AAO President: Advocacy essential to fulfill physicians' responsibilities

LAS VEGAS — With numerous challenges facing ophthalmology in the current medical and regulatory climate, physicians must play a proactive role in shaping the specialty's future, particularly in supporting advocacy efforts, according to Harry A. Zink, MD, outgoing president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Harry A. Zink

"We need to recognize the importance of advocacy," Dr. Zink said at the opening ceremony of the AAO meeting here. "This is not an easy time. In a time of tremendous advances in knowledge, procedures, technology and therapy, we are being challenged to provide care more efficiently and more economically. And we need to be sure ... that our system remains economically viable, and that quality and effective health care, not just less expensive health care, is the goal."

Dr. Zink said he has been honored to serve as AAO president over the past year, and that, as a general ophthalmologist in private practice, he has felt that the AAO is essential to the profession as the primary advocate for ophthalmology. He cited cuts in Medicare reimbursement and newly introduced pay-for-performance measures as challenges facing the profession.

"We cannot and should not be singled out for cuts while hospitals and Medicare HMOs receive significant increases year after year," he said.

"Advocacy is not self-serving. Advocacy is essential to fulfill our responsibilities as physicians in ensuring our patients continue to have access to the best care possible," Dr. Zink said.

H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, FACS, the AAO's executive vice president, seconded Dr. Zink's message. He noted that advocacy may become particularly important as the federal government increasingly focuses on pay-for-performance initiatives.

"If reimbursement comes along with all of this, we as ophthalmologists should be able to participate and develop some [performance measures]," he said.