NEWS spectrum

CLMA Recognizes Labs

The Contact Lens Manufacturers Association (CLMA), recently announced the recipients of the Seal of Excellence in Manufacturing. The awarding of the Seal of Excellence is based on results of a double blind, independent quality control evaluation of GP contact lenses produced by member laboratories. Based on tolerances established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Standard Z80.20 – Contact Lenses) the following laboratories were awarded the CLMA's Seal of Excellence for 2010-2012:

ABB Concise Optical Group, Alameda, Calif.

ABBA Optical, Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga.

Accu Lens, Denver, Colo.

Advanced Vision Technologies, Golden, Colo.

American Contact Lens Service, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind.

Art Optical, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Blanchard Contact Lens, Inc., Manchester, N.H.

Corneal Design Corporation, Gaithersburg, Md.

Diversified Ophthalmics, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio

Firestone Optics, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.

International Contact Lens Labs, Rego Park, N.Y.

Lens Dynamics, Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colo.

Lensco, Phoenix, Ariz.

Luzerne Optical Laboratories, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Precision Optics, Omaha, Neb.

Quality Contact Lens Company, Green Bay, Wis.

Tru-Form Optics, Albuquerque, N.M.

Tru-Form Optics, San Antonio, Texas

Tru-Form Optics, Euless, Texas

Valley Contax, Springfield, Ore.

Visionary, Inc., Anaheim, Calif.

“The CLMA Seal of Excellence signifies achievement of the preeminent degree of manufacturing expertise needed to meet a demanding level of inspection and to produce the high quality contact lenses which meet or exceed applicable industry standards,” said Chris Pantle, president of the CLMA. “The CLMA extends its congratulations to the award recipients.”

For more information visit www.clma.net.

Prosthetic Contact Lens Society Forming

A new group is seeking eyecare professionals that presently provide prosthetic soft contact lenses to their patients and who are interested in joining an international Prosthetic Lens Society. The goal is to provide an international web-based referral source for both prospective patients and for professionals seeking an eyecare specialist who provides prosthetic contact lenses.

An informal meeting about the new society is scheduled to take place during the Global Specialty Lens Symposium in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010. Please contact Dr. Mitch Cassel at mitch.cassel@gmail.com for more information.

Student Grant Applications Open

Optometry's Charity—The American Optometric Association (AOA) Foundation is accepting essays from third-year optometry students for its two scholarships.

To apply, the student must be a third-year student member (Class of 2011) in good standing in the American Optometric Student Association and in the American Optometric Association; be a student in good academic standing; and submit a paper, written in English. Each school will judge the submitted papers and select one. Essays must be received no later than Feb. 5, 2010. For the Dr. Seymour Galina Grant (one national recipient $2,500) applicants must write a 1,500 word maximum essay about: “Qualities I have developed through my financial planning/work experience during and/or before optometry school, that I believe will be most useful to me in a professional optometric practice.”

For the InfantSEE Scholarship Grant, sponsored by Vision West, Inc., (one first place $5,000, runner up $2,500) the 1,000 word maximum essay must detail: “How will you, as a primary health care provider, use your professional skills and patient treatment programs to further the goals of the InfantSEE program?”

Optometry's Charity Endowment Fund Advisory Committee will evaluate submissions, and recipients will be announced in March 2010. For more information, visit www.optometryscharity.org.

Hassan Joins B&L Board

Bausch & Lomb recently announced that Fred Hassan has been elected to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Hassan was chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough Corporation from 2003 until its acquisition by Merck & Co., Inc., on Nov. 3.

Before joining Schering-Plough, he served as CEO (from 2000 to 2001) and as chairman and CEO (from 2001 to 2003) of Pharmacia Corporation until the company was acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2003. Prior to that Mr. Hassan was CEO of Pharmacia & Upjohn, Inc., which merged with Monsanto Company in 2000 to become Pharmacia Corporation. He also previously served in various senior management roles at major pharmaceutical companies.

“Bausch & Lomb and its customers will benefit from Fred Hassan's extensive global business experience and his in-depth knowledge of the healthcare industry,” said Gerald M. Ostrov, chairman and chief executive officer, B&L. “We will especially value Fred's insight as we develop and market innovative products for the global eye health industry.”

Mr. Hassan is the past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and is the past chairman of the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey. He is also the immediate past president of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations.

CLS Department Changes for 2010

This year Contact Lens Spectrum is welcoming several new contributing editors who will write columns for our monthly departments. We've also made a few changes to our 2010 department topics.

Ronald K. Watanabe, OD, FAAO, will join Neil Pence, OD, FAAO, in contributing to the Contact Lens Design and Materials department. Dr. Watanabe is an associate professor of optometry at the New England College of Optometry and is in private practice. The topic of this department has been expanded to include all aspects of contact lens design as well as materials, which was its previous focus.

Members of the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry (OSSO) will contribute four columns to our Dry Eye Dx and Tx department. The OSSO columns will be coordinated by Lyndon Jones, PhD, FCOptom, FAAO, and will rotate with those of current department contributors William Townsend, OD, FAAO, and Katherine M. Mastrota, MS, OD, FAAO.

The Contact Lens Exam department has been combined with the Contact Lens Practice Pearls department. Gregory J. Nixon, OD, FAAO, Thomas G. Quinn, OD, MS, FAAO, and John Mark Jackson, OD, MS, FAAO, will all write columns for this department under the title Contact Lens Practice Pearls.

In a similar fashion, The Business of Contact Lenses department has been combined with the Coding Strategies department. Gary Gerber, OD, and Clarke D. Newman, OD, FAAO, will contribute to this department under the title The Business of Contact Lenses.

Christine W. Sindt, OD, FAAO, Pauline Cho, PhD, FAAO, FB-CLA, and Sin Wan Cheung, MPhil, FAAO, will join Marjorie J. Rah, OD, PhD, on the Pediatric and Teen CL Care department. Dr. Sindt is a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology and director of the contact lens service at the University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Dr. Cho is an associate professor of the School of Optometry at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University where she teaches Contact Lens Practice. Ms. Cheung will co-write columns with Dr. Cho and is currently a research fellow at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Finally, Eric Papas, PhD, MCOptom, Dip-CL, will join Loretta Szczotka-Flynn, OD, PhD, MS, FAAO, in contributing to the Research Review department. Associate Professor Papas is Executive Director of Research & Development and Director of Post Graduate Studies, Institute for Eye Research and Vision Cooperative Research Centre, and Senior Visiting Fellow, School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

With welcoming new contributors comes bidding a fond farewell to those not returning for 2010. We extend heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Kathy Dumbleton, MSc, FCOptom, FAAO, and Jeffrey J. Walline, OD, PhD, FAAO.