Eyeworld Supplements

Founding the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators AN ASCRS AFFILIATE SUPPLEMENT TO EYEWORLD | 31 1990s–2000s I n 1986, the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA) was founded, almost by chance. It spawned from a meeting between Mr. Karcher and Lucy Santiago, who is the founder and first Ex- ecutive Director of ASOA. Mr. Karcher ran into Ms. Santiago and a group of administrators having a discussion in one of the rooms at the Century Plaza Hotel during an AIOIS Annual Meeting. He had to ask the group to vacate the room several times due to a scheduled symposium. Ms. Santiago explained to Mr. Karch- er that she was an administrator for Dr. Hirschman and that the others she had been with were also ophthalmic ad- ministrators. ey came to the AIOIS Annual Meeting along with doctors from their practices. "e light went off in both our heads," Mr. Karcher said, and they decided right there to form an organization for administrators. ASOA has continued to expand over the years, growing to a society with more than 1,700 members. It also holds its own Annual Meeting in conjunction with the ASCRS Annual Meeting each year, offering numerous courses, webinars, and other educational opportunities. Like ASCRS, ASOA has a number of on- line resources, educational offerings, and opportunities for connection among its members outside of its Annual Meeting. ASOA'S IMPACT e business of ophthalmolog y is important to many working in ophthalmolog y. Dr. Lindstrom said it has been of interest to him throughout his career. He said ASCRS and ASOA are pioneers in helping to teach all of the people who work in the practice. It's import- ant to have business training and opportunities for the administrators to network with others around the country, giving them a forum to share best practices, benchmarking, and more, Dr. Lindstrom said. ASOA was the first organization in this area, he said. Nancey McCann, former ASCRS Director of Gov- ernment Relations, also highlighted the importance of ASOA. "From the very beginning, I have been a proponent of working closely with the administrators because they're the ones who have to implement all the rules and regulation changes in the practice," she said, stressing the im- portance of ASOA and its members when it comes to reimbursement. THE FUTURE OF ASOA Almost 40 years aer it was first es- tablished, ASOA continues to bring excellent education and resources for administrators working in the ophthal- mic practice. Megan Odell, MHHR, stepped into the role of ASOA Execu- tive Director in November 2023, taking over for Laureen Rowland, CAE, who held the role for the previous 12 years. Ms. Odell sees the importance of the continuing relationship between ASCRS and ASOA. One goal she'd like to see is for all ASCRS members to have their administrator or at least one team member in their practice as a member of ASOA. "We're helping to ensure you have the best ophthalmic leaders running your practice to make it successful," she said. While the surgeons are busy being the best surgeons, administrators are making the operations as efficient as they can be, she said. "Ophthalmologists want to create a best-in-class patient and employee experience in their practices," she said. "And that's where ASOA comes in." ASOA remains focused on empowering ophthalmic leaders to elevate the business of ophthalmolog y through education, innovation, support, and collaboration. Ms. Santiago, the founder and first executive director of ASOA, with Mr. Karcher. Source: ASCRS w

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