specimen by finger prick method, to perform skin tests (to diagnose ocular allergies), and to use mechanical lipid extraction of meibomian glands and nonsurgical techniques.
• Authorize a glaucoma certified optometrist the use of specified immunizations.
• Authorize a TPA certified optometrist to be certified to use anterior segment lasers and perform specified minor procedures (removal of superficial lesions from the eye that do not require suture).  Certification includes more than 70 hours post-graduate training (significantly more than is necessary to protect public safety given every other state only requires a 32 hour course) and a competency test.

SB 622 will achieve the goal of expanding access to eye care.  Doctors of optometry already provide 81 percent of the eye care under the Medi-Cal program.  SB 622 will significantly reduce waiting times and assist a large portion of California’s population, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas of the state.

The bill builds upon the framework approved by the Assembly Business and Professions Committee last year and has been further fine-tuned by the Senate Business and Professions Committee this year. As such, the bill was unanimously supported by Senate Business and Professions Committee and Senate Appropriations Committee. It passed the Senate Floor by an overwhelming 34-4.  It will be heard in the Assembly Business and Professions Committee on July 7.

AB 366:  This bill would seek to reverse the 10 percent Medi-Cal provider reimbursement rate cuts made in 2011.  A survey conducted in 2011 by the California HealthCare Foundation found that one third of Medi-Cal beneficiaries have difficulty finding health care providers who will accept their insurance.  Furthermore, Medi-Cal enrollment has increased from 7.6 million in 2011 to 11.3 million in 2014.  There are not enough providers participating in Medi-Cal to serve the massive population due to low reimbursement rates.  This bill seeks to improve access to health care for California’s most vulnerable population by reversing the Medi-Cal reimbursement cuts.

AB 1831:  This bill would require health insurance to provide coverage for prescription drugs benefits to allow for early refills of covered topical ophthalmic products at 70% of the predicted days of use.

SB 923:  Introduced by Senator Ed Hernandez, this measure would provide consumer protection for those enrolled in either grandfathered or nongrandfathered health plan contracts and policies, by preventing health care service plans and insurance policies from unjustly changing any copayments, coinsurance, deductible, or any other cost sharing requirements during the plan year.

SB 1361: This bill would include coverage under the Medi-Cal program for one pair of eyeglasses provided every 2 years to an individual 21 years of age or older who is unable to meet or exceed the driver’s license vision standards established by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Please consider joining us for Legislative Day, even if it is your first time!  Every doctor makes us stronger.  We will cover your travel costs for this day trip to the capitol.  If you are interested, please contact me at pierce.allison@gmail.com for further information.

Retina Corner L-DOPA May Delay the Onset of Macular Degeneration

By Nikolas London, MD, FACS

A recent publication in the American Journal of Medicine, authored by a large group of thought leaders in the field of Retina, demonstrated that the drug L-DOPA may significantly delay the development of macular degeneration.1 The potential implications of this finding are huge, and while the findings need to be replicated in a prospective randomized trial, they are definitely worth discussion.

The study was based on a simple theory and a powerful method of analysis. We know that the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of AMD. We also know that the RPE expresses the receptor GPR143, which is a G protein-coupled receptor that controls the release of several trophic factors. GPR143 signaling increases the secretion of pigment-epithelium derived factor (PEDF) and decreases the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), both of which events may protect an eye from developing AMD. L-DOPA is a medication that is commonly prescribed for Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders that specifically activates the GPR143 receptor. As such, the authors hypothesized that L-DOPA use may prevent or delay the onset of AMD. To investigate this, the authors analyzed several large digital databases, including 37,500 electronic health records from the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wisconsin, as well as 87 million medical insurance claim records from the Truven MarketScan database.

Analysis of these data sets provided fascinating results. In the Marshfield Clinic cohorts the authors identified all patients with a diagnosis of AMD as well as all patients given a prescription for L-DOPA. The authors showed that in the cross section of patients with both an AMD diagnosis and L-DOPA prescription that the vast majority of patients had taken L-DOPA only after an AMD diagnosis, contrary to expectations based on the average age of L-DOPA prescription (67.1) and AMD diagnosis (71.2) in the overall cohort, and implying that L-DOPA is protective against AMD. Moreover, patients prescribed L-DOPA prior to a diagnosis of AMD developed the disease significantly later in life than patients prescribed L-DOPA after a diagnosis of AMD (79.3 years vs. 71.3 years, p <0.01).

The Truven MarketScan cohort was even more impressive as the analyses involved massive numbers of patients. Within a cohort of over 15 million eligible patients, the authors identified nearly 700,000 diagnosed with AMD. Of these patients, the authors noted that the age of AMD diagnosis in patients who did not have a prescription for L-DOPA was 71.4 years (n = 679,574), compared to 79.3 years (n = 12,387) in patients with a prescription for L-DOPA, a highly-significant difference (p <0.001) (Figure). A similar difference was noted for a diagnosis of neovascular AMD (75.8 years vs. 80.8 years, p <0.001).

Figure. Data from the Truven MarketScan database illustrates that L-DOPA both delays age-related macular degeneration (AMD) onset and reduces the risk of developing AMD. (A) Data represent the age of AMD onset in several groups, with error bars representing the 95% confidence interval. The AMD group represents our control individuals that had no record of movement disorder prescription history. The L-DOPA AMD group represents all individuals with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) code for AMD that also had a prescription history for L-DOPA. Neovascular (NV) AMD represents individuals with the specific ICD-9 code 362.52 but no history of L-DOPA prescriptions. The L-DOPA and NV AMD group is similar except that the individuals had a history of L-DOPA prescriptions. The dopamine agonist group represents individuals who had a prescription history for various movement disorder drugs, largely dopamine agonists. All groups were significantly different from the AMD control. *P <.001. (B) Odds ratio analysis to determine whether the drugs alter the probability of developing AMD. All values below 1, representing the control, AMD with no L-DOPA or movement disorder prescription history, indicating a reduction in the probability risk of developing AMD, either in general or specifically NV AMD. Each reduction in risk was significant. *P <.001.

While exciting, this study was not perfect and should not lead us to start prescribing L-DOPA to all of our patients. Aside from the potential risks and side effects of the medication itself, this was a retrospective study of imperfect electronic datasets, with multiple potential confounders and biases. In order to change practice patterns, the study must be followed up with a well-designed randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial to determine the true potential for L-DOPA to delay AMD. Aside from the clinical findings, however, this study nicely illustrates the power of big data analyses, which promise to become more and more powerful as electronic medical record systems mature with more intelligent design and greater adoption in the medical community.

Thanks again for reading. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. If anyone would like a copy of the article feel free to send me an email and I will be happy to email it to you.

Best wishes, and until next time,
Nik

Nikolas London, MD
Retina Consultants San Diego, Poway, La Jolla, and Coronado
www.retinaconsultantssd.com
858-451-1911 (office)
415-341-5456 (cell)
nik.london@gmail.com (personal email)
retinaconsultantssd@gmail.com (RCSD email)

Reference:
1. Brilliant et al. Mining Retrospective Data for Virtual Prospective Drug Repurposing: L-DOPA and Age-related Macular Degeneration. American Journal of Medicine. 2016; 129:292-298.

Tech Corner Got Tech questions? We’ve got Answers!

5 SIGNS THAT YOUR PC IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING

When a person is not feeling well, they will visit the Dr. and tell them what the symptom/issues are. Our pets can’t tell us what is wrong, we just know what is normal and that something isn’t normal. That makes the vets job a little harder in trying to properly diagnose and assist. With computers, sometimes they can be pretty shy about what’s ailing them – so we have to listen a little closer. This month, we’ve put together a list of 5 common ways a computer tries telling it’s human that something isn’t well. If your computer is telling you any of these, please listen. Similar to an automobile, getting these checked out in advance can help prevent a bigger issue or possible downtime.

1.    GOING SLOW If files or programs take significantly longer to open, or your PC always takes a long time to open (above/beyond the normal boot up process for a PC). There are a variety of things that might cause this, but it is a sign the computer is trying to tell you something changed and/or just isn’t running as well as it used to.

2.    REPEATED NEED TO RESTART OR WARNINGS WHEN STARTING UP This is another way your computer is trying to say that it just can’t perform like it used to. Possible issues can range from something hardware related, software issues, or something that got corrupted.

3.    COMPUTER HAS GOTTEN LOUDER A hard drive or fan will make a certain amount of noise on a regular basis. If those sounds are getting louder, it usually means something is starting to wear out. The parts will continue to work until they don’t.

4.    SPOTTY OR UNRELIABLE INTERNET Repeated problems connecting, or connecting to devices like printers, can be a sign that your WiFi or Ethernet adapter is going bad. This can also be a sign of malware robbing your bandwidth.

5.    VIDEO ISSUES Errors in video that look like blocks of random color or strange lines can be a sign that your graphics card is going bad.

BONUS ROUND If your PC starts diagnosing you, and provides pop-ups recommending Viagra or other cheap prescription alternatives. STOP what you are doing and call us at 1-866-999-GSWS (4797). You do have a problem and the meds being recommended aren’t really the cure.

Eye See written by Dr. Byron Y. Newman The Monocularization of Optometry

We used to make fun of ophthalmologists and those ODs who didn’t do binocular measurements. Using the OEP numbering system of 7 being the refraction and #4 being retinoscopy, we referred to those people as using a system of “Seven and Four and out the door.” Some of you may remember that slogan.

Well, nowadays the optometry schools treat Vision Therapy (VT) as an elective and reserved for those who want to specialize in therapy. Those who are too busy to take binocular measurements claim that the examination now has too many medical facets for them to take the time it takes to measure binocularity. And they say, “Oh, yes, we do refer those who need VT to the ODs who offer it”…..but they never find any patients who need VT.

To me, it takes very little time to measure, searching for those in need. You should at least be taking the cover test and versions and amplitude of convergence. If they fail those by reporting pain, poor amplitude, cover test showing deviations, right there is enough to refer. After the refraction, leaving the letters up even in a block of letters, you can take a quick phoria, horizontal and vertical, and here is the best part of testing a short version, and quite diagnostic measurement of ductions. Abandon the blur, break, and recovery idea. You only need one good number. Take base out and base in quite quickly by asking when they feel it or if it hurts. If you get low numbers….it’s a good referral. Say the patient has 4 exo at distance and a base out of 3 when they feel discomfort. They need VT. Quickly, at near (you do still have a near point rod, I hope), if they’re 10 exo and a base out finding of less than 10, they need VT. (The opposing duction should be double the phoria.) If they get headaches, are doing poorly in school, get frequently dizzy or motion sick, refer! If you don’t wish to provide VT yourself (quite easy to do,) then by all means refer!

Remember, the eyes lead the way, and if they get disoriented, they signal the inner ear, and say, “Hey, we’re disoriented.” The inner ear then answers, “Oh, good, then I’ll make you dizzy.” Vision Therapy gets rid of the disorientation factor, and the inner ear doesn’t get into the picture.

A doctor in Oregon wrote a book about dizziness and motion sickness, and outlined how to correct it. The book is called “See Sickness” and he’s had great success with it. Check out the website: www.seesicksyndrome.com, by Roderic Gillilan, OD. I’m sure you will find it enlightening.

Besides, I personally believe there is more visual dysfunctioning in our patient load than diseases, unless you specialize in disease and get referrals for glaucoma and other medical conditions.

So, give this some thought: Are we optometrists concerned with the patient’s visual conditions, or Junior Ophthalmologists?

We can be both, of course, but when we received legislative approval for optometric expansion, I thought it was an expansion….not a shift from our traditions established in the 1920s.

Congratulations for those of you continuing our optometric traditions, and I hope those of you skipping binocular concerns of our profession have begun to see the light. Opticians and Occupational therapists would love to take over Vision Therapy if we abandon it.

The vital conversation most ECPs aren’t having with their patient

By Dr. Gary Morgan – VSP optometrist

Computers, tablets, and smartphones have enhanced our lives in unimaginable ways.  Who would have imagined 30 years ago that research on any subject could be had in the palm of your hand?  But the unintended consequence of this amazing technology shows up daily in our exam lanes, and may represent the greatest opportunity in eye care today: digital eye strain.

Some Eye-Opening Statistics

According to the 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report from The Vision Council, 65% of Americans report experiencing digital eye strain.  Other vital findings from the report include that 90% of Americans use digital devices for two or more hours each day, 60% of Americans use digital devices for five or more hours each day, and 77% of the individuals who suffer from digital eye strain use two or more devices simultaneously.

A Breakdown in Communication

What may be the most disturbing finding in the report is that 90% of patients do not speak with their eye care provider about digital device usage.

Why?  As eye care professionals, let’s all take a collective look in the mirror.

This statistic clearly shows that as a profession, we are not asking patients about their digital device usage.

A Simple Way to Strike up the Conversation

By simply adding a small section to a practice intake form, you can learn a great deal about your patient’s digital consumption. Ask how many hours each day a patient uses a computer, a tablet, and a smartphone with an area to tally the total result.  The answers you get back will provide a perfect starting point for discussing device usage and the resulting symptoms of digital eye strain.

In the Exam Room

Armed with knowledge of their device use and symptoms, explain why these symptoms occur. Today’s patients, especially Millenials, are information seekers. Offering them insight into the cause of their symptoms makes them more amenable to following a recommended treatment.

A poster of a cross section of the eye is a great way to help a patient grasp the basics of how blue light defocuses in front of the retina, resulting in visual strain.

Presenting a Solution for the Problem

Now that they understand the source of their symptoms, they’ll want a solution. Recommending lenses with a blue filtering coating like Sharper Image® TechShield helps reduce blue light exposure and the potential onset of digital eye strain. Additionally, recommending TechShield with a near variable focus component provides an opportunity to discuss the need for more than one pair of glasses for daily activities, a medical reason for leading with a second pair sale.

In an ever-changing environment of delivering eye care, digital eye strain represents an opportunity to first help your patients, and second to enhance revenue to keep your practice competitive.

Practice Improvement Ideas from Vision West

Did you know Vision West works with over 200+ industry vendors?  We have partnered with some of the best in the industry to continue bringing you solutions and offerings to help your business. Here are a few new ideas to consider:

1. Practice Compliance Solutions. Do you have a current labor law compliant employee manual? How about a HIPPA or OSHA compliance manual for your office? PCS has created Optometry Specific manuals that are easy to implement and get your office compliant. Even better, Vision West members can purchase these with an exclusive discount. Please visit: http://www.vweye.practicecompliancesolutions.com/
2. Consider expanding your youth sports eyewear. WileyX brings its legendary protective eyewear technology to a line of Rx-able eyewear for youth sports participants with its Youth Force™ line. This new line meets the rigorous ASTM F803 standard and each style easily converts to a goggle with the push of a button. Tested for Soccer, Basketball, Racquetball, Sqaush, Badminton, Tennis and Handball. Vision West members get a discount and special terms on larger orders. http://www.wileyx.com/products/collections/youth-force
3. Does your dispensary need a facelift or even some minor updates? We have special pricing available from two terrific vendors that can offer solutions from signage, branding help, sleek new modern frame trees, displays, furniture or consulting and a complete redesign. Both Fashion Optical and OMG Optical Marketing Group are terrific to work with and can offer solutions for every budget. http://www.fashionoptical.com/ and http://www.omghome.net/
4. SolutionReach is one of our new vendor partners who offers a provider-led cloud- based patient communication platform that revolutionizes patient relationships and optimizes the patient experience. By delivering the right message, to the right patient, at the right time, you make every patient the only patient. SolutionReach integrates with your existing practice management software and helps increase revenue, reduce no-shows, generate new patients, improve patient relationships and increase office efficiency. Vision West members get special pricing and you can sign up for a live demo to learn more at https://www.solutionreach.com/vision
5. Consider accepting CareCredit in your practice. CareCredit is a credit card specific for Healthcare. Many consumers already have a CareCredit account open from a past dental or veterinary encounter and often look online in the Provider Directory to find an eyecare provider who will take this form of payment. There are many options to allow you to extend special financing options to help patients purchase what they need and you are paid within 2 business days. CareCredit charges a processing fee to providers, which varies by financing option, on each CareCredit transaction and Vision West members get a 25% discount off the processing fee.  Learn more here:

http://www.carecredit.com/practices/how-it-works/

Contact our team at Vision West, as we have many vendor partners and solutions to help and membership is free. Our team can be reached at 800-640-9485 or customer_service@vweye.com. Vision West is proud to be a Champion Supporter of the California Optometric Association and a continued supporter of California local Optometric Societies. www.vweye.com

CE Corner We are committed to helping you fulfill your CE requirements through our local meeting with the support of our sponsors!

There is no April CE, stay tuned for information on May’s 2 Hour CE!

Continuing Education Seminars are at the Handlery Hotel 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, 92108.

Two-hour seminar, Thursday, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Buffet meal included and served ½ hour prior to lecture.

• SDCOS Members free, COA/AOA Members $35.00, Non-Members $130.00.

Five-hour seminar, Sunday, 8:00 am – 1:30 pm. Buffet meal included and served ½ hour prior to lecture.

• SDCOS Members $90.00. COA/AOA Members, $90.00 Non-Members $325.00.

Classifieds

Escondido Permanent Part Time Optometrist needed starting May 1st. Must be credentialed with Medi-Cal.  Fluency in Spanish a great help.  Position is in a private setting, working 3-4+ days, may lead to full time.  Call me, Mark Ventocilla, OD at 616.502.0069 if you would like more information. (04/16)

North County SD optometric practice looking for optometrist to work Thursdays, Fridays and one Saturday per month.  For the right doctor, available days will soon expand to also include Wednesdays.  Experience with EHR, fitting specialty contact lenses and treating ocular disease required.  Please respond with CV/resume to villageidoc@sbcglobal.net. (05/16)

Volunteer Corner

Monarch School Screening

Next Screening: Fall 2016 – details TBA
Contact Dr. Bob Meisel for more information at rmeisel@netscape.net ; www.monarchschools.org

Lion’s Optometric Vision Clinic

Volunteer OD’s needed for flexible shifts throughout the year according to each doctor’s availability. OD’s unable to volunteer at the clinic can see patients at their office.
Call 619-298-5273, between 9-1:00 pm.,
Monday -Friday ~ 1805 Upas St, San Diego, CA 92103

Doctors interested in donating glasses to the Lions Optometric Vision Clinic (LOVC) please bring them to a CE meeting or contact Nancy-Jo at 619-663-8439 to make arrangements for delivery.

SDCOS keeps a list of all doctors willing to speak in front of groups about various topics, do home visits for patients, and assist in student mentoring. ODs interested in the Speakers Bureau, Home Visits, Student mentoring, and Low Vision OD’s, please contact Nancy-Jo at 619-663-8439

SDCOS Announcements

Lions In Sight in Mexico

Patients registering outside of Red Cross Vision clinic site

SDCOS optometrists with three other volunteers at Zihua harbor sign

Young girl examined by Dr. Meisel

SDCOS optometrists Drs. Meisel, Tavakoli, and Anthony relaxing after clinic

View of the Zihuatanejo Bay from the hotel

Zihuatanejo was a sleepy Mexican fishing village on the shore of the Pacific, 150 miles north of Acapulco before the neighboring city of Ixtapa was developed in the 1970s as a modern tourist resort area. Since then, the area has grown in popularity and size, but Zihua (as it is called by locals and visitors alike) has retained its traditional feel. It has a beautiful bay, well protected from the ocean and home to SailFest, an annual event in February and features several gorgeous beaches.

Perhaps best known as the final destination for Andy, the main character who breaks out of prison in “The Shawshank Redemption”, it was the site of a February Lions In Sight vision mission for three SDCOS volunteers. Drs. Melody Tavakoli, Jack Anthony and Bob Meisel were part of a contingent of 6 ODs and 12 technicians who cared for over 1250 patients in two days of clinic. Normally the LIS group is hosted by a local Lions Club, but since there is none in Zihuatanejo, the Rotary Club acted as hosts for the second year in a row.

Most patients are examined and dispensed with donated glasses shipped months ahead of the clinic dates, but there are also many pathology cases that appear. The great majority are age related cataracts and pterygia, but this clinic had a surprise case: a mid-40s age female appeared with a history of poor vision for many years, which glasses would not help. After dilation, it was very apparent she had RP. She was very relieved to know what the problem was, even though she still has poor acuity.

Many of the patients were given non-Rx sunglasses to help protect their eyes, but the greatest satisfaction was seeing so many patients who had never received prescription glasses finally see well, some in their teenage years but many in their fourth or fifth decade of life. Consider volunteering by going to lionsinsight.org to see the rest of the 2016 clinic sites or talk with one of the ODs who went on this trip.

Transitions Optical Names Dr. Eric White, O.D. the First-Ever Transitions Brand Ambassador

Dr. Eric White was honored as the 2015 Transitions Brand Ambassador during a recognition ceremony on Friday at the Transitions Academy event in Orlando.

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 8, 2016 – Transitions Optical, Inc. has honored Dr. Eric White, O.D. – owner of Complete Family Vision Care in San Diego, CA – with the 2015 Transitions Brand Ambassador award as part of the new Transitions Innovation Awards program. Dr. White was recognized at an awards ceremony held on Friday, during the 20th annual Transitions Academy event in Orlando.

“My goal in life is to help people see, and that starts with the best quality eyewear – which is why my practice recommends the full Transitions® family of products,” said Dr. White. “I am very honored to win the Transitions Brand Ambassador title. Transitions® lenses complement the quality I aspire to give to my patients, and it’s been wonderful that my commitment to the brand is making a difference in people’s vision and my business.”

Dr. White participated in a best practices panel at Transitions Academy, where he shared his business story and history advocating for the Transitions® brand.

“Dr. White prescribes Transitions lenses for every pair of glasses – especially in reading and computer glasses – since many patients are using digital devices outdoors. This innovative thinking has inspired many eyecare professionals to do the same and has helped make a positive impact on their businesses,” said Drew Smith, associate director, North America Channels, Transitions Optical. “Dr. White is more than deserving of the Transitions Brand Ambassador award. We congratulate him for his successes in 2015, and thank him for his strong commitment to the Transitions brand.”

During Transitions Academy, the company also honored Transitions Brand Ambassador finalists Rachel Hill-Campbell of Personal Optical and George Thomas of Visionworks®.

About the Transitions Brand Ambassador Award

Launched in 2015, the Transitions Brand Ambassador award celebrates an individual who best showcases their dedication to being an influential advocate of the Transitions® brand. All nominees are evaluated on their performance in several factors, including commitment to photochromic growth; alignment to Transitions Optical and participation in programs and promotions; marketing initiatives; education and training efforts; and community involvement.

About Transitions Optical

Transitions Optical is the leading provider of plastic photochromic (adaptive) lenses to optical manufacturers worldwide. Having been the first to successfully manufacture and commercialize plastic adaptive lenses in 1990, and as a result of its relentless investment in research and development and technology, Transitions Optical offers a wide variety of products, setting new standards of advanced performance to provide ever increasing visual comfort and UV protection. Product leadership, consumer focus, and operational excellence have made the Transitions® brand one of the most recognized consumer brands in optics. For more information about the company and Transitions lenses, visit Transitions.com or TransitionsPRO.com.

SDCOS Selects Winners of Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair

Ms. Sophie Reich, a 10th grader at Mt. McKinley Academy took top honors at the science fair on March 16th in the contest by the San Diego County Optometric Society.  Sophie had an unusual experiment, titled “Seeing the Unseen,” and the experiment was outside the usual projects we’ve seen in an unusual year of projects.  The projects were judged by Robert Meisel, OD, and Byron Y. Newman, OD, and Sophie’s study was the closest to optometry, according to the judges. Ms Reich (pronounced Rich) will be invited to display her experiment at the 5 HR CE on June 12th in the exhibit hall along with a cash prize and a certificate proudly displaying her first place award.  She is anxious to talk to real optometrists about her project which promoted her interest in Astronomy.

The GSDSEF, as it is referred to, is held every year in March in Balboa Park with over 1,000 exhibitors from middle and high schools displaying the results of their experiments and studies.

The second prize goes to Mr. Salah Lazzouni, whose project, “Are you really an Eye Witness?,”  appealed to the judges because of his experiment involving the reports of eye witnesses, and how faulty they appeared to be.  The judges agreed they had not heard of this experiment before, and termed it unique involving remembering what one sees. Mr. Lazzouni attends The Islamic School of San Diego, Grade: 8, and will receive a cash prize and a certificate

The third prize will be awarded to Ms. Emily Ferguson, a 7th grader at Rhoades School,  whose project: “Got Burning Eyes?” took on a different view about eye drops comparing an eye drop found in pharmacies with a home prepared drop.  Emily had a wonderful study and will also receive a certificate from the society and a cash prize.

Because there were no other exceptional experiments this year, the judges did not choose anyone for Honorable Mention.

With about 1,000 projects presented at the fair, finding those that applied to vision was difficult as they were spread throughout the exhibit hall. Choosing from those was even more challenging.

This is the 6th year that the society has participated in the Science Fair begun by Byron Y. Newman, OD.  The SDCOS is now listed in the program as a strong supporter of the professional organizations in the GSDSEF.

Upcoming Events

April 20th, 2016: Legislative Day, Sacramento, CA
May 19th, 2016: 2 Hour CE
June 12th, 2016: 5 hour CE- Retina Symposium