Advocacy News

The Vermont legislature introduced a bill to expand optometry to include laser and incisional surgery and therapeutic injections.

Despite numerous communications, presentations, and meetings with the Utah Ophthalmology Society, the state’s Office of Professional Licensure Review has recommended optometric scope expansion to perform YAG and SLT laser surgery.

A bill authorizing optometrists to perform surgical procedures cleared the California State Legislature's Assembly Business and Professions Committee in an 11-7 vote Tuesday.

Recent letters from members of Congress and physician groups to Department of Veterans Affairs health officials highlight growing concerns that a potential new national standard of practice could allow VA-employed optometrists to perform laser eye surgery — significantly lowering the quality of surgical eye care in VA health facilities.

The state legislature has revived a bill that would expand optometric surgery. A committee hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9.

Veterans’ and military groups representing more than 2.5 million veterans, active duty and retired military personnel submitted statements to a key congressional subcommittee opposing the VA’s development of national standards of practice for optometry.

In a statement to a House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee the organization reiterated its longstanding support for eye surgery by surgeons and found veterans prefer physician-led health care teams when accessing care in VA facilities.

A year ago today, Gov. Gavin Newsom defended safe surgery by surgeons in California, but the fight will continue next year as more states consider optometric surgery.

The American Optometric Association presented several misleading claims Tuesday during a hearing in the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs’ plans to establish national standards of practice for health care professions in VA health facilities. We set the record straight.

Sidney Gicheru, MD, medical director at Laser Care Eye Center in Dallas, was one of the top three fundraisers for the Academy’s special Protect Veterans’ Eyesight initiative this year. He recruited more than 85 of his friends and colleagues to donate to help defend the highest quality surgical eye care that our veterans deserve. We asked what motivated him.