June 28, 2005

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches more than 10,000 readers in 74 countries.

The recipients of the 2005 Bausch & Lomb Visionaries Recognition Award were announced Friday, June 24th at the annual meeting of the American Optometric Association (AOA). B&L’s Perfecting Vision. Enhancing Life. program honors eye care professionals who embody the highest ideals in vision care. Honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by an independent Visionaries Selection Committee. This year’s recipients are H. Dwight Cavanagh, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas Southwest Medical Center, Dallas; Richard M. Hill., O.D., Ph.D., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Donald R. Korb, O.D., Korb & Associates, Boston; George Spaeth, M.D., Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia. B&L will distribute $80,000 in donations to vision-related, nonprofit organizations chosen by the honorees. Biographies of the recipients can be viewed at http://www.perfectingvision.com.

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CooperVision to Invest Over $8 Million in New Distribution Center
CooperVision plans to streamline its North American distribution and packaging operations. In mid-2006, all orders and shipments will be processed from the company’s new distribution center in Rochester, NY. Construction on the 241,000 square-foot facility will begin this summer. CooperVision is investing more than $8 million in state-of-the-art equipment for the new center.

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Transitions’ UV-Guide for O.D.s
The introduction of the AOA’s Seal of Acceptance for UltraViolet Absorbers/Blockers and the World Council of Optometry’s Global Seal of Acceptance for UltraViolet Absorbers/Blockers created guidelines for validating the UV-blocking properties of ophthalmic lenses. Now, Transitions Optical offers a new patient-awareness guide, Sealed For Your UV Protection, to help eye care professionals make the most of important optometric seals in their practices. The new guide includes a tip sheet on ways to incorporate seals into your practice, samples scripts for talking to patients, as well as frequently asked questions about the two seals. The guide is available through Transitions Optical Customer Service at 1-800-848-1506.

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HYDRACLEAR Technology – The Science Inside ACUVUE ADVANCE
Since the launch of ACUVUE ADVANCE Brand Contact Lenses with HYDRACLEAR, Eye Care Professionals across the country have reported an influx of patients requesting that new lens with HYDRACLEAR. What is this remarkable technology that helps keep eyes looking clear and white and feeling great all day long? HYDRACLEAR is the VISTAKON brand name for our proprietary technology that brings together a remarkable moisture-rich wetting agent with high performance base materials to form clear, wettable lenses resulting in a unique, silky, soft feel. It’s the science inside ACUVUE ADVANCE that delivers comfort for even the longest days.
http://www.ecp.acuvue.com
--ADVERTISING

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AOA Partners with White House to Care for Aging Population
The White House Conference of Aging (WHCoA) together with the American Optometric Association (AOA) co-hosted an event at the AOA’s annual meeting, which focused on eliminating barriers to eye and vision care services for America’s seniors. The WHCoA will meet in December 2005 to produce recommendations for the President and Congress to help guide national policies on aging for the next decade and beyond. WHCoA views improved access to eye care for seniors as an important component of overall good health and will consider the information presented at the AOA event in determining these guidelines. Other public events in key cities across the U.S. will focus on the nation’s most pressing age concerns, as well as the challenges in providing this group with quality health care access.

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InfantSEE Meets with Attorney General
A delegation from the AOA met with U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., to provide a detailed briefing on InfantSEE, the new public health program aimed at detecting vision problems in children in the first year of life. The program involves the voluntary efforts and donated experience of optometrists in 50 states who conduct these eye exams free of charge, regardless of whether the family has insurance. Former President Jimmy Carter is the Honorary Chairman of InfantSEE and the national spokesperson. President Carter issued a call-to-action through a public service announcements educating parents about InfantSEE and urging them to take action.

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ICO’s Vision of Hope Health Alliance
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant has been given to Illinois College of Optometry for the Vision of Hope Health Alliance program, a healthcare initiative aimed at improving the way low-income and uninsured adults receive coordinated treatment for medical ailments. The program uses a holistic approach to providing care for these patients and includes a network of diverse community health and service agency partners, including health centers, addiction treatment centers and housing organizations.

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Abstract: Changing Attitudes Among Contact Lens-Wearers
Researchers at Indiana University’s School of Optometry studied contact lens-wearers attitudes towards methods of refractive correction at the School’s Contact Lens Clinic. 349 consecutive contact lens wearers in the spring of 2002, and 99 contact lens wearers in the winter of 2004 responded to a survey. They were queried about health and safety, cost, interest in methods of correction and wearing schedule of their current lenses. Methods of correction included spectacles, daily wear CLs, 1-day extended wear CLs, 30-day continuous wear CLs, LASIK and orthokeratology.
In the 2004 survey, significantly more subjects reported overnight lens wear as well as an increased interest in overnight wear as a healthy method of refractive correction compared with 2002 respondents. Some dampening of enthusiasm for LASIK was seen among subjects over 30 years of age in the 2004 survey. Women in the sample showed the most change in attitude over time, suggesting that age and gender can influence attitudes towards refractive correction.
Riley C, Chalmers RL. Survey of Contact Lens-Wearing Habits and Attitudes Towards Methods of Refractive Correction: 2002 versus 2004. Optom Vis Sci 2005 Jun;82(6):555-61.

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Editor's Commentary: Contact Lenses on Vacation and At the Beach
Last week at the beach, I wore my bifocal soft lenses to run,