Bring in Fresh Eyes
I recently returned from a great AOA President’s Council meeting in St. Louis with Dr. Jeff Sarazen - WOA President Elect, and Mr. Peter Theo - WOA Executive Vice President. These meetings are extremely valuable because we collaborate with all of the heads of each state affiliate to see how our profession is faring across the country. We share ideas of successes and learn of any obstacles that other states are having. I have to add that it was nice to see the sunshine and 45 degree temperatures in St. Louis.
Third party issues, health care reform and the health insurance exchanges were definitely the hot topics among all of the states. I am proud to say that Wisconsin, under the leadership of Mr. Peter Theo, is one of the top states in regards to staying involved and informed about what is happening in these areas. As we continue to work through this volatile time of health care reform, it is important that we all do our part to keep optometry a key player in the process. You can start by marking WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9th for LEGISLATIVE DAY AT THE CAPITOL down on your schedule. If you haven’t joined us in the past, everything you need to make your meetings with legislators more enjoyable and successful will be provided to you in the morning session. The only thing we need is YOU! Please call, email or fax the WOA office today and let us know you are planning to attend.
It’s extremely important that we continue to show our legislators who we are and what we do. Believe it or not, many people still do not know about the various services that optometrists can provide for our patients’ health.
The other big topic discussed at the president’s council meeting was Membership. As we continue to look for more effective ways to recruit and retain members, we must also address a growing issue which exists in all state affiliates, including Wisconsin. This growing issue is our association’s aging population. In the not-so-distant future, a large portion of the WOA membership will be reaching the age of retirement. This situation has the potential to seriously harm our association’s membership and create a financial hardship for the WOA, if we do not grow our young O.D. membership. It is up to us “seasoned O.D.’s” to encourage those young employed doctors to do their part and join the WOA in order to insure the future success of our profession. The younger doctors have different issues on their minds and may not always see the value of our association. They may not see the WOA as the “family” network that it has been for over 100 years. Therefore, it’s important for WOA members to reach out and meet and greet the younger generation; take them to lunch, sit by them at community events and engage them in conversation at local meetings. The more we interact and share ideas with each other, the stronger our profession can be.
As I stated in my presidential address last September, we need all WOA members to “Just Do Something.” Your WOA leaders, including myself, will continue to represent optometry and work hard to keep our association strong, but we need your help.
Thank You!
Your 2011 WOA President,
Lisa Slaby, O.D.
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Feel free to contact Dr. Slaby at lslaby@oneidanation.org.