CIBA Vision has launched global professional education initiative called the CIBA Vision Academy for Eyecare Excellence (CV Academy). Offering state-of-the-art educational programs, the CV Academy will help eyecare professionals (ECPs) stay current with the latest clinical aspects of contact lenses and lens care, manage the business side of their practices, communicate effectively with patients and prescribe vision correction solutions that best meet patients' lifestyle and eye health needs, according to the company's announcement.
     Per CIBA Vision, the CV Academy will develop differentiated education programs on a global basis to ensure quality, and will also customize its offerings to meet the specific needs of local ECPs and staff in various markets. Programs will target ECPs operating in diverse practice settings and at different stages in their career, and will share "best practices" of highly successful ECPs. Outreach will occur in a variety of formats, such as seminars, publications, research reports, web sites and regular electronic communications.
     An example of the educational support that the CV Academy will provide is the Management & Business Academy (MBA), co-sponsored in the U.S. by CIBA Vision and Essilor of America. The MBA program was introduced in 2005 and, to date, has helped educate more than 1,500 U.S. ECPs on the business management aspects of practice. In 2007, CIBA Vision launched similar programs in the United Kingdom and Australia.
     CIBA Vision plans to introduce several new programs this year under this umbrella including First Practice Academy (see story below), clinical education on toric contact lenses, and education on prescribing contact lenses based on the specific vision and lifestyle needs of patients. ECPs can access the educational offerings of the CV Academy by visiting www.cvacademy.com web site, which will launch in March.

The College of Optometry at the University of Missouri - St. Louis is hosting a day-long continuing education program, entitled GP Specialty Lens Practice Today and Tomorrow, on Sunday, May 4th in St. Louis. The program is sponsored by the Contact Lens Manufacturers Association, Blanchard Contact Lens, Inc., Alcon-Partners in Education and the Ophthalmic Education Institute.  
     The speakers and their topics include: the keynote speaker, Dr. Paul Rose on contemporary management of keratoconus, Dr. Bob Grohe on fitting the post-surgical patient, and Drs. Tom Quinn and Ed Bennett on fitting the presbyope. A special afternoon session will include presentation and discussion of numerous GP specialty lens-wearing patient case studies via video projection biomicroscopy. Eight COPE/CEE credit hours are available. For online registration and further information visit http://optometry.umsl.edu/ce/GP08.html.

In a new Vistakon consumer marketing initiative, Acuvue brand contact lenses, CosmoGirl! (CG!) and ABC Family are working together to create their first virtual prom event in the new CG! Village located in the 3D social virtual world, There.com.
     CG!'s prom event will take place on March 27th, 2008 at 8:00 PM EDT /5:00 PM PDT. Included among the varied virtual prom activities are:
     - Video trailers for ABC Family's original reality series, "America's Prom Queen"
     - Avatar makeovers with colored contact lenses from Acuvue and
     - A prom after-party at the Acuvue Oasys Lounge.

Athletes, teens, part-time wearers, and those who are solution-sensitive, suffer from allergies or frequently travel are all great 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ Brand Contact Lens candidates. All these patient types and more can benefit from the long lasting comfort of LACREON™ technology, the convenience of fresh lenses every day and the protection of Class II UV blocking.* Improve the quality of life for more patients by prescribing 1•DAY ACUVUE® MOIST™ Brand. To learn more, go to:
*Important Product and UV Information | Important Safety Information
--ADVERTISING

CIBA Vision and Essilor of America announce the launch of a new optometric educational initiative: the First Practice Academy (FPA). Endorsed by the American Optometric Association, the FPA is the first and only training program designed for independent optometrists who have been private practice owners for three years or less. Kicking off in June 2008, the FPA will provide new optometric business owners with strategies and tools to enhance their patients' experience, achieve financial success and gain competitive advantage, according to the companies' announcement. 
     Taught by independent optometrists who have built large private practices from the ground up, FPA seminars will feature practical advice and real-world experience on rapidly growing and running a successful practice. The curriculum focuses on business fundamentals, with seminars on finance, profitability, marketing, staff management and the legal aspects of practice.
     Per the companies, FPA attendees will also have the opportunity to benchmark the performance of their business versus other independent practices. By completing a confidential questionnaire on the financial aspects of their practices, attendees will be given an individualized, detailed performance appraisal based on key comparative metrics from other new and established practices.
     The FPA provides attendees with a forum to network with other new optometric business owners. Attendees will also benefit from a web site offering practice management tools and a handbook with detailed business strategies and tactics. There will be on-going support for FPA alumni, with updated practice-building information and tips and the opportunity for continued online dialogue with faculty.  
     Participants in the FPA seminar will be nominated by the American Optometric Association, CIBA Vision and Essilor of America. New optometric private practice owners interested in learning more about the First Practice Academy can contact their CIBA Vision or Essilor of America sales representatives.

Alcon announced that Gerald D. Cagle, Ph.D., Alcon's senior vice president of Research and Development and chief scientific officer, will be retiring from the company on June 30, 2008, after 32 years of service. The company also announced that Sabri Markabi, MD, currently vice president, head of Development Franchise at Novartis Global Development, will succeed Dr. Cagle and join the company as senior vice president of Research and Development on March 27, 2008.
     "Jerry's leadership has been instrumental in expansion and growth of Alcon's global product portfolio and he has been responsible for bringing to market products that have improved the quality of patient care," said Cary Rayment, Alcon's chairman, president and chief executive officer. These products include: Patanol and Pataday for ocular allergies, Vigamox for bacterial conjunctivitis, TobraDex for eye infections and inflammation, the AcrySof line of intraocular lenses, both the Infiniti and Accurus ophthalmic surgery systems and the OPTI-Free line of multi-purpose disinfecting solutions.
     Dr. Markabi received his medical degree in 1982 from the University of Damascus in Syria. He completed his clinical training and certification in neurology with additional qualifications in neuropsycopharmacology from the University of Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. He then practiced medicine and clinical research as staff neurologist on the faculty of the University Hospital in Tours, France. In 1991, Dr. Markabi joined CIBA-GEIGY as a clinical research physician, central nervous system (CNS) and assumed positions of increasing responsibilities eventually becoming the global head of CNS, clinical R&D. He was appointed vice president, global head of Development for the Ophthalmic Business Unit in 2004 and appointed to his most recent position earlier this year.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of binocular involvement among patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis. In this retrospective case series, risk factors and outcomes of bilateral infection were explored among consecutive cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis diagnosed at a single institution from 1997 through mid 2007.
     Fifty eyes were confirmed to have Acanthamoeba keratitis by microbiologic or histopathologic testing; two-thirds occurred during a regional outbreak beginning in 2004. Five (11%) of 45 patients had infection of both eyes, including three with concurrent involvement and two with successive disease of the contralateral cornea. Three binocularly infected patients used soft contact lenses, and two wore rigid gas-permeable lenses. Nine of 10 eyes achieved visual acuity of 20/30 or better after antiamebic therapy.
     The authors concluded that bilateral Acanthamoeba keratitis is an infectious complication of contact lens wear. With laboratory confirmation, vision often can be restored with medical therapy.
Wilhelmus KR, Jones DB, Matoba AY, Hamill MB, Pflugfelder SC, Weikert MP. Bilateral acanthamoeba keratitis. Am J Ophthalmol. 2008 Feb;145(2):193-197.

Contact lens inspection under high magnification can be a bit tricky. 
     One of the first tools of the trade I purchased many years ago is a hand held loupe for general inspection. But, occasionally I want to see a bit more detail. Many times a GP lens has slipped through my fingers while trying to visualize some etching or edge deficiency at the slit lamp. I have found that the plane side of the loupe makes a great base for securely viewing a lens at a slit lamp. I now place a drop of sterile contact lens solution, or saline on my loupe; apply the lens and voila!
Bezalel Schendowich, O.D., F.I.A.C.L.E.
Jerusalem, Israel

I have a saying that it doesn't matter what you call it as long as you treat it appropriately. By this I mean that often we encounter a group of signs and symptoms in a patient that doesn't meet some text book definition of a disease process. Not a problem, as long as we use good clinical judgment and have an understanding of how to treat and, better yet, how not to treat the patient. I was reminded of this today as I discussed with my student intern both the possible causes of and treatment options for a patient. We discussed several etiologies and luckily the courses of treatment for each etiology were similar or certainly not in conflict with each other. I know that some practitioners are not comfortable with telling a patient they are not quite sure or not 100% confident in the diagnosis or the treatment. I was certainly more like that as a student and in my earlier years of practice when I did not have as much patient care experience. Now, I follow the philosophy of truth and, if I'm simply not sure or have more than one working diagnosis, I discuss my thought process with the patient. They always seem appreciative of the communication.
Carla Mack, O.D., F.A.A.O.

This month at www.siliconehydrogels.org: research on patient compliance, piggyback lenses for patients with irregular corneas, measuring intraocular pressure over higher modulus lenses, and part one of our 2007 AAO update.