By Staff
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 12:15 AM
LINTHICUM, Md.—
Versant Health, a leading national managed eye health and vision plan company, has partnered with
Transitions Optical to create a Vision Loss Simulator to help people see how failing eye health can impact vision. The Vision Loss Simulator was sent to 10,000 vision care providers to use in their practice to educate their patients. With this tool, viewers can see through the eyes of someone living with glaucoma, cataract, diab etic retinopathy, presbyopia, glare and macular degeneration.
By Staff
Thursday, April 16, 2026 12:18 AM
DALLAS—
Eyemart Express is partnering with Visual Eyes Eyewear to mark the 10th Anniversary of Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) , a cancer research and awareness organization. “Organizations like Stand Up To Cancer improve the millions of lives impacted by cancer,” said Michael Bender, Eyemart Express chief executive officer. “We are privileged to honor a decade of their hard work funding cancer research, so cancer patients can become cancer survivors. There is still a long road to discover a cure, but we are eager to continue to do our part to bolster this organization and spread the word by involving our customers.”
By Staff
Monday, April 13, 2026 8:04 AM
LANDOVER, Md.--After four annual educational events, the Contact Lens Institute (CLI) quietly pulled the plug on its Contact Lens and Eyecare Symposium (CLES) a few months ago, canceling the 2007 CLES with no formal announcement.
By Staff
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 12:18 AM
NEW YORK—Dwight Akerman, OD, MBA, FAAO, has been named chief medical editor of
Review of Myopia Management a multichannel website that has just made its debut. Dr. Akerman is a health care leader with extensive experience in myopia management, peer education and communications, medical marketing, innovation, financial management, and M&A/business development and licensing. Prior to joining
Review of Myopia Management, Dr. Akerman was the vice president and global head of professional affairs and business development for Alcon, a Novartis Division.
By Staff
Friday, March 27, 2020 5:09 PM
NEW YORK—Almost four in five eyecare professionals (primarily independent optometrists and opticians) have taken steps, or are considering, a move to reduce office hours, and about four in 10 are considering temporarily closing their offices in response to the coronavirus outbreak. These are a few of the key findings in a second round of a
Jobson Research survey conducted this week. Among the respondents considering a reduction in hours, 43.6 percent said they are considering temporarily closing their offices and 21.2 percent said they are evaluating whether to open fewer days per week.
By Staff
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 12:24 AM
ALPHARETTA, Ga.—
Clearside Biomedical (NASDAQ:CLSD), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing treatments that restore and preserve vision for people with serious eye diseases, has appointed George Lasezkay, PharmD, JD, as interim chief executive officer, effective immediately, according to an announcement Monday. Lasezkay, a current member of Clearside’s board of directors, succeeds Daniel H. White, who resigned as president, chief executive officer and a board member to pursue other opportunities, the announcement noted. Clearside’s board is initiating a search to identify a permanent chief executive officer.
By Staff
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 12:21 AM
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla.—
ABB Optical Group, a leading provider of optical products and business services to the eyecare market, has named Tom Calhoun as senior vice president of operations. He is the newest member of the company’s leadership team, according to an announcement Monday. In his new role, Calhoun will be responsible for streamlining ABB Optical Group’s business operations for enhanced efficiency and productivity, along with aligning all aspects of the company’s operations to deliver best-in-class service to its customers, the announcement noted.
By Staff
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 12:18 AM
NEW YORK—Leadership trainer and coach Amina AlTai will be the keynote speaker discussing on the concepts of Living Your Best Life – Professional and Personally at the inaugural
Women In Optometry Leadership Summit, titled 'Flex Your Superpowers', sponsored by lead sponsor Allergan, on Wed., June 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at University of Missouri – St. Louis College of Optometry. AlTai says that her coaching methodology for professional and personal success “combines my experience in brand building and marketing with training in nutrition, fitness and mindfulness to help emerging entrepreneurs build businesses the healthy way.”
By Staff
Tuesday, April 9, 2019 12:15 AM
MENLO PARK, Calif.—
Avellino Labs, a biotechnology company that develops genetic tests in ophthalmology, has added James (Jim) V. Mazzo to its board of directors. With over 38 years of experience with building and advancing major ophthalmic organizations, Mazzo is one of the industry's best-known and most respected leaders. "Jim's knowledge of the ophthalmic community underscores our mission to collaborate closely with eye care professionals to provide them with the solutions they need to best serve their patients," said Avellino Labs board chairman Gene Lee. "We believe his expertise will strengthen our efforts as we partner with clinical and scientific experts to advance the science of genetic testing and gene therapy in ophthalmology."
By Staff
Monday, April 8, 2019 12:24 AM
ST. LOUIS—
The American Academy of Optometry has announced six individuals and one public health program as winners of its annual awards. The winners will be honored at Optometry’s Meeting 2019, during the AOA Block Party on Wednesday, June 19, from 4-7pm in St. Louis. This year’s winners are:
Ben Casella, OD, of Georgia, is honored with the Optometrist of the Year Award, recognized for his outstanding service on behalf of the profession and the visual welfare of the public. Dr. Casella is a third generation optometrist who graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry and completed a residency in ocular disease at SUNY State College of Optometry. As president of the Georgia Optometric Association since 2016, Dr. Casella has guided his state through many scope expansions, testified in committee hearings, and worked with the media.
By Staff
Monday, April 8, 2019 12:21 AM
TORONTO—Essilor has won a victory in a legal dispute over the sale of online prescription eyewear in Ontario. Last week, the Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled that Essilor’s online retail business, Clearly, can continue selling prescription eyewear online in the province.
The Court dismissed the Ontario College of Optometrists and the
College of Opticians joint application to seek an injunction preventing Clearly from selling eyeglasses and contact lenses eyewear there, without following Ontario legislation.
VM first
reported on the Colleges’ application for an injunction in December 2016.
By Staff
Monday, April 8, 2019 12:18 AM
NEW HAVEN, Conn.—The complete schedule for the 16th annual Global Health & Innovation Conference at Yale presented by
Unite For Sight has been announced. The conference will be held from April 13 to 14, 2019. This event brings together nearly 2,000 participants and more than 300 presentations about global health, responsible global engagement, social entrepreneurship and innovation. During the two-day conference, panel topics range from "The Art of Effective Organizations: Leading and Following with Humility and Integrity" to "Responsibility and Integrity in Global Health." They keynote addresses scheduled for the Global Health & Innovation Conference are as follows:
By Staff
Monday, April 8, 2019 12:15 AM
PEORIA, Ill.—Sunglass and eyeglass maker
Maui Jim, has named Nathan McKinley senior sales director, ophthalmic division. With McKinley, the first to fill this position at Maui Jim, the brand is putting more focus behind their Ophthalmic line, which launched in early 2018. McKinley will help the brand’s ophthalmic branch expand distribution and grow Maui Jim’s team of ophthalmic account executives, making this branch of the business a big initiative for 2019 and beyond, the brand said in a statement.
By Staff
Friday, April 5, 2019 12:24 AM
ST. LOUIS—
The American Optometric Association has announced the four ODs who will be inducted into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2019. This year’s inductees are: Murray Fingeret, OD; Donald Jarnagin, OD; Michael Mittelman, OD; and Glen Steele, OD. Dr. Fingeret is a 1976 graduate of the New England College of Optometry. He completed his residency program at the Genesee Valley Group Health Association, Joseph C. Wilson Health Center in Rochester, New York, and later served as chief of the optometry section at both the Birmingham Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York Harbor Health Care System, Brooklyn and St. Albans Campus.