AOA Board resolves advocacy, public awareness in New Year

New Year's resolutions are a time-honored tradition about reflecting on the past so as to build for a better future, and that's precisely how AOA's leaders view the incoming year-2020. As 2019 ends, AOA's Board of Trustees reflects on an impactful year of advocacy for our profession and resolves to continue advancing optometric care in this fateful year.

Barbara L. Horn, O.D., president

"I am eagerly anticipating the once-ever year of 2020 as an epic opportunity to focus on comprehensive eye care for all Americans, as well as celebrate optometry and our patients with our #2020EyeExam campaign. The many threats to the care that doctors of optometry provide present opportunities to advance our profession and continue to educate the public, legislators and patients about the critical service we deliver to our communities."

William T. Reynolds, O.D., president-elect

"My New Year's Resolution for 2020 is threefold. First is to use the year 2020 to promote the importance of eye examinations and to promote doctors of optometry as health care rather than vision care providers. Second, to continue to assist affiliates in their quest to advance their scope of practice to provide better access and care to their patients. Thirdly, to build infrastructure to elevate all doctors of optometry to be able to practice contemporary optometry and practice to the fullest scope their law allows."

Robert C. Layman, O.D., vice president

"My New Year's Resolution is to work tirelessly to help doctors of optometry support the AOA as the profession's most powerful advocate influencing health care reform, advancing our scope of practice, expanding the profession's role in population health management, protecting us from overreaching regulation from agencies like the FTC, and revealing the hazards to public health that exist from unproven technology that devalues the doctor-patient relationship in favor of 'convenience.'"

James P. DeVleming, O.D., secretary-treasurer

"My New Year's resolution for 2020, "The Year of The Comprehensive Eye Exam," is to continue to promote the high-quality patient care being delivered by all the members of the AOA. We are the primary eye care providers for the nation and whether we practice in an urban or rural setting, our patients are counting on us to make sure they are seeing clearly and that their eyes are healthy. Practicing to the best of our ability and skill level helps our patients live and work well and helps our profession continue to be a leader and integral part of the health care system."

Samuel D. Pierce, O.D., immediate past president

"Optometry is continuing to evolve at light speed, and the opportunity to practice contemporary optometry today stands in stark contrast to the "drugless" practice of optometry in the past. Our past AOA leaders had tremendous foresight to bring us where we are today, and my hope for the profession is that as we begin the New Year 2020, every AOA member will resolve to continue to fight for greater access to patients, greater autonomy for the profession, greater scope of practice legislation, and a greater future."

The AOA sends best wishes to all its members and volunteers throughout this holiday season and into the New Year.