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'Greatest show on Earth for ophthalmologists' opens in the Crescent
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NEW ORLEANS — An estimated 23,000 attendees convened in New Orleans yesterday as the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology opened here.
George W. Blankenship, MD, president of the AAO, called it the “greatest show on Earth for ophthalmologists.”
Dr. Blankenship said he first attended the AAO meeting in 1969, when it was still combined with a meeting for otolaryngologists. ”It was held in a hotel, the Palmer House in Chicago, which held all the exhibits, all the space, all the sessions, all the courses, and still had room for most of the people attending the meeting.”
He continued, “The exhibits were so small they could all fit on the mezzanine overlooking the lobby. Yes, things sure have changed.”
More than 2,000 presentations and courses by instructors “from Auburn to Zwang” will be available at the meeting, which lasts until Wednesday, Dr. Blankenship said. The exhibits will take up more than 250,000 square feet for the 480 companies demonstrating their products and services.
Reflecting on recent events
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The AAO’s leaders reflected upon the events of Sept. 11, and a moment of silence was observed by those in attendance at the opening general session of the meeting.
“The Academy is an organization dedicated to the benefit of public health, safety and the quality of life, precisely why many of us became ophthalmologists. The events of 11 September struck right at the core of these values,” said Dr. Blankenship.
H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, executive director of the AAO, said, “Through all these troubled times, the Academy remains financially strong. We remain committed to helping the world be a better place to live.”
Thomas A. Weingeist, PhD, MD, the AAO president-elect, showed a picture drawn by the 9-year-old child of an AAO staff member. The picture shows four ethnically diverse people, with the caption, “America is for everyone.” Dr. Weingeist said the picture will appear on T-shirts, and the proceeds will go toward relief efforts in New York.
Notable names
Dr. Hoskins also introduced two new ophthalmic public service announcements. In one, former senator and astronaut John Glenn shares his personal experience with glaucoma. Sen. Glenn urges the public to undergo screening for glaucoma.
“I’ll never forget the beautiful image of Earth as I looked from the Space Shuttle Discovery,” Sen. Glenn says in the spot. “If my glaucoma had not been caught in time, I never would have seen such a sight.”
The public service announcement is part of the EyeCare America Glaucoma Project.
Actor Bill Cosby appears in a second public service spot advocating the National Eye Care Project, an AAO program through which people can receive free screening and treatment for diabetes.
Awards ceremony
Awards were presented during the opening session. Hugh R. Taylor, MD, received the International Blindness Prevention Award. The Outstanding Humanitarian Award went to Robert W. Butner, MD; Robert D. Letson, MD; and Guillermo B. de Venecia, MD. The Distinguished Service Award went to B. Thomas Hutchinson, MD, and William S. Tasman, MD. Guests of honor included Nicolas M. Ducrey, MD; Robert Machemer, MD; and Mario Stirpe, MD. The Special Recognition Award went to the American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses and was accepted by Edna E. Ashy, RN, BSN.