Eye Photography Seminar in Maine at EMG

The New England Ophthalmic Photographers Society (NEOPS) held their fall meeting at Eyecare Medical Group on Saturday, October 1st. The meeting, which was held from 8 am - 6 pm, was attended by approximately 35 technicians and photographers from around New England. Those who attended the seminar were granted 8 JCAHPO or OPS continuing education credits.

Dr. Jordan Sterrer of Eyecare Medical Group opened the seminar with “Systemic Illness and the Eye: An Eye Opening Look at Internal Medicine.” He discussed several different systemic illnesses such as metabolic syndrome, hyperlipidemia, and Graves disease and the affects that they can have on the eye. “Any disease that affects blood vessels or nerves to/from the eye has the potential to alter ocular function,” says Jordan Sterrer, M.D. Dr. Sterrer discussed how he evaluates patients when he enters the room, and how he assesses the whole patient before he looks at their eyes, by checking out their hands, face, body position, and noting their level of discomfort as he begins to exam them. Dr. Sterrer discussed the affects that diabetes can have on the eyes, and discussed the importance of proper history taking with these patients in particular. Finding out if they check their glucose at home, if its typically high or low, what kind of diabetes they have, what their latest A1C was, and whether or not they require insulin are all important parts of the picture.

Dr. Sterrer ended his discussion on systemic diseases and the eye with what a medical emergency in the office looks like. He discussed vasovagal attacks, fluorescein reactions, and malignant hyperthermia as some of the more serious office emergencies, and how to diagnose and treat those conditions.

Dr. Ravi Shah of Eyecare Medical Group spoke about Current Concepts in Corneal and Refractive Surgery. He began his talk with a discussion of endothelial disease, specifically Fuchs' Dystrophy, and keratoplasty. He discussed the DSAEK procedure, and why more physicians are choosing to use DSAEK versus penetrating keratoplasty, the traditional method of corneal transplantation. Dr. Shah also spoke about the corneal disease keratoconus. “Keratoconus is not rare, but it is uncommon,” said Ravi Shah, M.D., Corneal and Refractive Surgeon in Portland, ME. “The younger a patient is when they are diagnosed, the worse the prognosis.” Dr. Shah discussed the options for those with keratoconus, including corneal transplantation, Intacs, and corneal cross linking. Dr. Shah closed with a discussion about corneal cross linking and how this may affect the future of refractive surgery as well as medically necessarily corneal surgeries.

Laura Savage, COMT, CRA from Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic in Manchester, NH gave a talk about the changes in healthcare and how to put a positive spin on change in her lecture, “The Times They are A-Changin’- how to Facilitate Positive Change.” She discussed some of the changes affecting healthcare today, including the implementation of new technology, such as electronic health records, and funding issues in the state of New Hampshire. She also discussed different types of personalities and how they can negatively and positively affect the changes taking place in the office. She stressed helping facilitate positive change by using communication and encouraging others to take the learning opportunities provided to them.