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New president: Patient access, care at the highest level remain AOA's goals
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CHICAGO – The American Optometric Association’s new president pledged a continuing commitment to patient care and doctor members in his inaugural address here at Optometry’s Meeting.
“We must ensure patient access to our care,” Ronald L. Hopping, OD, MPH, of Houston, told the AOA’s House of Delegates. “We must be allowed to deliver patient care at our highest level of training and ability. We must continue to be recognized as physicians. We must be fully integrated as primary health care professionals in our nation’s health care system and we must be paid fairly and equally for equal care, equal service and equal responsibility.”
Changes to the nation’s health care will continue to occur, Dr. Hopping said.
“We can’t stop these changes,” he said. “Our future will be wrapped up in accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes, bundled payments, enhanced care organizations, electronic portals and a value-based payment system.”
Dr. Hopping reminded the audience of the controversies that existed when the profession first obtained diagnostic privileges, then therapeutics.
“When this house decided to pursue voluntary board certification 3 years ago, this was a sensitive issue, and only time will tell how necessary that painful experience was,” he said. “As the world continues to change, it’s clear that today, without recognized voluntary board certification, optometry will be treated and paid as second-class citizens in the world of health care.
“We can wallow in this board certification turmoil or, if we’re going to be successful, we can move on,” he continued. “We have much bigger challenges ahead of us.”
Dr. Hopping noted that AOA membership is at an all-time high.
He said he started a listening tour and plans to continue it. “We’ve made a number of changes as a result,” he said.
“In addition to the launch of AOA Excel, designed to help our members in their practices, we will provide registries, evidence-based optometry; we must be prepared,” Dr. Hopping said.
“Later this summer, we will expand opportunities to all our members, including students, to be involved in our volunteer community,” he said. “We want to open the door to additional AOA members who want to participate via the Internet.”
Dr. Hopping’s father, Richard Hopping, OD, served as AOA president from 1971 to 1972. According to the AOA, this marks the first time in the association’s history that a father and son have both held this office.
As Dr. Hopping takes on the presidency, Dori M. Carlson, OD, of Park River, N.D., will assume the role of immediate past president; Mitchell T. Munson, OD, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., is now president-elect; David A. Cockrell, OD, of Stillwater, Okla., is now vice president; and Steven A. Loomis, OD, of Roxborough Park, Colo., is now secretary-treasurer.
William T. Reynolds, OD, of Richmond, Ky., was elected as the newest member of the AOA board of trustees. Trustees to continue serving the board are: Hilary L. Hawthorne, OD, of Los Angeles; Barbara Horn, OD, of Chesterfield, Mich.; Sam Pierce, OD, of Trussville, Ala.; Christopher J. Quinn, OD, of Iselin, N.J.; and Andrea P. Thau, OD, of New York.