Highights! 2024 Annual Meeting |
Over 60 members gathered on March 1st for our annual meeting. The evening commenced with a reception, followed by welcoming remarks from President Joshua Stein, MD, MS. Dr. Joel Schuman moderated the "Glass of Wine with Chandler and Grant," during which all attendees raised their glasses in a toast to honor the legacies of Drs. Chandler and Grant. Casey Kopczynski, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer who spoke on behalf of the Alcon team present, expressed gratitude to the members for the opportunity to collaborate with our esteemed group through the David Epstein Clinician Scientist grant. Dr. Stein proudly announced Katy C. Liu, MD, PhD, as the recipient of the 2023 David Epstein Clinician Scientist award. Dr. Liu will be invited to present a summary of her research at a future meeting. The evening also featured a research update from Dr. Andrew Williams, MD, the 2022 David Epstein Clinician Scientist awardee. Dr. Williams presented on "Identifying Transportation Needs from Ophthalmology Encounters Using Natural Language Processing." Dr. Cynthia Mattox, MD, captivated the audience with her presentation titled "Flowin' with the Wind," providing an energetic and informative overview of her experiences learning to windsurf. Her engaging videos and insights into windsurfing sparked an excellent question and answer session, leaving everyone eager to hear about her progress next year. Dr. Mattox practiced most of her career in the Boston area and is currently professor emerita of ophthalmology at the Tufts University School of Medicine. She has had a distinguished career, serving in leadership roles in several organizations, including as past president of both the Chandler Grant Glaucoma Society and the AGS. She has won numerous awards for her considerable contributions to the field, including her strong advocacy on behalf of ophthalmologists and our patients. The presentation is one of the highlights of the annual meeting as it gives us a glimpse into life and interests outside of a member’s better-known roles as a clinician, educator, and researcher. Dr. Paul Chandler himself had many hobbies and was proud of: basket making, bee keeping, and greenhouse and outdoor gardening. If you possess an engaging hobby or passion beyond your clinical work and would like to present it at an upcoming CGGS annual meeting, please contact Joshua Stein, MD, MS, President, via email. These presentations are a highlight of our gatherings, allowing us to celebrate the diverse interests and talents of our members! | We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 Annual Meeting! Tentative Date Friday, February 28, 2025 Washington D.C. Details will be emailed to members once confirmed. Members are encouraged to check back periodically for updates! |
CGGS ANNUAL MEETING 2023 Highlights! MARCH 3 | AUSTIN, TX |
The Agenda also included presentations from David Epstein Clinician Scientist award recipients, Erin Alward Boese, MD (2020) and Brian Stagg, MD (2021). Dr. Stein had the pleasure to announce the 2022 awardee, Andrew M. Williams, MD, who was in attendance. Dr. Williams will designate an institution of his choice to receive a $10,000 research grant in his honor. The grant is funded by Alcon, whose commitment includes five, $10,000 research grants, to support the work of dedicated researchers by providing funding to the institutions in which the recipients devote themselves in the field of ophthalmology and glaucoma research. Alcon team members attended the event and congratulated all awardees with Ms. Lisa Praeger addressing the audience on the positive and favorable partnership. The Society looks forward to welcoming a larger crowd at the next Annual Meeting, scheduled for March 2024 in Huntingdon Beach, CA. | CGGS Leadership, Alcon Team members, and Awardees at the 2023 Annual meeting held in Austin, TX. |
Featured Presenter EVAN LAGOUROS, MD |
A highlight of the evening was the presentation by Evan Lagouros, MD, Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, Vice President AAO Illinois Council Representative Illinois Eye Center who presented, Advocacy: How to get involved. Dr. Lagouros's presentation touched on the importance of physicians becoming involved in advocacy and detailed his experiences. He explained how advocacy is key to protecting patients, ensuring access to reasonable costs; and maintaining patient safety through ensuring proper guidelines and training requirements. He also touched on several misconceptions that create a barrier for people to become involved. His remarks included highlighting what advocacy has done in his state of Illinois such as, scope of practice wins, decrease in Medicare cuts, and reversal of procedure cuts. Colleagues were encouraged to become involved and there are numerous ways to contribute. He presented a few examples that he personally participated in to include: contributing to OPHTHPAC and the Surgical Scope Fund, participating in a letter writing campaign, schedule a 1-on-1 meeting with local legislators; served on the ISEPS Board, and hosted a political fundraising event. He encouraged members to take the leap and participate at any level as Advocacy can be a very gratifying way to give back to your profession and protect your patients. | Dr. Lagouros (far left) with a medical student; Nina Goyal, MD, President of ISEPS; Sohail Hasan, MD, OPHTHPAC Chair; and Yanni Kolettis, MD. The group met with local and state legislators to bring awareness to politicians on key issues. |