- ASCRS Annual Meeting kicks off on the Main Stage
- Binkhorst Lecture highlights AI in ophthalmology
- Celebrating 40 years with ASOA leadership past and present
- ASOA keynote provides framework to lead through uncertainty
- Foundation symposium features panel highlighting the benefits of humanitarian eyecare
- Party for a Purpose
ASCRS Annual Meeting kicks off on the Main Stage
Thomas Samuelson, MD, opened the first ASCRS Main Stage session on Saturday morning. “It’s great to be back in Washington,” he said, adding that this is one of his favorite cities.
In his third year as Program Chair, Dr. Samuelson said it occurred to him while preparing for this year’s program what a privilege it is to serve in the role and to work with the caliber of people who navigate this on a daily basis. He added that there is so much untapped talent in the Society, and he encouraged everyone to get involved. He also thanked ASCRS staff, industry, and administrators for their contributions and commitment.
Binkhorst Lecture highlights AI in ophthalmology
Kerry Solomon, MD, delivered the Cornelius D. Binkhorst, MD, Lecture on the ASCRS Main Stage on Saturday morning. His talk covered artificial intelligence in ophthalmology. “Binkhorst believed the IOL would change cataract surgery forever,” Dr. Solomon said. “He was exactly right.”
Similarly, Dr. Solomon thinks AI is going to transform ophthalmology. “It’s going to change everything,” he said. While there is a lot of cynicism out there, he said everyone is already using AI, not just ChatGPT, in many aspects of their lives.
Celebrating 40 years with ASOA leadership past and present
“Welcome to our historic 2026 Annual Meeting!” said Abigail Markward, MBA, ASOA Executive Director. Forty years ago in 1986, the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators was founded by Lucy Santiago who saw a need for administrators to come together in a community to learn and support each other.
Both Ms. Santiago and Laureen Rowland, who served as ASOA Executive Director for 12 years, solidifying the Society as the go-to resource for ophthalmic administrators, were honored with standing ovations during Saturday’s Opening General Session. “While the ASOA history is our foundation, our current activities are crucial for our future success,” Ms. Markward said.
ASOA keynote provides framework to lead through uncertainty
Anton Gunn energized ASOA attendees at their Opening General Session on Saturday with lessons in how to be an effective leader during times of uncertainty.
“A leader’s greatest responsibility is to change the energy in a room when the room’s energy is not right,” said the former head of the Office of External Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, and a C-level healthcare executive. “A leader should be a thermostat, not a thermometer. Don’t reflect the temperature in a room; set the temperature in a room.“
Foundation symposium features panel highlighting the benefits of humanitarian eyecare
The Foundation symposium took place on Saturday morning, this year titled “Volunteerism in Domestic Humanitarian Eyecare: Be the Change You Wish to See.”
The symposium was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision and Carl Zeiss Meditec. The session also featured recognition of this year’s Operation Sight Volunteer of the Year, Judith Kirby, MD.
The session was moderated by Zaina Al-Mohtaseb, MD, Susan MacDonald, MD, and Cathleen McCabe, MD. It also featured Vance Thompson, MD, Omar Shakir, MD, Rajesh Rajpal, MD, Nikki Fedoravicius, MPH, Lori McCoy, COA, Hayley Boling, MBA, COE, Jeffrey Levenson, MD, Lisa Park, MD, and Sarah Duval, COE.
Party for a Purpose
The ASCRS ASOA Party for a Purpose took place Friday night, April 10. Donations from the event benefited the ASCRS Foundation. As of Saturday morning, the ASCRS Foundation has raised more than $200,000.
The ASCRS Foundation would like to thank Alcon for their generous $35,000 match donation.
Thank you to all attendees who took the time to attend the event and donate to a great cause. The ASCRS Foundation would also like to thank the teams who participated in this year’s event.
View photos from the event here.
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