Schedule | Island Eyes Conference 2024

Island Eyes Conference Speakers

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024

3:30 - 5:10 p.m. — Innovations in Glaucoma:  Next Generation Technology, Medications, and Delivery | COPE #87290-GL | Dr. Justin Schweitzer

Advances in glaucoma diagnostics and management continue to evolve at a rapid pace. In order to continue to care for glaucoma patients at a high level it is imperative that innovation continues in the glaucoma space. The focus of this course is to discuss new advancements in glaucoma diagnostic technology, what’s new in the glaucoma pipeline, and what the future holds.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.  Optional: Welcome Reception 

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024

7 – 7:50 a.m. — Drugs of the Future| COPE #87317-PH | Dr. Milton Hom

Is Optometry entering into the golden age of new therapeutics? Not just new drugs, but new drug classes for those frustrating chronic conditions. Two of these new classes are refractive: presbyopia and myopia. Although the classes are new, the drugs are old, but not tiring. Ocular surface chronic conditions are the next two classes: Demodex blepharitis and meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Help is on its’ way for increasing myopia, Demodex infestation, MGD, and presbyopia.

8 – 8:50 a.m. — See the Light! Adding IPL to your Practice (OR) IPL for the Optometric Physician | COPE #87563-TD| Dr. Selina McGee

Are you curious about how to blur the lines between aesthetics and eye care? Do you wonder what technologies are available to help expand what you can offer your patients? Or maybe you’ve invested in the technology but have scratched your head and said now what? There is a better way. This course will show what technology is available in a problem-focused layout from dry to rosacea and everything in between. What effects you can expect and how to set both you and your patients up for success?

9:20 - 11 a.m. — Cutting Edge Cataract Care:  Cases and Considerations| COPE #87291-PO | Dr. Justin Schweitzer and Dr. Walter Whitley

This course, using a case-based approach, will provide all of the necessary tools for an optometrist to provide state-of-the-art cataract care.

11:10 - 12 p.m. — Treating Dry Eyes with More than Drops: Scleral Lenses, Aesthetic Devices, Amniotic Membranes, and more| COPE #87295-TD | Dr. Shalu Pal

This course will outline the thorough diagnostic process to understand the root of dry eye disease, how to incorporate these new technologies into your clinic, and how to determine the most appropriate treatment plan for your dry eye patients.  We will show you how you can take your dry eye and scleral lens practice to the next level by including ocular aesthetics and skin care.

12:10- 1:00 p.m. — Nutrition for Enhanced Visual Performance| COPE #87299-PH | Dr. Graham Erickson

Eye care professionals have several options to help athletes see their sport better. Recent placebo-controlled research has demonstrated that the carotenoids lutein L and zeaxanthin Z can improve visual performance factors in healthy eyes. The history, mechanisms of action, as well as their effects and potential benefits as shown in well-controlled trials, will be discussed. Recommendations for athletes with regard to modifications of diet to increase intake of carotenoids, or supplementation with purified forms of L and Z are discussed.

1:00 -2:00 pm | Sponsored Lunch by Glaukos | The Optometrist’s Guide: Keratoconus & Cross-Linking by Dr. Clark Chang
Register for the lunch by clicking HERE

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024

7 – 7:50 a.m. — Diagnosing and Treating Neurotrophic Keratitis | COPE #87292-GL| Dr. Justin Schweitzer

Early diagnosis and treatment of NK prevent progression and heal the ocular surface. Assessing patients’ corneal sensitivity is a critical diagnosis. This webcast provides clinicians with cases of early-stage NK and strategies to diagnose and treat it.

8 – 8:50 a.m. — The Keratoconus Update| COPE #87296-TD | Dr. Shalu Pal

Keratoconus is a bilateral progressive disease that impacts a significant portion of our patients. With the advancement in today's lens and surgical technology, we have many options to manage our patients with cornea ectasias and help provide them with the best possible vision. The management strategies have changed over the years. The most current research, treatment protocols, and surgical options will be discussed. Contact lens options including gas-permeable lenses, hybrids, scleral lenses, and prosthetics will be discussed.

9:20 - 11 a.m. — New Technologies in Dry Eye | COPE #87566-TD | Dr. Selina McGee & Dr. Walter Whitley

Dry eye is a multifactorial disease with many different diagnostic tools and treatments available to the practitioner today. This lecture serves to outline the what, when, and how of choosing technology to help our patients who suffer from ocular surface disorders.

11:10 - Noon — Are you Ready for Ocular Allergy Armageddon| COPE #87318-TD | Dr. Milton Hom

20% of the population suffers from allergies. Experts predict pollen counts to double in the next couple of decades. From simple conjunctivitis to atopic disease, the purpose of this course is to prepare ODs for the upcoming pollen apocalypse.

12:10- 1 p.m. — Rapid Fire: Top 20 Scleral Lens Complications | COPE #87297-TD | Dr. Shalu Pal

As we all continue to learn how to fit scleral lenses, we are bound to run into more complications. How to manage these complications is the key. This course will review the top 20 most common and more advanced complications that arise with fitting contact lenses, from patient discomfort, fitting issues, corneal complications, and compliance, in a simple way that makes fitting a breeze.

1:00 -2:00 pm | Sponsored Lunch by Dompe | The Oxervate Experience | Dr. Justin Schweitzer

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024

7 – 7:50 a.m. — Maximizing Success with Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Fitting| COPE #87298-CL | Dr. Shalu Pal

Multifocal designs are improving but the fitting can still be a challenge. The fitting process will be simplified as we review the available designs. The essential tips and tricks needed to fit our patients successfully will be shared. Communication is the key to building trust with our patients. We will explore the importance of word choice, and detailed explanations and demonstrate how effective communication can improve your fitting success, show the value of our fitting fees and time, and reduce the frustration among our patients. Several cases will be used to explain these fitting and communication tools.

8 – 8:50 a.m. — Presbyopia Drops: Technique, Theory, and Troubleshooting | COPE #87319-PH | Dr. Milton Hom

The new presbyopia drops are all the rage. But, will all patients see the value in replacing their current treatments? We look at how to reduce poor outcomes and offer guidelines on choosing the right patient.

9:20 - 11 a.m. — Managing Your Patients Glaucoma: From The Classic Cases to the Conundrum | COPE #87293-GLDr. Justin Schweitzer

This course will take the attendee through a variety of different glaucoma case presentations that the OD may encounter in clinical practice. Each case will include polling questions to challenge the attendee and create confidence in what options are available to diagnose, treat, and manage glaucoma patients. The attendees will leave this course with the confidence to tackle any type of glaucoma patient who walks in the door.

11:10 - noon — Management of Acquired Diplopia  | COPE #87300-FV |Dr. Graham Erickson

The approach to the patient who presents with a complaint of diplopia will be discussed. Diagnostic strategies and management decisions will be included in the presentation.

12:10 - 1 p.m. — Surgical Procedure to Advance Your PracticeCOPE #87565-SP Dr. Selina McGee

Advanced procedures are more relevant to optometry than ever before. SLT, IPL, YAG Capsulotomy, and RF can fill not only your clinic and surgical schedule but can also help close the gap for patients who need our services today and more than ever tomorrow.

1:00 -2:00 pm | Sponsored Lunch by Viatris | Discover a Different Treatment for the Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease 
A Different Path to Treating Dry Eye Disease | Dr. Selina McGee

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 - NO CLASSES

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024

7 – 7:50 a.m. — Artificial Tears: The Forgotten Option | COPE #87320-TD| Dr. Milton Hom

The Good News is we have many options for dry eye treatment.  The Bad News is we have many options for dry eye treatment. As a clinician, it is easy to get lost. But for virtually every regimen out there, artificial tears are a part of the treatment algorithm.  Based on past lessons learned and clinical studies, we offer guidelines for when and where to use artificial tears for superior patient outcomes.

8 – 8:50 a.m. — Management of Nystagmus| COPE #87301-NODr. Graham Erickson

Nystagmus presents a significant diagnostic challenge. An overview of nystagmus leads to strategies for evaluating this condition in pediatric and adult patients. Differential diagnostic variables highlight evaluation strategies in differential diagnosis. Management approaches emphasize the role of the optometrist in the care of nystagmus

9:20 - 11 a.m. — The Ocular Adnexa. Optometry's Next FrontierCOPE #87564-TD Dr. Selina McGee

Eyelids are the curtains to the windows of the soul. The eyelids are affected differently than any other skin found on the body by numerous diseases and aging processes. From lumps and bumps to rhytids and drooping, this course will talk about the what, why, and most importantly how we as optometric physicians can help our patient’s eyelids.

11:10 - noon — Optimizing Visual Performance for Sports | COPE #87302-FV | Dr. Graham Erickson

Visual performance factors are an important aspect of sports performance. An overview of effective options to assist athletes with visual performance is provided. Management considerations for refractive compensation, enhancement filters, contact lenses, refractive surgery, and nutrition for athletes are highlighted. An overview of the instruments and computer-based programs used for sports vision training is also provided with support by a research summary.

12:10 - 1 p.m. — Pain, Photophobia and Ocular Pathology: What you can do the help your Patients | COPE #87321-TD | Dr. Milton Hom

Pain. Is it a good or bad thing? Pain protects us from damage or injury. But pain is bad when it’s chronic; when it leads to depression and in rare cases, suicide. Now, we believe most dry eye and photophobia commonly have neuropathic pain components. We will cover different treatment algorithms from this new perspective.

Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024

7 -7:50 a.m. — Beauty and the Beasts; How to Have Conversations When You Know Nothing About Make-up and the Ocular Surface Health Beyond: See Make-up, Make-up Bad. | COPE #87567-GO | Dr. Selina McGee

This course will show what products are used where, the effect they may have on the ocular surface, and what products and habits will be better.

8 – 8:50 a.m. — Cases and Conundrums of the Anterior Segment: The Family Feud Edition | COPE #87294-TD | Dr. Justin Schweitzer

This course focuses on a variety of unique anterior segment cases that may show up in your clinic. We will discuss how to identify, treat, and manage each case using a case-based format, along with audience participation.

9 – 9:50 a.m. — The Oculoplastic Optometric Physician | COPE #87568-TDDr. Selina McGee

This course explores aesthetic products, and non-surgical procedures to tighten skin; elevate lids non-surgically; and treat meibomian gland disease & dry eye. Technologies such as (IPL), neurotoxin, laser, and RF will be discussed.

10 – 10:50 a.m. — Optometry’s Role in Mental Health | COPE #88281-PB| Dr. Fraser C. Horn

This course will review the prevalence of mental health disorders. We will review the epidemiology, in-office screening, and related diagnostic criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). We will discuss common presenting symptoms in a primary care optometric setting and how to manage these patients in an Interprofessional manner.

 *OD courses will be held in the Kauai Ballroom (Kona and Halele'a - Salon 1 & 2) 
*Course schedules are subject to change

Para-Optometric schedule

Monday, Jan. 15, 2024

8:30 - 9:30 am | Prism: Moving Objectives in 3D Space by Phernell Walker MBA, ABOM, LDO
9:30 - 10:30 am | Binocular Vision Dysfunction; Vision Therapy and Ophthalmic Lenses by Phernell Walker MBA, ABOM, LDO
10:30 - 11: 30 am |Case Studies of the Rich and Famous by Phernell Walker MBA, ABOM, LDO

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024

8:30 - 9:30 am | More Protection, Less Refraction by Summer Bouchedid, ABOC
9:30 - 10:30 am | Vision Using Lasers to Explore How the Eye Works by Phernell Walker MBA, ABOM, LDO 
10:30 - 11: 30 am | Powerboost Lenses: Why do my Patients Need Them by Michelle Hoff, OD, FAAO, ABOM, FNAO 

Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024

8:30 - 9:30 am |Upgrade your Single Vision by Summer Bouchedid, ABOC
9:30 - 10:30 am |It All Becomes Clear by Summer Bouchedid, ABOC
10:30 - 11: 30 am | Progressive Lens Maze by Summer Bouchedid, ABOC

*All courses will be held in the Puna Ballroom
*Course schedules are subject to change