Ophthalmology Times Staff Reports

Corcoran Compliance Connection will provide real-time coding recommendations based on chart documentation in electronic health record (EHR) systems.

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has declared August as Children's Eye Health and Safety Month to educate parents on the importance of children's healthy vision.

VSP Vision Care estimates it has spent about $150 million to provide free eye care and eyewear to 775,000 low-income, uninsured people in the past 15 years.

Alex V. Levin, MD, chief of pediatric ophthalmology and ocular genetics at Wills Eye Institute, has received a grant from Prevent Blindness America.

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami is the top ophthalmology hospital for the ninth year in a row, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The FDA has approved once-monthly, 0.3-mg ranibizumab injection (Lucentis, Genentech) for treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), making it the first and only drug approved by the agency for the condition. The standard of care for DME for the past 25 years has been laser surgery.

Bausch + Lomb (B + L) and Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (TPV) have received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for femtosecond laser platform, Victus.

Sightpath, a provider of mobile and fixed ophthalmic surgical products, ramped up social media efforts with Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, LinkedIn, and a blog.

Ernest Cavin, MBA, DBA, has been named president and chief executive officer of Haag-Streit USA and Reliance Medical Products, both based in Mason, OH.

A fellow at Minnesota Eye Consultants, Bryan S. Lee, MD, JD, is the first winner of the Vanguard Ophthalmology Society Scholar Award, recognizing anterior segment scholarship.

The annual Swing Fore Sight Golf Tournament, supporting the sight-saving programs of Prevent Blindness America (PBA), will coincide with Vision Expo West.

The Eye Bank Association of America has named the recipient of its annual Leonard Heise Award, Jason Woody.

Researchers have identified a protein, atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), that may help regulate the process that causes damage in diabetic retinopathy.

A study of more than 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries has found an unexpected benefit of cataract removal surgery: a 16% decrease in a specific type of fracture.

Acucela Inc. and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have announced the initiation of a phase III clinical trial to evaluate rebamipide ophthalmic suspension in patients with dry eye syndrome.

Sally Atherton, PhD, has been appointed executive director of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Her tenure will begin in January 2013.

The FDA has cleared pSivida Corp.’s Investigational New Drug application to treat posterior uveitis with an injectable sustained-release fluocinolone acetonide micro-insert, which releases fluocinolone acetonide at a consistent rate over a period of approximately 36 months.

Ocular Therapeutix Inc. has announced initial results of a feasibility study of a sustained-release travoprost-loaded punctum plug (OPX-TP1) for the treatment of glaucoma.

An intravitreal implant that delivers sub-microgram levels of fluocinolone acetonide for up to 36 months (Iluvien, Alimera Sciences Inc.), has been granted marketing authorization by the Federal Ministry of Health of Germany (Bundesministerium fur Gesundheit, BfArM) for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular edema considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies.

The formation of a new organization to represent all eye-care practitioners is one of the possibilities being considered by a task force examining ways that ophthalmologists and optometrists can collaborate to provide patient care.

Ocriplasmin (ThromboGenics) should be approved for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA), according to a unanimous recommendation to the FDA by its Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee.

An FDA advisory committee has unanimously recommended approval of the 0.3-mg dose of ranibizumab injection (Lucentis, Genentech) for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), in a 10 to 0 vote.

Alcon has acquired Endure Medical Systems, a Cumming, GA-based company that designs, develops, and manufactures products specific to surgical microscopy.

Volk Optical and Pioneer International have donated $30,000 to the American Cancer Society after selling 1,000 limited-edition diagnostic and treatment lenses.

Johnson & Johnson (J & J) Vision Care Inc. is sponsoring free vision evaluations for those attending the National Urban League conference in New Orleans.

Alcon has made changes to a Web site (www.freshlookcolorstudio.com) designed to help patients choose color contact lenses before seeing an eye-care professional.

According to a recent survey by Bausch + Lomb, consumers don't have sufficient eye health knowledge. Also revealed, women take better care of their eyes.

STAAR Surgical Co. is striving to increase consumer awareness of its implantable contact lens made of a proprietary material (Visian Implantable Collamer Lens).

A team of tissue engineers led by an ophthalmologist have found a way to turn stem cells into cartilage and to help people who have joint pain.

Marketing authorization has been granted for a 190-µg fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant in applicator (Iluvien, Alimera Sciences) for chronic diabetic macular edema (DME).