FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michele Hart
BostonSight
(617) 669-4225
mhart@bostonsight.org
Needham, Mass. –September 19, 2023 – BostonSight®, a nonprofit eye healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased and damaged corneas and dry eyes held their annual FitAcademy™ Retreatfor Residents at New England College of Optometry (NECO) in Boston, September 15-16, 2023.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of this free event for emerging clinicians in cornea and contact lens residencies and fellowships at schools and colleges of optometry and accredited fellowship sites throughout the United States and Canada.
FitAcademy was held at NECO’s Clinical Training Center, where residents learned about scleral lens fitting and assessment, how to manage and co-manage a range of corneal and ocular surface disorders, including dry eye disease and keratoconus, and scleral lens application and removal techniques. In addition to the educational component, FitAcademy’s intimate setting provides residents with a unique opportunity to collaborate with fellow residents, strengthening their professional connections as they begin their careers.
This year, 29 cornea and contact lens residents attended in person for the full curriculum, which included a hands-on wet lab training. Thanks to funding from BostonSight and support from sponsors, students attend FitAcademy for free.
“We are incredibly grateful for our sponsors, the John W. Henry Family Foundation, NECO, Glaukos Corporation, Contamac, and Tangible Science,” said Dr. Karen G. Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, BostonSight’s Senior VP of Clinical and Professional Affairs and director of the FitAcademy program. “Their support and collaboration allow us to provide scleral lens education to emerging clinicians and future key opinion leaders, as the need for specialty lenses continues to grow.”
“The educational program of FitAcademy offers our Cornea and Contact Lens residents skills to be life-changing providers for their future patients,” shares Dr. Jennifer Liao Assistant Professor of Optometry at NECO and Attending Optometrist at NECO Center for Eye Care. “Not only do residents learn creative techniques in fitting scleral lenses, they also learn skills to manage patients with complex ocular diseases from experts in this specialty. It is a scleral lens educational program unlike any other.”
FitAcademy is led by Dr. Carrasquillo and taught by BostonSight staff Dr. Bita Asghari, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Associate Director of Clinical Education; Dr. Chirag Patel, OD, FAAO, Associate Director of Innovative Technologies; Dr. Alan Kwok, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Director of PROSE® Network Clinical Relationships; and Dr. Daniel Brocks, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Cornea Specialist. The renowned invited faculty include Clark Chang, OD, MSA, MSc, FAAO of Wills Eye Hospital; John D. Gelles, OD, FIAO, FCLSA, FSLS, FBCLA of the Cornea and Laser Eye Institute-Hersh Vision Group and the CLEI Center for Keratoconus; Daddi Fadel, DOptom, FSLS, FBCLA, FAAO of the Center for Ocular Research and Education (CORE); Chantelle Mundy, OD, FSLS, FFAO of The Ohio State University College of Medicine; Anita Gulmiri, OD, FAAO of NECO and Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, and Jennifer Liao, OD, FAAO, FSLS of NECO.
Learn more about FitAcademy at https://www.bostonsight.org/practitioners/education/fitacademy/
About NECO
New England College of Optometry is a private, nonprofit, and internationally recognized optometry school. We prepare the next generation of eye care providers, educators, and innovators through rigorous curriculum, extensive clinical experiences, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong support network. As an independent optometry school, we focus solely on optometry. Founded in 1894, NECO is the oldest continuously operating optometry school in the U.S. and has been advancing optometric education ever since.
About Glaukos
Glaukos is transforming the standard of care for patients with progressive keratoconus and other corneal ectatic conditions through our commitment to addressing important unmet clinical needs in corneal health. With inspired innovation, a customer-centric focus, and prolific market access capabilities, we are in the constant pursuit of developing proven solutions in corneal health that empower eye care professionals to deliver optimal care for patients. Learn more at www.glaukos.com.
About BostonSight®
BostonSight is a nonprofit healthcare organization that advances the treatment of diseased or damaged corneas and dry eye. Our ongoing commitment to research and achieving optimal patient outcomes through innovative scleral lens design, education, and technology has saved the sight of thousands of people around the world. PROSE® is our medical treatment for the most severe or challenging ocular surface disease cases, delivered via specially trained eye care professionals at top tertiary eye centers. BostonSight SCLERAL® is our commercially available scleral lens used by optometrists worldwide. BostonSight SCLERAL has partnerships with Spectrum International in Latin America, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute in the Middle East and India, Conóptica in Europe, and Moorfields Eye Hospital in the UK. Learn more at www.bostonsight.org.