More Images
NEW YORK—With certain states across the U.S. discussing phased reopenings soon, the American Optometric Association (AOA) said it was prompted to provide its members the latest guidance on practice reactivation preparations. To prepare for the eventual and safe return to delivering the full range of essential services that Americans need, the AOA is offering The Optometry Practice Reactivation Preparedness Guide for reactivation of optometry practices and will be hosting another of its #AskAOA webinars, on Practice Reopening Guidance, this evening, at 9:00 p.m. EST.

The new Guide provides doctors of optometry step-by-step recommendations necessary for reopening their practice to "routine" patient care visits, the AOA said. The organization noted, "While that decision should be made with informed guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), federal, state and local governments, and the AOA, the reactivation guidance will help ensure practices can hit the ground running."

"This COVID-19 pandemic is very well the greatest public health crisis that we've experienced in our lifetimes, but despite this, we have to be ready to move forward with a 'new normal' when it is safe to do so," says AOA president Barbara L. Horn, OD.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST , the AOA is planning to host a Practice Reactivation #AskAOA Webinar to share the latest information on a 2020 restart. Chris Wroten, OD, AOA Federal Relations Committee member and contributor to the reactivation guidance, is a practitioner in Southeastern Louisiana (where the state government just recently extended its stay-at-home requirements until May 15). He will be presenting the latest briefing on practice reactivation and moderating the webinar, the latest in the #AskAOA webinar series on COVID-19.

Dr. Wroten told VMAIL, "All of us are intently working on just when we can return to care, how can we do it in a way that meets the highest standards of care for our patients, our staff and ourselves. As a practice owner (with three offices) myself and my colleagues are already pretty far along in the process of planning and I will share our thinking. We will also take webinar attendees through the latest requirements and standards of the White House Opening Up America plan and its three phases, along with the latest CMS standards and a review of AOA resources available to practitioners."

Registration details are posted here.